Zach Wahls is a Democratic state senator representing District 43 in the Iowa Senate, which includes Coralville, North Liberty, parts of Iowa City, Solon, and rural northeast Johnson County. A sixth-generation Iowan born in 1991 in Marshfield, Wisconsin, he resides in Coralville with his wife Chloe, son Elijah, and dog Zelda. Wahls first gained national attention in 2011 at age 19 with viral testimony before the Iowa House Judiciary Committee defending marriage equality, sharing his experience growing up with two lesbian mothers; this became YouTube's most-watched political video of the year. Notable achievements include co-founding and leading Scouts for Equality, which ended the Boy Scouts of America's ban on gay leaders and scouts; authoring the bestselling book My Two Moms; and delivering a primetime speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Elected to the Iowa Senate in 2018 as its youngest member, he served as the youngest-ever Iowa Senate Democratic Leader from 2020 to 2023, advocating for middle-class tax cuts, banning insider trading by politicians, term limits, and economic investments in trade schools and universities.

Education and Political Experience

Wahls graduated from Iowa City West High School, earned a B.A. from the University of Iowa, and holds an M.P.A. from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs. Politically, he was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2018 for District 37 , winning re-election in 2022; he serves his current term through 2027. Previously, he worked as Vice President for Community Investment and Development at GreenState Credit Union, co-founded Wahls Enterprises LLC, and now leads The Next 50, supporting next-generation political leaders; he is an Eagle Scout and active Unitarian Universalist.