Attorney General of Iowa · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in the Iowa attorney general race?
Brenna Bird has the strongest record in the Iowa attorney general race. Brenna Bird scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Nate Willems at 64, as of October 6, 2026. Brenna Bird's highest marks are command of the job and relevant experience. Nate Willems's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Brenna Bird
66 / 100
Public evidence on 11 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 75
Democratic
Nate Willems
64 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Brenna Bird
- On the record2026-09-08
KCCI found she brought no separate enforcement case against POET over a Shell Rock plant's air violations, which no agency referred to her, and that POET's CEO later gave her campaign $100,000.
Source: KCCI, Sept. 8, 2026
- On the record2026-09-14
A KCRG fact check found her campaign ad saying Willems voted against monitoring sex offenders omitted that he voted for the 2009 law that included monitoring and the public registry.
Source: KCRG, Sept. 14, 2026
- On the record2025-12-05
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled the State Auditor could use his own lawyers in the Davenport records case after her office declined to argue his position on access to privileged records.
Source: KCRG, Dec. 5, 2025
- Credit2026-08-17
Established the Attorney General's office's first cold case unit, which the Des Moines Register reported has begun producing convictions.
Sources: KCCI, Sept. 29, 2026, Des Moines Register, as published by Yahoo News, Aug. 17, 2026
- Credit2026-09
Iowa will receive $126 million from the multistate settlement with Meta over teen mental health claims, a case her office joined with 46 other states.
Source: KCCI, Sept. 29, 2026
- Credit2026-09-28
Announced Iowa will receive about $2.4 million from a settlement with Corteva Agriscience in a pesticide monopoly case brought by the FTC and several states.
Source: Yahoo Finance, Sept. 29, 2026
Nate Willems
- On the record2026-09-08
KCCI found his ad accurate that Bird took no separate action against POET but that 'refused' lacked context; POET's attorney demanded the ad be withdrawn and his campaign refused.
Source: KCCI, Sept. 8, 2026
- On the record2026-09-29
Partner at the Rush & Nicholson law firm in Cedar Rapids, where his practice focuses on wage and labor cases.
Sources: KCCI, Sept. 29, 2026, Des Moines Register, as published by Yahoo News, Aug. 21, 2026
- On the record2009
In 2009 voted against an amendment requiring mandatory electronic monitoring of released sex offenders, and for the final bill that allowed case-by-case monitoring and created the public registry website.
Source: KCRG, Sept. 14, 2026
- Credit2009 to 2013
Served two terms in the Iowa House for District 29, including as vice chair of the Labor Committee in 2009 to 2010.
Source: Ballotpedia, Nate Willems
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Brenna Bird. No ethics board, court or campaign finance finding naming her was found. A KCRG fact check found her 2026 ad on her opponent missing critical context; one item does not meet the E15 threshold.
Source: KCRG, Sept. 14, 2026
Nate Willems. No ethics board, court or campaign finance finding naming him was found. KCCI found his 2026 ad's claim that Bird 'refused' to act needed context; one item does not meet the E15 threshold.
Source: KCCI, Sept. 8, 2026
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Brenna Bird. No public record found.
Nate Willems. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Brenna Bird. Spoke at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox on Aug. 17, 2026 and took press questions, and gave a one-on-one interview to KCCI. No 2026 debate with her opponent was found.
Sources: Des Moines Register, as published by Yahoo News, Aug. 17, 2026, KCCI, Sept. 29, 2026
Nate Willems. Spoke at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox on Aug. 21, 2026 and gave a one-on-one interview to KCCI. No 2026 debate with his opponent was found.
Sources: Des Moines Register, as published by Yahoo News, Aug. 21, 2026, KCCI, Sept. 29, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Brenna Bird. County attorney in Guthrie and Fremont counties and Attorney General since 2023 with no formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Brenna Bird
Nate Willems. State representative 2009 to 2013 and a labor lawyer and law firm partner since, with no formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Nate Willems
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Brenna Bird. Sworn Attorney General since Jan. 2, 2023, with no official finding of misuse of office and no action to reject certified results. In December 2025 the Iowa Supreme Court let the State Auditor use his own lawyers after finding a conflict with her office (Record).
Sources: Ballotpedia, Brenna Bird, KCRG, Dec. 5, 2025
Nate Willems. Took the oath as a member of the Iowa House from 2009 to 2013 with no official finding of misuse of office and no action to reject certified results.
Source: Ballotpedia, Nate Willems
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Brenna Bird. Attorney General since January 2023, nearly one full term; earlier elected Guthrie County Attorney and a prosecutor since 2016, and chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Steve King.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Brenna Bird, Bird campaign site
Nate Willems. Two terms in the Iowa House (District 29, 2009 to 2013), vice chair of the Labor Committee, and about 18 years as a labor lawyer.
Source: Ballotpedia, Nate Willems
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Brenna Bird. Sitting Attorney General who created the office's first cold case unit and proposes a special victims unit of prosecutors for crimes against vulnerable victims.
Source: KCCI, Sept. 29, 2026
Nate Willems. Released a detailed 'Protecting Your Paycheck' platform for a wage theft recovery unit inside the Attorney General's office, and proposes rebuilding the consumer protection division.
Sources: Iowa Capital Dispatch, as published by KCRG, Aug. 12, 2026, KCCI, Sept. 29, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Brenna Bird. Three channels documented: the Register Soapbox speech, a KCCI interview, and a campaign site with news of her office's work. No 2026 voter questionnaire answer found.
Sources: Des Moines Register, as published by Yahoo News, Aug. 17, 2026, Bird campaign site
Nate Willems. Three channels documented: a published policy platform, the Register Soapbox speech and a KCCI interview. No 2026 voter questionnaire answer found.
Sources: Iowa Capital Dispatch, as published by KCRG, Aug. 12, 2026, Des Moines Register, as published by Yahoo News, Aug. 21, 2026
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Brenna Bird. Iowa-educated (Drake University) and served as an elected county attorney in Guthrie County, documented local service. In-state donor share not computed; the national Republican Attorneys General Association had given $1.5 million as of July 2026.
Source: Ballotpedia, Brenna Bird
Nate Willems. Born in Iowa and lives in Mount Vernon; former state representative and local civic member (Lisbon Lions Club, Mount Vernon Athletic Boosters). In-state donor share not computed; the national Democratic Attorneys General Association had given $1.5 million as of July 2026.
Source: Ballotpedia, Nate Willems
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Brenna Bird. Has run the Attorney General's office since 2023 and created a cold case unit. Office size and independent performance reviews not sourced.
Source: KCCI, Sept. 29, 2026
Nate Willems. Partner at the Rush & Nicholson law firm in Cedar Rapids. No campaign finance penalty naming his committee was found.
Source: KCCI, Sept. 29, 2026
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Brenna Bird. Her office secured about $126 million for Iowa in the multistate Meta settlement and about $2.4 million in the Corteva pesticide monopoly settlement in 2026, and set up a cold case unit.
Sources: KCCI, Sept. 29, 2026, Yahoo Finance, Sept. 29, 2026
Nate Willems. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Brenna Bird. No public record found.
Nate Willems. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Brenna Bird. No public record found.
Nate Willems. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Brenna Bird. Joined multistate actions with other states' attorneys general of both parties and the FTC, including the Meta settlement with 46 other states and the Corteva settlement.
Sources: KCCI, Sept. 29, 2026, Yahoo Finance, Sept. 29, 2026
Nate Willems. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Brenna Bird. No public record found.
Nate Willems. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the Iowa attorney general race?
Brenna Bird has the strongest record in the Iowa attorney general race. Brenna Bird scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Nate Willems at 64, as of October 6, 2026. Brenna Bird's highest marks are command of the job and relevant experience. Nate Willems's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the Iowa attorney general race in 2026?
Brenna Bird (Republican, incumbent), Nate Willems (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Brenna Bird a good candidate for Attorney General?
Brenna Bird scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 11 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Nate Willems a good candidate for Attorney General?
Nate Willems scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Iowa race scored, and the Iowa 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.