Mike Klimesh
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael T. "Mike" Klimesh (/ˈklɪmɪʃ/ KLIM-ish[1]; born 1969)[2][3] is an American politician serving as a member of the Iowa Senate from the 32nd district. Elected in November 2020, he assumed office on January 11, 2021. He is the current Majority Leader of the Iowa Senate.[4]
32nd district (2023–present)
1969 (age 56–57)
Mike Klimesh | |
|---|---|
| |
| Majority Leader of the Iowa Senate | |
| Assumed office September 24, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Jack Whitver |
| Member of the Iowa Senate from the 32nd district | |
| Assumed office January 11, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Breitbach |
| Constituency | 28th district (2021–2023) 32nd district (2023–present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Klimesh 1969 (age 56–57) Decorah, Iowa, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Kate |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Luther College (BA) |
Education
Klimesh graduated from South Winneshiek High School in Calmar, Iowa and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Luther College.[5]
Career
Klimesh served as the mayor of Spillville, Iowa from 2008 to 2020.[6] In 2010 and 2012, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Iowa House of Representatives. In 2015 and 2016, he worked as a coach at the Northeast Iowa Community College.[7] He was elected to the Iowa Senate in November 2020 and assumed office on January 11, 2021. He also serves as vice chair of the Senate Local Government Committee.[8]
He was elected as the Majority Leader of the Iowa Senate on September 24, 2025.[4]
Klimesh controversially removed Senator Doug Campbell from all of his legislative committee assignments at the beginning of the 2026 Iowa Legislative Session.[9] Multiple Republican County Central Committees, including those in Plymouth[10], Cerro Gordo[11], Wright[12], and Linn[13] counties passed resolutions opposing the move.