Brenna Bird | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 34thAttorney General of Iowa | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Governor | Kim Reynolds |
| Preceded by | Tom Miller |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Brenna Findley 1976 (age 48–49)[1] Dexter, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Bob Bird |
| Education | Drake University (BA) University of Chicago (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Brenna Bird (néeFindley; born 1976) is an American lawyer and politician who has served asIowa Attorney General since 2023. She is a member of theRepublican Party.
Bird grew up on a farm nearDexter, Iowa. She earned herbachelor's degree fromDrake University and herJuris Doctor degree from theUniversity of Chicago Law School in 2001.[2]
Bird spent more than seven years working for U.S. RepresentativeSteve King (Jan 2003 - May 2010), rising to Chief of Staff. In the 2010 elections, Bird ran forAttorney General of Iowa. She lost to incumbentTom Miller by 11 percent.[3] She considered running for theU.S. House of Representatives in the 2014 elections, but opted against running.[4]Bird served as counsel toGovernorTerry Branstad. She was "county attorney inFremont County,Audubon County"[5] and becamecounty attorney forGuthrie County, Iowa in 2018.[6] In 2019, after hearing "six weeks of evidence, including testimony from Branstad and others,"[7] a jury ruled that Branstad and Bird (then known as Brenna Findley) had discriminated against an employee in 2010-2011 because of hissexual orientation, and awarded him $1.5 million,[8] but the verdict was overturned by the Iowa Supreme Court in 2021.[7]
She ran against[9] Miller in the2022 Iowa Attorney General election.[10] She narrowly defeated Miller, who had served ten four-year terms as attorney general.[11][12]
On April 9, 2023, Bird's office ordered a pause in the state's practice of paying for emergency contraception or abortions for rape victims.[13]
Bird's office also filed or joined more than a dozen multi-state lawsuits against the Biden administration in 2023 and at least a dozen more in 2024.[14]
Bird's office also joined a suit, Texas v. Becerra,[15] in the United States District Court Northern District Of Texas Lubbock Division asking the court to "vacate a federal rule prohibiting discrimination against disabled people in health care settings, [and] to declare a 1973 law known asSection 504 unconstitutional.[14][15]
Bird lives with her husband, Bob Bird,[16] and their son on her family farm in southeastern Guthrie County.[17] Bird is a member of theAll Saints Church.[18]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Brenna Bird | 611,432 | 50.82% | |
| Democratic | Tom Miller (incumbent) | 590,890 | 49.11% | |
| Write-in | 801 | 0.07% | ||
| Total votes | 1,203,123 | 100.00% | ||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | ||||
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vacant Title last held by David Millage | Republican nominee forAttorney General of Iowa 2010 | Succeeded by |
| Vacant Title last held by Adam Gregg | Republican nominee forAttorney General of Iowa 2022 | Most recent |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Attorney General of Iowa 2023–present | Incumbent |
Statewide political officials ofIowa | ||
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| U.S. senators |  | |
| State government | ||
| State Senate |
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| State House |
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| Supreme Court (appointed, retained by election) |
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