Liz Bennett joins race for C.R. Senate seat

CEDAR RAPIDS — A third Democrat is looking at jumping into an open-seat race in an Iowa Senate District in Cedar Rapids.

Four-term state Rep. Liz Bennett is exploring a bid for the seat held by state Sen. Rob Hogg, who announced he won’t seek reelection.

“Numerous community leaders and grassroots activists approached me urging me to run,” Bennett said. “Iowa’s political situation is dire, and we need an experienced progressive leader in the Senate.”

Bennett, 38, first elected in 2014, is the first out LGBTQ woman to serve in the Iowa Legislature. She’s the top Democratic on the House Economic Growth Committee and also serves on the Judiciary, Veterans Affairs, Natural Resources, Human Resources and Information Technology Infrastructure committees.

She joins Breanna Oxley, a teacher, and Sami Sheetz, a community organizer and Democratic activist, as a potential candidate in a June 2022 Democratic primary. The winner will advance to the general election in November.

In addition to her legislative duties, Bennett served on Gov. Kim Reynolds’ STEM Advisory Council and has mentored young women as faculty-in-residence for the University of Iowa’s N.E.W. Leadership program. She also served as secretary of energy on the Young Elected Officials Network America’s Cabinet project.

During the 2021 legislative session, Bennett introduced bills to address hate crimes, child care, livestock feeding operations, extending the moratorium on residential evictions and a number dealing with COVID-19 relief.

A graduate of Cornell College, Bennett has over 10 years of experience in the tech sector and works for internet company Wix.com.

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