State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann elected Iowa House Majority Leader

DES MOINES — Republican state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann will help lead his party’s supermajority after Iowa House Republicans elected him as majority leader Monday morning.

Kaufmann, a farmer and business owner from Wilton in Eastern Iowa, will serve as House majority leader for the rest of the 91st General Assembly after former House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl, of Missouri Valley, stepped down from his leadership role to focus on his campaign for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District.

"I am honored by the trust placed in me by my colleagues to serve as Majority Leader," Kaufmann said in a statement. "This is a role I will not take lightly. I am committed to uniting our caucus to advance policies that strengthen our economy, support our families, and ensure our children will have bright futures. I look forward to working with Speaker (Pat) Grassley to address the challenges and opportunities facing Iowa with bold, practical solutions."

The House majority leader serves as a caucus spokesperson alongside the House speaker, structures the chamber agenda and leads floor action by selecting which items to call up for debate.

Kaufmann, the son of the Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann, was elected to the legislature in 2012 and has chaired the House Ways and Means Committee since 2022. He also chaired the House State Government and Government Oversight Committees and served as a senior adviser on President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign during the Iowa caucuses.

His ambitions to fill the role may not come as a surprise after Trump referred to Kaufmann as “Iowa House majority leader-elect” in his remarks at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in July during the kickoff event for a yearlong celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary. Windschitl was still weighing a congressional run at the time and had not officially announced his campaign.

Last session, Kaufmann worked on a proposal to overhaul Iowa’s property tax system and reduce property taxes, which failed to make it to the floor in either chamber. In May, Kaufmann said that lawmakers would spend the interim working on the proposal and preparing it for next year’s legislative session.

In a statement, House Speaker Pat Grassley said he looks forward to working closely with Kaufmann.

"I've served in the Iowa House with Representative Kaufmann for many years now and have seen him grow into a leader for our caucus," Grassley said in a statement. "I have seen many examples of how his bold leadership style has brought the caucus together toward meaningful legislation to move our state forward.”

Iowa House Minority Leader Brian Meyer, of Des Moines, said he looks forward to a "respectful and constructive working relationship" with Kaufmann. Meyer was elected as minority leader in May after state Rep. Jennifer Konfrst stepped down from the leadership position to focus on her own run for Congress.

“I have served alongside Representative Kaufmann for many years, and I trust he will ensure every voice, including those across the aisle, is heard," Meyer said in a statement. "Iowa faces critical issues, like property tax reform, public education funding, and economic struggles, and these challenges demand bipartisan solutions. It is my sincere hope that the Iowa House can rise above partisan divisions and deliver meaningful results for all Iowans.”