‘Your fight is my fight’: Cedar Rapids Democrat Angel Ramirez sworn in to Iowa House

DES MOINES — Wearing a hand-embroidered blazer from Mexico, designed by a friend, with the message “Tu lucha es mi lucha” — your fight is my fight — Democrat Angel Ramirez raised her right hand and swore to faithfully discharge the duties of office.

Ramirez, a nonprofit leader and Cedar Rapids community organizer, was sworn in Tuesday morning to represent southeast Cedar Rapids in the Iowa Legislature after winning last month’s House District 78 special election.

She received more than 2,700 votes — or 79 percent — to fill the remainder of the unexpired term of former Democratic lawmaker Sami Scheetz, who resigned April 1 with a year and a half left in his term to assume a role on the Linn County Board of Supervisors. She bested Republican challenger Bernie Hayes, a retired systems engineer.

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“I am the first Latina in the Iowa State Legislature, but I'm not going to be the last, and that's a really incredible humbling feeling that fuels me to make space for other young voices and other Latina voices to be heard in this space,” Ramirez told reporters after being sworn in on the House floor.

Ramirez, 25, is the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants. Her father is Chicano and her mother is white. She moved to Cedar Rapids from California and Arizona to attend Coe College as a first-generation college student and received degrees in political science and social and criminal justice. She has since co-founded Our Future, a nonprofit fellowship program for emerging leaders in the Cedar Rapids area.

She also serves as board president for equity-advocacy group Advocates for Social Justice and works as a peace facilitator at the Kids First Law Center to bring restorative justice practices to the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

Ramirez expressed deep pride and excitement about her community's support, and emphasized her commitment to making the state “a safer, more accessible, more welcoming, inclusive place for all.”

“People want representatives who truly care about them, who have put the work behind them, that aren't just all talk,” she said. “And I think that our community showed up for that. I also think our community is maybe fed up with what's going on in this state and in this country, and want something different, and want a new, fresh perspective into how to change things for the better.”

She highlighted their passion for public education and said she plans to advocate for “human-centered policies” and to create opportunities for other young and Latina voices.

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“I want to make sure that our education system is setting everybody up for success,” Ramirez said. “I am a firm believer that public education is the first step in lifting our families out of poverty and setting them up for success long term. So I'm really excited to get to work on that.”

Ramirez said she had conflicting emotions while taking the oath of office, expressing both frustration and excitement at the claimed milestone of being the first Latina elected to the Iowa Legislature.

“I'm furious and heartbroken that I'm the first,” she told reporters. “It's 2025, right? We have a significant immigrant population here. We have a relatively significant and growing Latina community here. … And also it's really humbling to be the first, and it's really exciting to be the first because, again, I think it's my mission now as a representative to carve space for people coming up into this field, into this position of power. So that's something that I really look forward to doing.”

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Asked about her blazer, Ramirez said she felt it was a perfect message, noting she also has the phrase tattooed on her forearm.

“Your fight is my fight. These are incredibly important messaging as I am advocating for every Iowan to have a better life and a better future here in this state,” she said. “ … Every community member’s fight is mine, and that's the oath that I'm taking today.”

Ramirez was sworn in as lawmakers make their final push to adjourn the 2025 session, which could come this week.

Asked her feelings about having to get caught up to speed and vote quickly on bills that she’s seeing the first time, Ramirez said it’s been a whirlwind.

“But, luckily, I have a lot of support from the other reps in my caucus. A lot of the staff has been super helpful in getting me prepared for this moment,” she said. “So I feel good about walking into this space, even though it isn't an ideal time to say the least.”

Grace Nieland of The Gazette contributed to this report.

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