Brenna Bird (née Findley) is an American lawyer and politician from Iowa. A member of the Republican Party, she is the incumbent Iowa Attorney General.
Brenna Bird | |
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34th Attorney General of Iowa | |
Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
Governor | Kim Reynolds |
Preceded by | Tom Miller |
Personal details | |
Born | Brenna Findley 1976 (age 47–48)[1] Dexter, Iowa |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Bob Bird |
Education | Drake University (BA) University of Chicago (JD) |
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Biography
editEarly life
editBird grew up on a farm near Dexter, Iowa. She earned her bachelor's degree from Drake University and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 2001.[2]
Career
editIn the 2010 elections, Bird ran for Attorney General of Iowa. She lost to incumbent Tom Miller by 11 percent.[3] She considered running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2014 elections, but opted against running.[4] Bird served as counsel to Governor Terry Branstad and became county attorney for Guthrie County, Iowa in 2018.[5] In 2019, a jury ruled that Branstad and Bird had discriminated against an employee because of his sexual orientation, and awarded him $1.5 million,[6] but the verdict was overturned by the Iowa Supreme Court in 2021.[7]
She ran against Miller in the 2022 Iowa Attorney General election.[8] She narrowly defeated Miller, who had served ten four-year terms as attorney general.[9][10]
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.[11]
Personal life
editBird lives with her husband, Bob Bird,[12] and their son on her family farm in southeastern Guthrie County.[13] Bird is a member of the All Saints Church.[14]
References
edit- ^ "Where Brenna Bird & Tom Miller stand on key issues in Iowa attorney general race". The Des Moines Register. October 4, 2022.
- ^ Anderson, Alex (April 21, 2013). "Q & A with Brenna Findley '01, Counsel to IA Governor Terry Branstad". The Collegian. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Gruber-Miller, Stephen (January 4, 2022). "Brenna Bird running for Iowa attorney general against Tom Miller". Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ Jacobs, Jennifer (February 3, 2014). "GOP's Brenna Findley rules out run for Congress this year". Des Moines Register. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ "Meet Iowa attorney general candidates in midterm elections 2022". Des Moines Register. October 4, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ Sullivan, Kate (July 16, 2019). "Jury finds ex-Iowa governor discriminated against gay official". CNN. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Foley, Ryan (June 30, 2021). "Court overturns gay bias verdict against ex-Iowa governor". Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ "Brenna Bird wins Iowa attorney general race over longtime AG Tom Miller". Kcci.com. November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ Stern, Seth (November 9, 2022). "Longest-Ever Serving State Attorney General Defeated in Iowa". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Gruber-Miller, Stephen (November 8, 2022). "Brenna Bird topples incumbent Tom Miller in Iowa attorney general race". Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ "Iowa won't pay for rape victims' abortions or contraceptives". Politico. Associated Press. April 9, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ^ "About Attorney General Brenna Bird". iowaattorneygeneral.gov. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ^ McIntosh, Sam (January 4, 2019). "Meet New Guthrie County Attorney Brenna Bird". Raccoon Valley Radio. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ^ "About Attorney General Brenna Bird". www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov.