Nate Boulton (born May 23, 1980) is an American politician serving in the Iowa Senate since 2017. Boulton, a Democrat, represents the 20th District. Boulton was first elected in 2016 to replace retiring Democratic Senator Dick Dearden.[1][2]
Nate Boulton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Iowa Senate | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Dick Dearden |
| Constituency | District 16 (2017–2023) District 20 (2023–present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 23, 1980 Columbus Junction, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Simpson College (BA) Drake University (MPA, JD) |
| Website | Senate website |
In May 2017, Boulton announced his candidacy for the Iowa gubernatorial election, 2018 with a video on Twitter.[3] He suspended his campaign in May 2018 shortly after The Des Moines Register published the accounts of three women accusing Boulton of sexual misconduct.[4][5]
Early life and education
editNate grew up in Columbus Junction.
He earned his J.D. degree from Drake Law School in 2005 and was admitted to the Iowa bar that year. He also holds a Master’s of Public Administration from Drake University and a Bachelor’s in history and political science from Simpson College. He has served on the Simpson College Alumni Board and as an adjunct professor at Simpson.
Career
editOutside the legislature, Boulton is a partner with Hedberg & Boulton, where he practices in workers compensation, personal injury and labor law. He has served as vice-president of the Iowa Association for Justice and as president of the Iowa Workers' Compensation Advisory Committee. He also acts as a grader for the Iowa Bar Exam. He has taught courses in labor law at Drake Law School, sports law and business law at Simpson College, and organizational management and moral leadership at William Penn University.
State senate
editBoulton was elected to his first term in the Iowa Senate in 2016. He represents the people of Senate District 16 on the Northeast side of Des Moines and in Pleasant Hill.
He is ranking member on the Labor & Business Relations Committee. He also serves on the appropriations, commerce and judiciary committees.
Gubernatorial campaign (2017–2018)
editOn May 4, 2017 Boulton announced his candidacy for Governor of Iowa. His platform includes fighting for workers' rights, as he was an outspoken opponent of the collective bargaining bill that was passed by the Republican led Iowa Legislature. He also voiced strong support for public education in Iowa.[6] Former Presidential Candidate Martin O'Malley lauded Boulton's announcement, writing on Twitter, "The future is now. Congratulations @NateBoulton on entering the race for #IAGov #iapolitics".[7]
Boulton suspended his campaign in May 2018 after The Des Moines Register published the accounts of three women accusing Boulton of sexual misconduct.[4][5] The allegations against Boulton included non-consensual groping and frotteurism.[5]
Electoral history
edit| Election | Political result | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State Senate primary elections, 2016 District 16 Turnout: 3,054[8] | Democratic | Nate Boulton | Democratic | 1,614 | 52.85% | ||
| Pam Dearden Conner | Democratic | 1,438 | 47.09% | ||||
| Write-ins | Democratic | 2 | 0.07% | ||||
| Iowa State Senate elections, 2016 District 16 Turnout: 23,485[9] | Democratic hold | Nate Boulton | Democratic | 14,046 | 59.81% | ||
| Mike Pryor | Republican | 8,114 | 34.55% | ||||
| Christopher Whiteing | Libertarian | 1,254 | 5.34% | ||||
| Write-ins | 71 | 0.30% | |||||
References
edit- ^ Meinch, Timothy (June 7, 2016). "Boulton beats Dearden Conner for Iowa Senate seat". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
- ^ Elmer, MacKenzie (November 8, 2016). "Democrat Nate Boulton wins open Iowa Senate seat". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
- ^ Democrat Nate Boulton announces a run for governor, Des Moines Register, 05/04/2017.
- ^ a b "Three women accuse Iowa governor candidate Nate Boulton of sexual misconduct". Des Moines Register. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Nate Boulton suspends governor campaign after accusations of sexual misconduct". Des Moines Register. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
- ^ "Democrat Nate Boulton announces run for governor".
- ^ @MartinOMalley (May 4, 2017). "The future is now. Congratulations @NateBoulton on entering the race for #IAGov #iapolitics" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "2016 Primary Election Canvass Summary" (PDF). Secretary of State of Iowa. p. 32. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
- ^ "2016 General Election Canvass Summary" (PDF). Secretary of State of Iowa. p. 47. Retrieved January 25, 2017.