DES MOINES, IOWA (January 6, 2023) — Brenna Bird was formally sworn-in as Iowa Attorney General on January 5 at the Iowa State Capitol. Bird was elected on November 8, 2022 — the first Republican to hold the office since 1979 — and took office on January 3, 2023.
“I am thankful to have earned your trust to work for you as attorney general, and I’m excited to get to work for the people of Iowa,” said AG Bird. “On day one, we took immediate action by joining lawsuits, prioritizing victims in the criminal justice system, and hiring all-star prosecutors.”
On her first day, AG Bird signed onto several lawsuits, pushing back against overreach by the Biden administration, including challenges to the Biden Administration’s mass cancellation of student loan debt, vaccine mandates, and tax-cut ban. She also appeared to represent Governor Kim Reynolds and the State in their appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court seeking to dissolve the injunction of the Fetal Heartbeat Bill. She instituted a top-down and bottom-up audit of the victim-services section of the office. And she started recruiting two new “all-star” prosecutors.
“Over the next four years, we will prioritize the safety of Iowa’s communities,” said AG Bird. “We will work with Iowa law enforcement to get criminals off the streets, protect victims, and uphold the law.”
Prior to taking office, AG Bird served as a prosecutor for six years, starting as the Fremont County Attorney, and then becoming the Guthrie County Attorney in 2018. She was elected to leadership roles by her peers within the Iowa County Attorney Association, including serving as the Association's President. AG Bird has also engaged in the private practice of law, having worked in both the Iowa Governor’s Office and the US House of Representatives. She taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Iowa College of Law.
