CODY SMITH ANNOUNCES CHALLENGE FOR IOWA HOUSE

Des Moines environmental leader announces bid to serve as lone openly-gay man in Iowa House Democratic Caucus.

Cody Smith, a Des Moines-based environmental advocate, announced today he is challenging an incumbent for the Iowa House of Representatives in the 2026 election. Smith is running in Iowa’s 33rd House District, which includes several neighborhoods in central Des Moines.

“Now more than ever, Iowa needs new leaders with fresh perspectives on how to tackle our most pressing issues,” Smith said. “We need a new generation of leaders with the tenacity and spirit to take on tough fights to get things done.”

Smith grew up in a working-class family and was the first in his family to earn a college degree. He attended Iowa State University, where he made history as the first openly gay student body vice president, and got his start in public service working for the state government on Iowa’s worsening water quality issues.

Over the past decade, he’s built a career in environmental policy, delivering results for clean water, climate resilience, and public health here in Iowa, across the Midwest, and internationally. He currently serves as a program director for a climate resilience program at a statewide nonprofit organization based in Des Moines. Smith also holds a Master of Public Affairs in natural resources and climate policy from Indiana University.

“This campaign is about taking back our future,” Smith said. “I know what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck, and I believe that together we can build a state that we’re proud of. I know this fight won’t be an easy one, but I believe it’s a fight worth having.”

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Contact: smith4iowa@gmail.com