Sean Bagniewski (born 1983) is an American politician and attorney who has represented the 35th district in the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

since January 2023, which consists of parts of northwest

Des Moines Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

in Polk County. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life

Bagniewski was born in 1983 in

La Crosse, Wisconsin La Crosse ( ) is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population was 52,680 as of the 202 ...

, and was raised in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

, in a trailer park by a single mother. He attended Theodore Roosevelt High School. He received a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

from

Truman State University Truman State University (TSU or Truman) is a Public university, public Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Kirksville, Missouri, United States. It had 3,664 enrolled students in the fall of 2024 pursuing degrees in 55 undergraduate ...

and a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from Drake University Law School.

Political career

Bagniewski clerked for Governor

Tom Vilsack Thomas James Vilsack (; born December 13, 1950) is an American politician. He served as the 30th and 32nd United States secretary of agriculture from 2009 to 2017, during the Obama administration, and again from 2021 to 2025 during the Biden admi ...

and served as chair of the Polk County Democrats prior to his election to the Iowa House. Bagniewski announced his candidacy for the open 35th district seat in the Iowa House of Representatives shortly after decennial redistricting in 2021. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on June 7, 2022, winning with over 98.8 percent of the vote, and defeated independent candidate Dennis McCullough in the general election on November 8 with over 76 percent of the vote. Bagniewski is a member of the Appropriations, Commerce, Government Oversight, and Transportation committees. In December 2023, Bagniewski announced that he is running for reelection. He won the Democratic primaries unopposed on June 4, 2024, and will face Republican Angela Schreader and Libertarian David Green in the general election on November 5, 2024. Bagniewski has said that his priorities include economic growth and education. He is

pro-choice Abortion-rights movements, also self-styled as pro-choice movements, are movements that advocate for legal access to induced abortion services, including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their ...

and supports stricter gun laws.

Personal life

Bagniewski works as an attorney and federal contract administrator. He has a wife, Lindsay, and two children. He resides with his family in the Beaverdale neighborhood of Des Moines. He is the co-founder of the New Iowa Project, a Democratic volunteer network that seeks to increase voter registration and turnout. Bagniewski was terminated from his job as a

Medicaid Medicaid is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by U.S. state, state governments, which also h ...

contract manager with Maximus Health Services shortly after being elected, stirring minor controversy. According to

Axios Axios commonly refers to: * Axios (river), a river that runs through Greece and North Macedonia * ''Axios'' (website), an American news and information website Axios may also refer to: Brands and enterprises * Axios, a brand of suspension produ ...

, Maximus received a letter from Iowa Medicaid director Elizabeth Matney eight days after his election stating that Bagniewski's position was full time and that they do not allow exceptions. Matney also wrote that the state required Maximus to submit a transition plan for Bagniewski within two weeks. Bagniewski claimed that there were no alternative positions available, and he was fired on January 29. He pointed to an Iowa law requiring workers elected to a government office be granted a leave of absence from their regular employment, and also claimed that he was falsely told by Iowa Department of Human Services officials that he could keep his job if he was elected. A spokesperson of the DHS told Axios that Maximus has the sole discretion to make employment decisions necessary to their work. Bagniewski said that he would seek legal advice regarding the termination.

Electoral history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bagniewski, Sean Date of birth missing (living people) Living people 1983 births Democratic Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Iowa General Assembly 21st-century American lawyers Truman State University alumni Drake University Law School alumni Politicians from La Crosse, Wisconsin Politicians from Des Moines, Iowa Lawyers from Des Moines, Iowa