Jo Ann McIntosh Zimmerman (December 24, 1936 – October 22, 2019) was an American politician who served as the 42nd

Lieutenant Governor of Iowa This is a list of lieutenant governors of the U.S. state of Iowa. History Prior to 1990, the governor and lieutenant governor were elected in separate elections; since then they have run together on the same ticket. List See also * List of g ...

from 1987 to 1991. A member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, she was the first woman to serve in the office of Lieutenant Governor in Iowa history.

Early life

Zimmerman was born on December 24, 1936, to Russell and Hazel McIntosh, in

Van Buren County, Iowa Van Buren County ( ) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census the population was 7,203, making it the state's tenth-least populous county. The county seat is Keosauqu ...

as the eldest of three children. She graduated from Keosauqua High School. Zimmerman graduated from

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, law, and pharmacy. Drake's law school is among the 25 oldest in the United States. Hi ...

and studied at

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...

. Zimmerman was a nurse and raised cattle on her family's farm. In 1956, she married Tom Zimmerman, and had five children.

Political career

In 1982, Zimmerman won election to 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 ...

where she advocated various health issues, and won the 1986 election for Lieutenant Governor of Iowa, separately from Governor

Terry Branstad Terry Edward Branstad (born November 17, 1946) is an American politician and former diplomat. A member of the Republican Party, he served three terms in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979 before serving as governor of Iowa fro ...

.Jo Ann Zimmerman
at Iowa Women's Archives As Lt. Governor, Zimmerman advocated for the elimination of her own office (as it was considered a figurehead position) and championed other progressive causes in her position. Zimmerman briefly entered the 1990 gubernatorial election to unseat incumbent governor Branstad, but dropped out to run on the

Iowa Democratic Party The Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Iowa. While existing when Iowa was granted statehood in 1846, it did not gain broad electoral success until the mid-1950s, when demographic changes ...

ticket as Lt. Governor with

Donald Avenson Donald D. Avenson (September 16, 1944 – May 19, 2017) was an American politician in the state of Iowa. Early life Avenson was born on September 16, 1944, in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Donald C. and Wilma G. Avenson. The family lived in Oelwei ...

(who subsequently lost to Branstad). She left office in 1991.

Death

Zimmerman died of complications of

pulmonary fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failu ...

on October 22, 2019, at the age of 82. She had been suffering from the disease for about 8 years previously.

References

External links

* Lieutenant Governors of Iowa Women state legislators in Iowa Democratic Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives Presidents of the Iowa Senate Democratic Party Iowa state senators 1936 births 2019 deaths People from Van Buren County, Iowa American nurses American women nurses Farmers from Iowa Drake University alumni Iowa State University alumni Deaths from pulmonary fibrosis 21st-century American women {{Iowa-politician-stub