Mark Lemke for Iowa State Senate District 1

Mark Lemke Announces Candidacy for SD1 Special Election

Lemke seeks to be an advocate for hardworking, middle-class families

SPIRIT LAKE – Democrat Mark Lemke of Spirit Lake announced his candidacy for the special election in state Senate district 1 today.

“I am excited to announce my candidacy for the Iowa State Senate,” said Mark Lemke. “The Republicans who control the legislature are out-of-touch and are not representing the needs of hardworking Iowans. Folks I talk to are angry and frustrated with our politics; they don’t believe the politicians in Des Moines are looking out for them. It’s time for a change – time for a Senator who cares more about getting things done and improving the lives of hardworking Iowans than partisan politics.”

Mark Lemke started his blue-collar career working at Sears in Estherville, Iowa. When Sears closed in 1982, he moved to Des Moines to work for RCA, which became General Electric in 1988. Mark worked hard and rose through the ranks of the company to position of National Training Manager for the Northwest Region. In 1999, he left General Electric to start his own company. Mark retired in 2016 and moved to Spirit Lake and has served as a member of Monarch Cove Lake Association Board since 2016.

“I believe that hard work deserves fair pay,” added Lemke. “Hard work should be rewarded with a middle-class life and secure retirement. In the Iowa Senate, I’ll fight for policies that will raise incomes for hardworking Iowans, invest in our public schools and our children’s futures, and make it easier for parents to work and raise a family.

“Iowa can be a great place to live, work, raise a family, and retire, but only if Republicans and Democrats can come together and pass common sense policies that help hardworking Iowans.,” said Lemke.

Mark grew up in Armstrong, Iowa and graduated from Armstrong High School in 1974. He attended Iowa Lakes Community College and studied business administration. Mark is married with 5 children and 8 grandchildren. He is a member of the Lutheran Church.

Mark was a precinct captain for Amy Klobuchar in the 2020 Democratic caucus. He was elected delegate to the Dickinson County Democratic Convention in 2020.

The special election is Tuesday, December 14.