Many Republican officials around the state have been receiving calls from former General Counsel to Governor Branstad, Brenna Bird. Bird appears to be preparing to announce her run for Attorney General early in the new year.

Bird wouldn’t confirm her plans but told Iowa Field Report she’s weighing her options.

“I’ve received a lot of encouragement to run over the past few months and I’m excited by that. When I worked with Governor Branstad to fight back against the Obama administration, I never expected the next Democrat President would take us in an even more radical direction. Iowa needs an Attorney General who will work closely with Governor Reynolds and fight against federal overreach coming from Washington. As I weigh my decision, Miller’s failure to stand up for Iowans weighs heavily on my mind,” said Bird.

If Bird enters the race, it would be a rematch of the 2010 AG race where Bird, then Brenna Findley, challenged incumbent Tom Miller. Last year’s Presidential election delivered a blow to Iowa’s status as a swing state and Republicans are optimistic that this will be the year to pick up the Attorney General’s office that Miller has held for nearly 40 years (with one four-year break).

Brenna Bird

Bird was elected as Guthrie County Attorney in 2018 and is well respected by the legal community, party officials, and activists. While she appears to be the only Republican surfacing to run for AG, GOP insiders expect her close ties to Branstad and Reynolds will give her a possible fundraising edge in a Republican primary.