Izaah Knox (17)

Izaah Knox is a Democratic state senator representing Iowa Senate District 17, which includes central Des Moines, the East Village, and the East Side. Born on January 9, 1977, in Iowa City, he was raised in Cedar Rapids and Seattle, Washington, and now resides in Des Moines with his wife, Jenna, and their three children: Chance, Porter, and Johnnie. Elected to his first term in the Iowa Senate in 2022 , he serves as Assistant Democratic Leader and holds key committee roles, including ranking member of the Commerce committee and membership on Agriculture, Appropriations, Judiciary, Local Government, Technology, and Natural Resources and Environment committees. As executive director of Urban Dreams, a Des Moines nonprofit focused on community services, he has earned notable recognitions such as Top 500 Iowa Influential Business Leader , Des Moines Area Community College Alumni Impact Award , Des Moines Business Record Forty Under 40 , and Iowa’s Most Interesting and Influential People by the Des Moines Register .

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Attended Ellsworth Community College and Kirkwood Community College; earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in education from Drake University; currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Iowa State University, with a dissertation on upward mobility in depressed urban areas. Graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program.
• Political Experience: Elected in 2022 after winning the Democratic primary against Grace Van Cleave and the general election against Libertarian ToyA Johnson and independent Alejandro Murguia-Ortiz. Previously served as immediate past-chair of the Des Moines Human and Civil Rights Commission and tri-chair of Capital Crossroads 2.0 Social Capital.
• Professional Background: Executive director of Urban Dreams ; former community outreach consultant at Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield; adjunct instructor, advisor, and YouthBuild education coordinator at Des Moines Area Community College; coached to support personal development. Holds leadership roles on boards including Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines , Mid-Iowa Health Foundation , Simpson College Board of Trustees, Bankers Trust Community Advisory Board, Drake University Community Advisory, American Heart Association, Food Bank of Iowa, and Pro Iowa Advisory Council.