Doug Struyk is a former Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

 State Representative from the 99th District. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives

Iowa House of Representatives

The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 100 members of the House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 29,750 for each constituency...

 from 2003 to 2011 and was an assistant minority leader

Minority leader

In U.S. politics, the minority leader is the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative body. Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either a Republican or a Democrat, with their counterpart being of the opposite party. The position...

. He resigned from the Iowa House in 2011 to work for the Iowa Secretary of State

Iowa Secretary of State

The Iowa Secretary of State is a constitutional officer of the U.S. state of Iowa and is elected every four years. The Office of the Secretary of State is divided into four divisions: Elections and Voter Registration, Business Services, Administrative Services, and Communications and Publications...

's office. Struyk received his B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 from Iowa State University

Iowa State University

Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...

 and his J.D.

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 from Creighton University

Creighton University

Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...

. He is vice president of his family's Council Bluffs, Iowa

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...

, lawn care business.

During his last term in the Iowa House, Struyk served on the Agriculture, Commerce, Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees, as well as serving as ranking member

Ranking member

In United States politics, a ranking member is the second-most senior member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the majority party. Another usage refers to the most senior member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the minority party. This second usage, often...

 of the State Government Committee.

Struyk was first elected to the Iowa House in 2002 as a Democrat

Iowa Democratic Party

The Iowa Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party in the state of Iowa.-Current elected officials:Iowa Democrats are in control of the Iowa Senate, one of the state's United States Senate seats, and three out of the state's five United States House of Representatives seats. ...

, defeating Republican

Republican Party of Iowa

The Republican Party of Iowa is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Iowa. The State Central Committee is led by Chairman Matt Strawn and Co-Chairman Bill Schickel...

 opponent Stan Grote in the general election. On March 18, 2004, Struyk announced that he was switching parties to become a Republican, the announcement coming a day before the primary filing deadline. He won re-election as a Republican, defeating Democratic opponent David Phillips in the general election. He did not seek re-election to the Iowa House in 2010, instead taking a job with Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz

Matt Schultz

Matt Schultz is an attorney and the current Iowa Secretary of State. He was a member of the Council Bluffs City Council, a position he has held from 2005 to 2011. On October 31, 2009, he announced his candidacy for the office of secretary of state and challenge incumbent Democrat Michael Mauro for...

 as a policy advisor and legal counsel.

Electoral history

*incumbent

External links

• Representative Doug Struyk official Iowa General Assembly site
• Profile at Iowa House Republicans