Brenna Bird

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Brenna Bird

|image = Brenna Bird by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg

|office = 34th Attorney General of Iowa

|governor = Kim Reynolds

|term_start = January 3, 2023

|term_end =

|predecessor = Tom Miller

|successor =

|birth_name = Brenna Findley

|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1976}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/10/04/meet-iowa-attorney-general-candidates-midterm-elections-2022-tom-miller-brenna-bird/10399243002/ |title=Where Brenna Bird & Tom Miller stand on key issues in Iowa attorney general race |newspaper=The Des Moines Register |date=2022-10-04}}

|birth_place = Dexter, Iowa, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|spouse = Bob Bird

|party = Republican

|education = Drake University (BA)
University of Chicago (JD)

|signature=Brenna Bird Signature.png}}

Brenna Bird (née Findley; born 1976) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as Iowa Attorney General since 2023. She is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life and education

Bird grew up on a farm near Dexter, Iowa. She earned her bachelor's degree from Drake University and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 2001.{{cite news|first=Alex |last=Anderson |title=Q & A with Brenna Findley '01, Counsel to IA Governor Terry Branstad|url=http://hillsdalecollegian.com/2013/04/q-and-a-brenna-findley/|newspaper=The Collegian|date=April 21, 2013 |access-date=November 13, 2022}}

Career

Bird spent more than seven years working for U.S. Representative Steve King (Jan 2003 - May 2010), rising to Chief of Staff. In the 2010 elections, Bird ran for Attorney General of Iowa. She lost to incumbent Tom Miller by 11 percent.{{cite news |first=Stephen |last=Gruber-Miller |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2022/01/04/republican-brenna-bird-running-iowa-attorney-general-against-democrat-tom-miller-2022-election/9089145002/ |title=Brenna Bird running for Iowa attorney general against Tom Miller |newspaper=Des Moines Register |date=January 4, 2022 |access-date=November 12, 2022}} She considered running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2014 elections, but opted against running.{{cite news |url=http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2014/02/03/gops-brenna-findley-rules-out-run-for-congress-this-year/article |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140203224920/http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2014/02/03/gops-brenna-findley-rules-out-run-for-congress-this-year/article |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 3, 2014 |title=GOP's Brenna Findley rules out run for Congress this year |newspaper=Des Moines Register |last=Jacobs |first=Jennifer |date=February 3, 2014 |access-date=February 3, 2014}}

Bird served as counsel to Governor Terry Branstad. She was "county attorney in Fremont County, Audubon County"{{cite news |first=Myah |last=DeFruscio |url=https://www.swiowanewssource.com/atlantic/article_9d222b2d-bdab-5444-95ef-61ef91b9b93e.html |title= Bird makes run for Iowa Attorney General |website=Atlantic News-Telegraph |date=January 28, 2022|access-date=March 12, 2025}} and became county attorney for Guthrie County, Iowa in 2018.{{cite news|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/10/04/meet-iowa-attorney-general-candidates-midterm-elections-2022-tom-miller-brenna-bird/10399243002/ |title=Meet Iowa attorney general candidates in midterm elections 2022 |newspaper=Des Moines Register|date=October 4, 2022 |access-date=November 12, 2022}} In 2019, after hearing "six weeks of evidence, including testimony from Branstad and others," a jury ruled that Branstad and Bird (then known as Brenna Findley) had discriminated against an employee in 2010-2011 because of his sexual orientation, and awarded him $1.5 million,{{cite web|last=Sullivan |first=Kate |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/16/politics/jury-iowa-governor-discrimination-sexual-orientation/index.html |title=Jury finds ex-Iowa governor discriminated against gay official|website=CNN|date=July 16, 2019 |access-date=November 13, 2022}} but the verdict was overturned by the Iowa Supreme Court in 2021.{{cite web|last=Foley |first=Ryan |url=https://apnews.com/article/iowa-courts-ia-state-wire-business-104b027b62caff87925c8cad7d18880b |title=Court overturns gay bias verdict against ex-Iowa governor |website=Associated Press News |date=June 30, 2021 |access-date=June 7, 2023}}

She ran against{{Cite web|url=https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2022/09/24/brenna-birds-tv-ad-is-over-the-top/|title=Brenna Bird's tv ad is over the top|first=Bruce|last=Lear|date=September 24, 2022}} Miller in the 2022 Iowa Attorney General election.{{cite news |url=https://www.kcci.com/article/brenna-bird-iowa-attorney-general/41738831 |title=Brenna Bird wins Iowa attorney general race over longtime AG Tom Miller |publisher=KCCI |date=November 8, 2022|access-date=November 12, 2022}} She narrowly defeated Miller, who had served ten four-year terms as attorney general.{{cite web|first=Seth|last=Stern|date=November 9, 2022|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/longest-ever-serving-state-attorney-general-defeated-in-iowa |title=Longest-Ever Serving State Attorney General Defeated in Iowa |website=Bloomberg Law |access-date=November 13, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/09/brenna-bird-topples-incumbent-tom-miller-in-iowa-attorney-general-race/69610291007/ |first=Stephen|last=Gruber-Miller|title=Brenna Bird topples incumbent Tom Miller in Iowa attorney general race |newspaper=Des Moines Register |date=November 8, 2022 |access-date=November 12, 2022}}

On April 9, 2023, Bird's office ordered a pause in the state's practice of paying for emergency contraception or abortions for rape victims.{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/09/iowa-rape-victims-abortion-contraceptives-00091127|title=Iowa won't pay for rape victims' abortions or contraceptives|website=Politico|agency=Associated Press|date=April 9, 2023|access-date=April 9, 2023}}

Bird's office also filed or joined more than a dozen multi-state lawsuits against the Biden administration in 2023 and at least a dozen more in 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/02/16/brenna-bird-hid-the-ball-on-major-disability-case-now-shes-lying-about-it/ |first=Laura |last=Belin | title=Brenna Bird Hid The Ball On Major Disability Case. Now She's Lying About It. |website=www.bleedingheartland.com |date=February 16, 2025| access-date=March 12, 2025}}

Bird's office also joined a suit, Texas v. Becerra,https://www.bleedingheartland.com/static/media/2025/02/HHS-Rehabilitation-Act-Complaint-Filestamped.pdf in the United States District Court Northern District Of Texas Lubbock Division asking the court to "vacate a federal rule prohibiting discrimination against disabled people in health care settings, [and] to declare a 1973 law known as Section 504 unconstitutional.

Personal life

Bird lives with her husband, Bob Bird,{{cite web|url=https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/about-us/about-attorney-general-brenna-bird|title=About Attorney General Brenna Bird|website=iowaattorneygeneral.gov|access-date=April 9, 2023}} and their son on her family farm in southeastern Guthrie County.{{cite web|first=Sam|last=McIntosh|url=https://www.raccoonvalleyradio.com/2019/01/04/meet-new-guthrie-county-attorney-brenna-bird/|title=Meet New Guthrie County Attorney Brenna Bird|website=Raccoon Valley Radio|date=January 4, 2019|access-date=April 9, 2023}} Bird is a member of the All Saints Church.{{Cite web|url=https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/about-us/about-attorney-general-brenna-bird|title=About Attorney General Brenna Bird|website=www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov}}

Electoral History

{{Election box begin no change|title=2022 Iowa Attorney General election{{cite web|url=https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/2022/general/canvsummary.pdf|title=Iowa Secretary of State General Election 2022 Canvass Summary Attorney General|pages=64–73|website=sos.iowa.gov|access-date=March 24, 2025}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=Brenna Bird|votes=611,432|percentage=50.82%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Tom Miller (incumbent)|votes=590,890|percentage=49.11%}}

{{Election box write-in with party link no change|votes=801|percentage=0.07%}}

{{Election box total no change|votes=1,203,123|percentage=100.00%}}

{{Election box gain with party link no change|winner=Republican Party (United States)|loser=Democratic Party (United States)}}