Gary Worthan
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Gary Worthan
| image = Gary Worthan 86thGA.jpeg
| image_size = 190px
| caption = 86th General Assembly portrait (2015)
| state_house = Iowa
| district = 11th
| term_start = January 3, 2007
| term_end = January 9, 2023
| predecessor = Mary Lou Freeman
| successor = Brian Best (redistricting)
| prior_term = 52nd (2007–2013)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|01|11|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Storm Lake, Iowa, U.S.
| party = Republican
| residence = Storm Lake, Iowa
| alma_mater = Iowa State University
| occupation =
| profession = Farmer
| religion =
| signature =
| website = [http://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator/legislatorAllYears?personID=6324 legis.iowa.gov/...]
| footnotes =
}}
Gary Worthan (born January 11, 1954) is a former Iowa State Representative from the 11th District. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2007 to 2023, having won a December 13, 2006 special election to replace the deceased Mary Lou Freeman, who had run unopposed in the general election.{{cite web |title=Republicans Hold Onto Iowa House Seat |url=http://www.kcci.com/politics/10534608/detail.html |date=2006-12-14 |access-date=2007-07-09 |publisher=KCCI Channel 8 – Des Moines |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927200824/http://www.kcci.com/politics/10534608/detail.html |archive-date=2007-09-27 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/GenOffResults.pdf |title=Official Results Report – Statewide, 2006 General Election 11-07-2006 |publisher=Iowa Secretary of State |date=2006-11-21 |access-date=2011-09-19 |page=38 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715101939/http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/GenOffResults.pdf |archive-date=2007-07-15 }} Smith was born and lives in Storm Lake, Iowa. He has an A.A. in farm operations from Iowa State University.
{{As of|January 2013}}, Worthan serves on several committees in the Iowa House – the Appropriations committee, the Judiciary committee, the Public Safety committee, and the Veterans Affairs committee. He also serves as chair of the Justice System Appropriations Subcommittee.
In 2018, he was instrumental in killing a pilot program that aimed to limit the number of people awaiting trial in jail because they cannot afford bail.{{cite news|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2018/01/22/new-tool-aims-reduce-jail-population-you-shouldnt-jail-just-because-youre-poor/1041814001/|title=New tool aims to reduce jail population: 'You shouldn't be in jail just because you're poor' |first=Stephen |last=Gruber-Miller |date=January 22, 2018|newspaper=Des Moines Register}} Worthan was chairman of the subcommittee that oversaw the judicial budget;{{cite news|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2018/04/20/bill-language-would-nix-polk-county-jail-risk-assessment-pilot-program/536348002/ |title=Bill language would nix Polk County jail risk assessment pilot program |first=Stephen |last=Gruber-Miller |date=April 20, 2018|newspaper=Des Moines Register}} the editorial board of the Des Moines Register, which called the pilot program a "worthwhile experiment in criminal justice reform" criticized Worthan for scrapping the program only weeks before the end of a legislative session ("a time-honored method for legislators and lobbyists to try to slip provisions into law with little notice or public scrutiny"), and the lawmakers for protecting "special interests".{{cite news|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/editorials/2018/04/24/editorial-lawmakers-criminal-justice-reform-project-polk-county/541853002/|title=Editorial: Lawmakers should not kill justice reform project |date=April 24, 2018|newspaper=Des Moines Register}} On August 30, 2019, CNN reported that Josh Lederman, a co owner of Lederman Bail Bonds, had made significant donations to Worthan's Campaign, alongside donations to other Iowa Republicans.{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1908/30/nday.06.html |title=Transcripts |publisher=CNN.com |date=2019-08-30 |accessdate=2022-06-10}}
In April 2019, Worthan proposed legislation that would curtail the powers of the Iowa Attorney General to limit the office's ability to take part in lawsuits.{{cite web|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/18/attorney-general-tom-miller-democrat-proposal-restrict-office-powers-president-donald-trump-lawsuits/3512532002/|title=Republican lawmakers may restrict Democrat Iowa AG Tom Miller's power to join lawsuits against Trump|website=Des Moines Register|language=en|access-date=2019-04-25}} Tom Miller, the Democratic Attorney General, had joined six lawsuits against Trump administration policies, such as the family separation policy.
Electoral history
{{Compact election box no change begin}}
{{Compact election box no change
| election_title = Iowa House of Representatives special election, 2006
| election_note = District 52
| turnout_votes =
| result = hold
| winner = Gary Worthan
| winner_party = Republican Party of Iowa
| winner_votes = 2,003
| winner_percent =
| candidate2 = Kate Logan
| candidate2_party = Iowa Democratic Party
| candidate2_votes = 791
| candidate2_percent =
}}
{{Compact election box no change
| election_title = Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2008
| election_note = District 52
| election_ref = {{cite web |url=http://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/2008/OfficialResultsReport2008Primary.pdf |title=Official Results Report – Statewide, 2008 Primary Election-06-03-2008 Party: All |publisher=Iowa Secretary of State |date=2008-06-19 |access-date=2013-01-15 |page=178 }}
| turnout_votes = 736
| result =
| winner = Gary Worthan*
| winner_party = Republican Party of Iowa
| winner_votes = 734
| winner_percent = 99.73%
}}
{{Compact election box no change
| election_title = Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2008
| election_note = District 52
| election_ref = {{cite web |url=http://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/2008/OfficialCanvass2008General.pdf |title=State of Iowa Official Canvass Summary, November 4, 2008 General Election |publisher=Iowa Secretary of State |access-date=2013-01-15 |page=48 }}
| turnout_votes = 11,917
| result = hold
| winner = Gary Worthan*
| winner_party = Republican Party of Iowa
| winner_votes = 7,362
| winner_percent = 61.78%
| candidate2 = Russell P. Camerer
| candidate2_party = Iowa Democratic Party
| candidate2_votes = 3,843
| candidate2_percent = 32.24%
}}
{{Compact election box no change
| election_title = Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2010
| election_note = District 52
| election_ref = {{cite web |url=http://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/2010/canvsummary.pdf |title=Official Results Report, 2010 Primary Election held Tuesday, June 8th 2010 |publisher=Iowa Secretary of State |date=2010-07-01 |access-date=2013-01-15 }}
| turnout_votes = 2,484
| result =
| winner = Gary Worthan*
| winner_party = Republican Party of Iowa
| winner_votes = 1,961
| winner_percent = 78.95%
}}
{{Compact election box no change
| election_title = Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2010
| election_note = District 52
| election_ref = {{cite web |url=http://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/2010/streporr.pdf |title=Official Results Report, General Election held Tuesday, November 2nd 2010 |publisher=Iowa Secretary of State |date=2010-11-23 |access-date=2013-01-15 |page=93 }}
| turnout_votes = 8,635
| result = hold
| winner = Gary Worthan*
| winner_party = Republican Party of Iowa
| winner_votes = 6,076
| winner_percent = 70.36%
| candidate2 = Danuta Hutchins
| candidate2_party = Iowa Democratic Party
| candidate2_votes = 2,175
| candidate2_percent = 25.19%
}}
{{Compact election box no change
| election_title = Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2012
| election_note = District 11
| election_ref = {{cite web |url=http://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/2012/primary/canvsummary.pdf |title=2012 Primary Election Canvass Summary |publisher=Iowa Secretary of State |access-date=2013-01-15 |page=82 }}
| turnout_votes = 1,046
| result =
| winner = Gary Worthan*
| winner_party = Republican Party of Iowa
| winner_votes = 899
| winner_percent = 85.95%
}}
{{Compact election box no change
| election_title = Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2012
| election_note = District 11
| election_ref = {{cite web |url=http://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/2012/general/canvsummary.pdf |title=2012 General Election Canvass Summary |publisher=Iowa Secretary of State |access-date=2013-01-15 |page=57 }}
| turnout_votes = 13,749
| result = (newly redistricted)
| winner = Gary Worthan*
| winner_party = Republican Party of Iowa
| winner_votes = 9,980
| winner_percent = 72.59%
}}
{{Compact election box no change end}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
{{Portal|Iowa}}
- [http://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator/legislatorAllYears?personID=6324 Representative Gary Worthan] official Iowa General Assembly site
- {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=69484 | fec= | congress= }}
- [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/uniquecandidate.phtml?uc=8948 Financial information (state office)] at the National Institute for Money in State Politics
- [http://www.iowahouserepublicans.com/members/gary-worthan Profile] at Iowa House Republicans
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-ia-hs}}
{{Succession box
| title = 52nd District
| before = Mary Lou Freeman
| years = 2007–2013
| after = vacant
}}
{{Succession box
| title = 11th District
| before = Henry Rayhons
| years = 2013–2023
| after = Brian Best
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Worthan, Gary}}
Category:Iowa State University alumni
Category:Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives