(Radio Iowa) – Republican Mike Bousselot of Ankeny, a former aide to Governors Branstad and Reynolds who formed a committee this spring to explore a campaign for governor, has announced he’ll seek reelection to the state senate in 2026.

Bousselot said “after prayer and reflection with his family,” he’s determined “now is not the right time to run for governor.” Bousselot won a special election in September of 2021 for a seat in the Iowa House. He was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2022 by a 560 vote margin.

State Senator Mike Bousselot (R-Ankeny) (campaign photo)

Bousselot plans to seek reelection to the senate in a neighboring district that has far more Republican voters. Former Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, who’s currently representing that district, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2024 and is not seeking re-election. Whitver has endorsed Bousselot’s 2026 campaign for the seat.

Bousselot is a lawyer and a real estate developer. He served as Governor Reynolds’ top budget advisor before resigning as director of the Iowa Department of Management to run for the legislature in 2021.