Adam Gregg

Adam Gregg
Born	4/26/1983
Birthplace	Hawarden, Iowa, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, attorney, banking executive
Education	Central College (BA) Drake University (JD)
Spouse(s)	Cari Gregg
Children	2

Adam Gregg (born April 26, 1983) is an American politician, attorney, and banking executive who served as the 47th lieutenant governor of Iowa from 2017 to 2024 under Governor Kim Reynolds. As a Republican, Gregg started out as acting lieutenant governor from May 2017 to January 2019, then won the position outright on the Reynolds-Gregg ticket in the 2018 general election. Before that, he'd served as State Public Defender of Iowa from 2014 to 2017 after being appointed by Governor Terry Branstad. He first gained statewide attention in 2014 when he ran as the Republican nominee for Attorney General against longtime incumbent Tom Miller. Gregg grew up in Hawarden, a small northwestern Iowa town, and built a career in public service before moving to the private sector in 2024, when he resigned to lead the Iowa Bankers Association. He also chaired the National Lieutenant Governors Association from 2023 to 2024.

Early Life

Adam Gregg was born on April 26, 1983, in Hawarden, a small city in Sioux County located in northwestern Iowa. The town sits along the Big Sioux River near the Iowa–South Dakota border and had roughly 2,500 residents during his childhood. His upbringing there shaped how he'd later represent small-town Iowa values as a politician.

Gregg attended local schools in Hawarden. Public records don't say much about his parents or early family life, though his campaign materials did highlight his Hawarden roots as a defining influence on his work in public service. Growing up in a rural, conservative region of Iowa would later inform his Republican alignment and his focus on issues affecting Iowa communities.

Education

He pursued his undergraduate degree at Central College, a private liberal arts school affiliated with the Reformed Church in America in Pella, Iowa, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Then came law school. Gregg enrolled at Drake University Law School in Des Moines and earned his Juris Doctor (JD) degree. Drake is one of two law schools in Iowa and has produced many graduates who've gone into Iowa politics and government. His legal education prepared him well for a career spanning both law practice and public office.

Career

Early Legal Career

After finishing his law degree at Drake, Gregg entered Iowa's legal profession. His early work in law laid the groundwork for the senior government positions that would follow. By his early thirties, he'd earned respect in both Republican circles and the legal community, which helped him launch a statewide campaign and catch the eye of Iowa's political leadership.

2014 Attorney General Campaign

In 2013 and 2014, Gregg emerged as the Republican Party's pick for Attorney General of Iowa, taking on Tom Miller, the longtime Democratic incumbent seeking his ninth term. Miller had first won the office in 1978 and, except for one break, held it continuously from 1979 onward. He stood among the longest-serving attorneys general in the country.

The younger Gregg campaigned on government accountability and legal reform, positioning himself as an alternative to the veteran Miller. The race drew attention as one of the contested down-ballot contests in the 2014 Iowa general election. But Gregg lost to Miller in November 2014. The Iowa Secretary of State certified Miller's victory. The loss didn't hurt him much, though. It raised his profile within the Iowa Republican Party and showed he could compete statewide.

State Public Defender (2014–2017)

Shortly after that election, Governor Terry Branstad appointed Gregg as State Public Defender of Iowa. He took office on December 8, 2014, replacing Kurt Swaim, who'd been acting in the role. As State Public Defender, he oversaw the office that provides legal representation to indigent defendants throughout Iowa's courts.

The job involved managing the state's entire public defense system, including local public defender offices across Iowa's counties, distributing resources for indigent defense, and overseeing contracts with private attorneys when caseloads got too heavy. Gregg held this position for about two and a half years, from December 2014 until May 2017, when Iowa's gubernatorial leadership changed and a new opportunity opened up.

Acting Lieutenant Governor (2017–2019)

In May 2017, Branstad stepped down as governor after the Senate confirmed him as United States Ambassador to China. Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds then became governor. She was Iowa's first female governor. With Reynolds moving up, the lieutenant governor's job stood vacant, and she moved fast to fill it.

On May 24, 2017, Reynolds picked Gregg to serve as acting lieutenant governor. He assumed the role on May 25, 2017, the same day Reynolds was sworn in as governor. The Iowa Constitution allows governors to appoint an acting lieutenant governor when the office becomes vacant, though the appointee serves in an acting capacity until the next general election.

At 34 years old, Gregg was among the youngest to ever hold Iowa's lieutenant governor post. His appointment marked a significant jump, going from the public defender's office to the state's second-highest executive position in just days.

Working with Governor Reynolds, Gregg helped shape the administration's policy priorities. He served as president of the Iowa Senate per the lieutenant governor's constitutional duties and represented the administration at events across the state.

Lieutenant Governor (2019–2024)

In 2018, Gregg ran alongside Governor Reynolds on the Republican ticket for lieutenant governor. The Reynolds-Gregg ticket won the November 2018 general election, cementing their positions through a popular vote rather than appointment. Reynolds became Iowa's 43rd governor on January 18, 2019, and Gregg was formally sworn in as the 47th lieutenant governor that same day, moving from his acting role to the full title.

During his time as lieutenant governor, Gregg continued as president of the Iowa Senate and took on various roles in the Reynolds administration. He participated in policy discussions and represented the governor's office at state and national events. His work included engaging with Iowa's business community, workforce development, and other areas tied to the administration's agenda.

In 2023, Gregg was elected 64th Chair of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA), a bipartisan group of the nation's lieutenant governors from the states and territories. He chaired the NLGA from 2023 to 2024, following Juliana Stratton of Illinois and preceding Garlin Gilchrist of Michigan. The chairmanship gave Gregg a national platform and put him at the center of discussions on issues affecting lieutenant governors nationwide.

Resignation and Transition to Private Sector (2024)

On September 3, 2024, Governor Kim Reynolds announced that Gregg was stepping down. Reynolds said Gregg was "leaving [his] position to pursue a career opportunity that allows him to focus more" on his family. His resignation took effect that day, and Chris Cournoyer, a former Iowa State Senator, replaced him as lieutenant governor.

At the time of his resignation, Gregg took on a leadership role at the Iowa Bankers Association, a trade group representing Iowa's banking industry. The Association represents hundreds of banks across the state and advocates for the banking industry before the Iowa legislature and federal regulators. Gregg's move from elected office to leading a major state trade association fit a common pattern among departing politicians who transition to roles in the private sector.

Personal Life

Adam Gregg is married to Cari Gregg and has two children. The family lives in Iowa. When Reynolds announced his resignation in September 2024, she emphasized his desire to focus on family as a key factor in his decision to leave office.

Compared to some Iowa politicians, Gregg's kept his personal life relatively private. His public statements and biographical materials have centered on his Hawarden roots and upbringing as key parts of who he is.

Recognition

During his tenure, Gregg's election as Chair of the National Lieutenant Governors Association in 2023 brought him national recognition. It's a rotating position considered a mark of standing among state executive officials.

His rapid rise from State Public Defender to lieutenant governor in 2017 caught the attention of Iowa media. The Gazette described his trajectory as riding a "rocket ship to Iowa lieutenant governorship," noting how unusually fast his climb to the state's second-highest office had been.

Though his 2014 attorney general campaign didn't succeed, it was noteworthy. It represented one of the closest challenges to longtime incumbent Tom Miller, who'd held the office for decades. The race put Gregg's name on the map in Iowa Republican politics and set him up for the appointments that followed.

Legacy

Adam Gregg's Iowa government career spanned a period of significant shifts in the state's politics. His tenure as lieutenant governor from 2017 to 2024 covered the entirety of Kim Reynolds's governorship, which began when she moved up after Terry Branstad left to become ambassador to China. Gregg was Reynolds's choice to fill the vacancy she'd left, and their partnership through the 2018 election and beyond created a stable period of Republican governance.

Gregg's path from a small Hawarden upbringing to the lieutenant governorship mirrors a common trajectory in Iowa politics, where rural residents rise through state government. His time as State Public Defender gave him criminal justice experience that set him apart from many earlier holders of the office.

When he left government in 2024 to lead the Iowa Bankers Association, Gregg was just 41 years old. The move left open the possibility he might return to public life someday, though no such plans had been announced by the time he departed.

His total service as lieutenant governor, from May 25, 2017, to September 3, 2024, stretched more than seven years. It ranked among the longer tenures in that position in recent Iowa history.