Adam Gregg

Adam Gregg
Born	26 4, 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. A member of the Republican Party, Gregg initially served as acting lieutenant governor from May 2017 to January 2019 before being formally elected to the position on the Reynolds-Gregg ticket in the 2018 general election. Prior to his tenure as lieutenant governor, Gregg served as the State Public Defender of Iowa from 2014 to 2017, having been appointed to the post by Governor Terry Branstad. Gregg first gained statewide recognition as the Republican nominee for Attorney General of Iowa in the 2014 election, in which he challenged longtime incumbent Tom Miller. Born and raised in the small northwestern Iowa community of Hawarden, Gregg built a career in public service and law before transitioning to the private sector in 2024, when he resigned as lieutenant governor to lead the Iowa Bankers Association. During his time in state government, he also served as the 64th Chair of 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 in the northwestern corner of Iowa. Hawarden, situated along the Big Sioux River near the Iowa–South Dakota border, had a population of approximately 2,500 residents during Gregg's childhood, and his upbringing in the rural community shaped his later political identity as a representative of small-town Iowa values.

Gregg grew up in Hawarden and attended local schools in the community. Details about his parents and family background during his formative years are limited in publicly available sources, though his campaign biography noted his roots in the small Iowa town as a formative influence on his career in public service. His upbringing in a predominantly rural and conservative region of Iowa would later inform his political alignment with the Republican Party and his focus on issues affecting Iowa communities.

Education

Gregg pursued his undergraduate education at Central College, a private liberal arts institution affiliated with the Reformed Church in America located in Pella, Iowa. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central College.

Following his undergraduate studies, Gregg enrolled at Drake University Law School in Des Moines, where he earned his Juris Doctor (JD) degree. Drake University Law School is one of two law schools in Iowa and has produced numerous graduates who have gone on to careers in Iowa politics and government. Gregg's legal education at Drake prepared him for a career that would span both the practice of law and public office.

Career

Early Legal Career

After completing his law degree at Drake University, Gregg entered the legal profession in Iowa. His early career included work in the legal field that built the foundation for his later appointments to senior government positions. By his early thirties, Gregg had established himself sufficiently within Iowa Republican circles and the legal community to mount a statewide campaign and attract the attention of the state's political leadership.

2014 Attorney General Campaign

In 2013 and 2014, Gregg emerged as the Republican Party's candidate for Attorney General of Iowa, challenging Tom Miller, the longtime Democratic incumbent who was seeking his ninth term in the office. Miller had first been elected attorney general in 1978 and, with the exception of a single term, had held the position continuously since 1979, making him one of the longest-serving attorneys general in the United States.

Gregg positioned himself as a younger alternative to Miller and campaigned on issues including government accountability and legal reform. The race drew attention as one of the contested down-ballot races in the 2014 Iowa general election cycle. Despite a competitive campaign, Gregg was defeated by Miller in the November 2014 election. The official results certified by the Iowa Secretary of State confirmed Miller's victory in the race. Though unsuccessful, the campaign raised Gregg's profile within the Iowa Republican Party and demonstrated his willingness to compete in statewide races.

State Public Defender (2014–2017)

Shortly after the 2014 election, Governor Terry Branstad appointed Gregg as the State Public Defender of Iowa. Gregg assumed the position on December 8, 2014, succeeding Kurt Swaim, who had been serving in an acting capacity. As State Public Defender, Gregg oversaw the office responsible for providing legal representation to indigent defendants throughout Iowa's court system.

The role of the State Public Defender involves managing the state's system of public defense, including the supervision of local public defender offices across Iowa's counties, the allocation of resources for indigent defense, and the oversight of contracts with private attorneys who handle cases when public defender offices face conflicts or excessive caseloads. Gregg served in this capacity under Governor Branstad for approximately two and a half years, from December 2014 until May 2017, when a change in Iowa's gubernatorial leadership opened a new opportunity for him.

Acting Lieutenant Governor (2017–2019)

In May 2017, Governor Branstad resigned from the Iowa governorship after being confirmed by the United States Senate as the United States Ambassador to China. Upon Branstad's departure, Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds ascended to the governorship, becoming Iowa's first female governor. Reynolds's elevation to governor left the lieutenant governor's office vacant, and she moved quickly to fill the position.

On May 24, 2017, sources confirmed that Reynolds had selected Gregg to serve as acting lieutenant governor. Gregg assumed the role of acting lieutenant governor on May 25, 2017, the same day Reynolds was sworn in as governor. Under the Iowa Constitution, the governor has the authority to appoint an acting lieutenant governor when a vacancy occurs, though the appointee serves in an acting capacity until the next general election.

At the time of his appointment, Gregg was 34 years old, making him one of the younger individuals to serve in the lieutenant governor's office in Iowa's history. His appointment was seen as a notable advancement, given that he had moved from the public defender's office to the state's second-highest executive position in a matter of days.

As acting lieutenant governor, Gregg worked alongside Governor Reynolds on the administration's policy priorities. He served as president of the Iowa Senate in accordance with the duties prescribed to the lieutenant governor under the Iowa Constitution and represented the administration at events and functions throughout the state.

Lieutenant Governor (2019–2024)

In the 2018 Iowa gubernatorial election, Gregg ran on the Republican ticket alongside Governor Reynolds as the candidate for lieutenant governor. The Reynolds-Gregg ticket won the November 2018 general election, securing the pair's positions through a popular mandate rather than appointment. Reynolds was sworn in as Iowa's 43rd governor on January 18, 2019, and Gregg was formally sworn in as the 47th lieutenant governor of Iowa on the same date, transitioning from his acting capacity to the full title of the office.

During his tenure as lieutenant governor, Gregg continued to serve as president of the Iowa Senate and took on various roles within the Reynolds administration. He was involved in policy discussions and served as a representative of the governor's office at state and national events. His responsibilities included engagement with Iowa's business community, workforce development initiatives, and other areas of policy aligned with the administration's agenda.

In 2023, Gregg was elected as the 64th Chair of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA), a bipartisan organization composed of the lieutenant governors of the United States' states and territories. He served as NLGA chair from 2023 to 2024, succeeding Juliana Stratton of Illinois and being succeeded by Garlin Gilchrist of Michigan. The chairmanship of the NLGA afforded Gregg a national platform and involved leading discussions on issues of common interest among the nation's lieutenant governors.

Resignation and Transition to Private Sector (2024)

On September 3, 2024, Governor Kim Reynolds announced that Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg was stepping down from his position. In her announcement, Reynolds stated that Gregg was "leaving [his] position to pursue a career opportunity that allows him to focus more" on his family. Gregg's resignation was effective September 3, 2024, and he was succeeded as lieutenant governor by Chris Cournoyer, who had previously served in the Iowa Senate.

Reports at the time of his resignation indicated that Gregg would take on a leadership role at the Iowa Bankers Association, a trade organization representing Iowa's banking industry. The Iowa Bankers Association represents hundreds of banks across the state and advocates on behalf of the banking industry before the Iowa legislature and federal regulatory bodies. Gregg's transition from the lieutenant governor's office to the leadership of a major state trade association followed a pattern common among departing elected officials who move into roles in the private sector or industry associations.

Personal Life

Adam Gregg is married to Cari Gregg. The couple has two children. The Gregg family resides in Iowa. Governor Reynolds's announcement of Gregg's resignation in September 2024 emphasized his desire to focus on his family as a motivating factor in his decision to leave the lieutenant governor's office.

Gregg has maintained a relatively private personal life compared to some of his contemporaries in Iowa politics. His public statements and biographical materials have emphasized his Iowa roots and his upbringing in Hawarden as foundational elements of his identity.

Recognition

During his tenure as lieutenant governor, Gregg received recognition through his election as Chair of the National Lieutenant Governors Association in 2023, a position that placed him at the head of a national organization of state executive officials. The NLGA chairmanship is a rotating position that is considered a mark of standing among the nation's lieutenant governors.

Gregg's rapid ascent from the State Public Defender's office to the lieutenant governorship in 2017 was noted in Iowa media. The Gazette described his trajectory as riding a "rocket ship to Iowa lieutenant governorship," reflecting the unusually swift nature of his advancement to the state's second-highest executive office.

His 2014 campaign for attorney general, though unsuccessful, was notable as it represented one of the more competitive challenges to longtime incumbent Tom Miller, who had held the office for decades. The campaign helped establish Gregg's name within Iowa Republican politics and positioned him for the subsequent appointments that defined his career in state government.

Legacy

Adam Gregg's career in Iowa government spanned a period of significant transition in the state's political landscape. His service as lieutenant governor from 2017 to 2024 coincided with the entirety of Kim Reynolds's tenure as governor, beginning with her elevation from lieutenant governor upon Terry Branstad's departure to serve as ambassador to China. Gregg was Reynolds's selection to fill the vacancy she herself had left, and the continuity of their partnership through the 2018 election and into the subsequent term represented a stable period of Republican governance in Iowa.

Gregg's path from a small-town upbringing in Hawarden to the lieutenant governorship exemplified a trajectory common in Iowa politics, where individuals from rural communities rise through state government. His service as State Public Defender prior to assuming the lieutenant governorship gave him experience in the criminal justice system that distinguished him from many of his predecessors in the office.

His departure from government in 2024 to lead the Iowa Bankers Association marked a transition to the private sector at a relatively young age, as Gregg was 41 at the time of his resignation. This move left open the possibility of a return to public life in the future, though as of his departure, no such plans had been publicly announced.

The total duration of Gregg's service as lieutenant governor — from May 25, 2017, to September 3, 2024, spanning more than seven years — made his one of the longer tenures in that office in recent Iowa history.