Other Republican candidates running for this seat are Brian Young of Stanhope and Beau Klaver.

Bower was born in Sigourney, Iowa, but graduated from Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids. He is a decorated veteran from the war in Iraq, and is now retired. He is the president of a nonprofit organization called Reforging Families, which advocates for family law reform and the best interests of children, especially in child custody cases, divorces and children in need of assistance.

Currently the mayor of Roland in Story County, he has been in office since 2024. He is married to wife Jaime, who is a nurse at the V.A. hospital in Des Moines. He has four sons and two stepsons.

Bowe’s main priorities as listed are property tax reform, utility costs, and leveling out the state budget. He is pro second amendment and pro-life.

Bower has been spending a lot of time in Des Moines, lobbying for issues as mayor of Roland, and for his nonprofit.

“All of my time is spent being at the state legislature every single day, lobbying for things I believe would be positive for the state.” he said. “I know the system inside and out, I’ve been lobbying since 2022.”

He said his qualifications include his experience in leadership roles, some which he learned while in the military.

“Being the Mayor is about managing and running the budget,” he said.

One of the issues he has been focused on is the negotiations between the Iowa House and Iowa Senate on the CO2 pipeline; to stop the use of eminent domain while still allowing the project to move forward.

Bower said he has spent about three days in Webster City, and expects to return to Webster City to knock on more doors before the election.