WATCH: Former legislator wants focus on workers not ‘Washington politics’

DES MOINES, Iowa -- (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau)-- Nate Willems, a former Democratic legislator from Mt. Vernon, announced on Wednesday that he is running for attorney general and would make workers’ rights and prosecuting corporate crimes his priorities rather than targeting political opponents.

In an interview with Gray Media Iowa, Willems stressed that workers need an advocate in the attorney general’s office. “Focus on protecting regular Iowans, not getting involved in Washington politics and political lawsuits,” Willems said.

Attorney General Brenna Bird, a Republican, has prioritized suing former Democratic president Joe Biden when he was in office and supporting President Donald Trump, a Republican, since he has returned to office.

Willems, a labor attorney and partner with a Cedar Rapids law firm, said, “I want to protect Iowans from violent crime, protect Iowans from corporate crime.”

He said that he has recovered tens of millions of lost wages, pay, and benefits and believes the attorney general should do more to make sure Iowa workers are getting what they have earned on the job.

“What I do in my law practice is play ‘whack-a-mole,’” Willems said of his efforts to recover wages from employees forced to work unpaid overtime, work off the clock, or had their employers stealing their tips.

“There’s 900 million dollars a year stolen out of Iowans’ paychecks.”

Three years ago Willems was part of a $15 million class action lawsuit agreement for thousands of workers at the University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics because they did not receive pay and benefits according to the laws.

Bird, who is serving her first term as attorney general, has not announced her re-election plans yet and has been considering a run for governor.

About the author: Midwest native Dave Price is Gray Television’s Iowa Political Director for nine stations that broadcast in the state and has been covering local, state and national politics from Iowa since 2001.

Dave produces and hosts “Inside Iowa Politics,” a weekly, in-depth show focused on interviews with top leaders on politics, issues, challenges and solutions that impact the state.

He has written two books about the Iowa Caucuses (“Caucus Chaos” and “Caucus Chaos Trump”). Email him at dave.price@gray.tv. Follow him on X (Twitter): @idaveprice Meta/Facebook: DavePriceNews Instagram: idaveprice and LinkedIn: Dave Price.