State Senator Wally Horn is currently serving his eighth term in the Iowa Senate. He represents Senate District 17, which includes the northwest and southwest portions of Cedar Rapids.

He served as Senate Majority Leader from 1992 through 1996.  Before serving in the Senate, Senator Horn served five terms in the Iowa House of Representatives.

Senator Horn is vice-chair of the State Government Committee and the Education Appropriations Subcommittee. He is also a member of the Labor & Business Relations, Judiciary, and Veterans Affairs committees. 

In addition to his legislative work, Senator Horn serves on the Statewide Fire & Police Retirement System Board, the executive committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the Council of State Governments’ Midwest Legislative Council. He has participated in many national leadership conferences and overseas exchange programs, including leading a legislative delegation to Russia. He is also a member of the executive committee for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.  

In 1995, President Bill Clinton accepted Senator Horn’s invitation to address the Iowa Legislature, the first time a President has spoken in the Senate Chamber.

Senator Horn was a high school teacher, coach, and information and job-training facilitator for Cedar Rapids schools for more than 30 years before his retirement. He previously taught and coached in Iowa at Washington and Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock School District.

A native of Bloomfield, Senator Horn graduated from Bloomfield High School, served in the U.S. Army and earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Truman State University (formerly Northeast Missouri State).  He has done additional graduate studies at the University of Iowa and Texas A&M.

Senator Horn is active in the Cedar Rapids community and a member of several boards and professional and civic organizations, including the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.  He is married to Phyllis Peterson and has two children and six grandchildren.