Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is naming state Sen. Chris Cournoyer as her new lieutenant governor

DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds named state Sen. Chris Cournoyer as her lieutenant governor on Monday, more than three months after her first and only No. 2 elected official resigned to take over the state bankers association.

Cournoyer was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2018 and has a background in the technology industry: He earned a degree in computer science, was a website designer and worked for a technology company. In the Senate she was chairwoman of the education budget committee and deputy chairwoman of the state government committee.

“She has the character, judgment and skills necessary to serve as governor should I be unable to do so – qualities that also make her ideally suited to support our work on a day-to-day basis,” Reynolds said in a statement. “I can’t wait to leverage Chris’ extensive experience on key legislative committees, including Ways and Means, as well as his expertise in technology, innovation and artificial intelligence on a variety of issues important to Iowans.”

Cournoyer is from LeClaire in eastern Iowa.

Reynolds’ first candidate for the candidacy, Adam Gregg, resigned from his post on September 3 after more than seven years in office, saying, “My time in public service must come to an end.” The same day, the Iowa Bankers Association announced Gregg as their new President and CEO.

Reynolds described Gregg as “a great partner.”

Iowa law says the governor must appoint someone to fill the position for the remainder of the term.

Reynolds told reporters in early October that she would make a decision on Gregg’s successor after the 2024 election and that the year-end induction would give Cournoyer a few weeks to settle in before joining Reynolds at her annual State of the State address after the legislative session begins in January.

“We want to do it right, not just for the team but for Iowans, and so I want to be very careful about how I do that,” Reynolds said in October.

Reynolds, who is up for re-election in 2026, will likely appear on the ballot alongside Cournoyer if she decides to run again.

Reynolds, who served as lieutenant governor for former Gov. Terry Branstad, became governor in 2017 when Branstad was named U.S. ambassador to China. She was elected to a full term in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.

Reynolds appointed Gregg as her “acting” lieutenant governor in 2017 after her own promotion. That was followed by legal questions about whether the Iowa Constitution gives an elected lieutenant governor the power to appoint her successor if she needs to step in as governor if the elected governor dies, resigns or is removed from office. Gregg remained excluded from the line of succession until her inauguration in 2019.

In the November election, Iowa voters approved a statutory constitutional amendment that specifically provided for this appointment.