Des Moines school board chair ends Iowa Senate bid after ICE arrests superintendent

Jackie Norris, the chair of the Des Moines school board, ended her 2026 Iowa Senate campaign on Thursday, citing the recent resignation and arrest of the school district’s superintendent.

“The recent Des Moines Public Schools [DMPS] Superintendent crisis demanded my full attention as Board Chair, and, overnight, put the School Board, our community, and me personally in the crosshairs of vicious and coordinated attacks,” Norris, who was running as a Democrat, said in a news release. “Those realities took time and oxygen away from the work I set out to do: stand up for our kids and families — and the backbone of our communities, their educators and caregivers.”

Last month, DMPS Superintendent Ian Roberts was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Roberts, who came to the U.S. in 1999 on a student visa from Guyana, allegedly violated a removal order from a judge in May 2024. 

Days later, Roberts resigned from his position. He was later charged with possessing firearms while in the U.S. illegally. 

Prior to Roberts’s resignation, the school district said it thought he was a U.S. citizen and was unaware of any concerns regarding his immigration status. Earlier this month, DMPS announced it is suing JG Consulting, which it hired to conduct a background check of Roberts before he was hired for the position in 2023. 

In her statement Thursday, Norris said she needs to focus on “leading the board through this transition” amid the search for a new DMPS superintendent. She added that she will “continue serving my community and doing everything I can to help Democrats win this seat.”

The 2026 race for a Senate seat in Iowa is open, as Sen. Joni Ernst (R) said last month she will not seek a third term. 

That has resulted in a crowded primary field. Last month, President Trump endorsed Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson for the GOP nomination. Meanwhile, former state Rep. Bob Krause and current state lawmakers Richard Sherzan, Josh Turek and Zach Wahls are vying for the Democratic nomination.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as a likely Republican victory.