Nate Willems announces campaign for Iowa attorney general

Willems, who has spent his career fighting for working families, pledges to protect community safety and hold corporations that rip off working families accountable

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa – Nate Willems, a lifelong Iowan and attorney who has delivered wins for tens of thousands of Iowa workers, released the following statement announcing his campaign for Iowa attorney general: 

“Iowans deserve an attorney general focused on protecting Iowans and standing up for our fundamental rights and freedoms. As attorney general, I’ll work to keep communities safe by holding violent criminals accountable and I’ll take on corporations who try to rip off Iowans by price gouging or stealing their hard-earned wages. 

“I’ve spent my career representing tens of thousands of Iowans who have had crimes committed against them. I’ve successfully taken on corporations who think they’re above the law and steal wages, require off-the-clock-work, hurt their employees, or violate the rights of working men and women in our state. As attorney general, I’ll fight to make sure every Iowan gets the justice they deserve. I’ll work with law enforcement and local prosecutors to secure convictions for violent criminals, restore consumer protections, and give working families the voice they deserve.”

Representing working families, Nate has witnessed firsthand how some corporations steal Iowans’ wages, force overtime work without pay, misclassify their work to cheat them out of benefits, and make it tougher for Iowa families to succeed. With prices soaring, Iowans can’t afford to have their hard-earned money stolen by big corporations. That’s why he has taken on greedy corporations for those Iowans and won. He has secured historic victories, including recovering $15 million for 11,000 current and former hospital and clinic workers in Iowa, $1.7 million in backpay for custodians, and won the largest collective bargaining wage increase in Iowa history on behalf of local police officers in Carter Lake, among countless other victories across the state.

Nate was born and raised in Iowa, growing up in Anamosa where his father worked as a Main Street attorney and his mother was a public school teacher. Today, he’s proud to call Mount Vernon home where he lives with his wife Maggie, a local public school teacher and state champion-winning volleyball coach, and their three daughters.

Nate has always been driven toward public service and determined to make our state and community stronger. As the state’s largest law firm dedicated to serving the people, the Attorney General’s office has an opportunity to take on and solve serious challenges. As Attorney General, he will work with prosecutors and local law enforcement to secure convictions for violent crimes, improve consumer protections, and hold corporations accountable when they break the law.

Previously serving two terms in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2009 to 2013, Nate fought to ensure every Iowan could access a quality public education, find a good paying job, and passed key legislation to strengthen the rights of Iowa workers. Since 2010, he has been a full-time labor lawyer and partner at Rush & Nicholson, P.L.C., in Cedar Rapids, the state’s largest workers’ compensation firm. (Willems for Iowa press release, May 7, 2025).

Brief CV from Rush & Nicholson website:

“I put on my law school application that I wanted to represent Iowa labor unions and their members. I feel as strongly about that today as I did 14 years ago but have added representing injured Iowans, victims of wage theft and wrongful termination to my practice. I am only a lawyer because it allows me to go to work every day to represent people who genuinely need help.” (Rush & Nicholson Lawyers website).

Career Highlights:

• Practicing law since 2007.
• Member of the Iowa House of Representatives (2009-2013).
• Legal specialties: employment law, labor law, wage and hour, and workers compensation.

Community Involvement:

• First Presbyterian Church of Mount Vernon Church (Session Member)
• Hawkeye Labor Council Executive Board
• Linn County Democrats Central Committee

Professional Associations:

• Iowa State Bar Association
• Linn County Bar Association

Education:

• J.D., University of Iowa College of Law, 2007
• B.S.F.S., Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, 2001