Former State Representative Dave Dawson of Lawton Announces Candidacy for U.S. House in Iowa District 4
CHEROKEE (August 27, 2025)—Dave Dawson (age 51) of Lawton, today is announcing he will be a candidate to represent Iowa’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes 36 counties in Northern and Western Iowa. Dawson is a native of Iowa’s 4th Congressional District. He was born in Cherokee, Iowa, where he will have a public announcement and press event today at noon at the Cherokee Public Library.
Dawson said, “As an Iowa prosecutor and attorney for the past twenty-three years, I have been a strong advocate for children and families, who have lived with difficult circumstances. As your next U.S. Representative, I will work to make health care more affordable and accessible, raise incomes for Iowa families, and invest in rural communities.”
He added, “I believe Congress should focus on policies to let Iowa grow by increasing competition, creating good-paying jobs, and improving quality of life, so more of our young people stay in Iowa.”
Dawson grew up in Washta, known as the “Coldest Spot in Iowa” due to holding the record low temperature for the state of Iowa. He graduated from the last class of Willow Community High School (now part of River Valley Schools). While in college, during several summers, he worked at his parents’ agricultural business in Washta. He earned his undergraduate degree at Iowa State University in Ames. After receiving his law degree, Dawson worked on legal matters for a variety of businesses at a law firm in Chicago for three years.
Dawson has lived in Woodbury County for the past twenty-three years, and during that time, he has practiced law in Sioux City. Dawson ran his own law office for over five years.Dawson has been a public servant for the citizens of Iowa for 18 years, working as a prosecutor for Woodbury County, where he specializes in cases involving child abuse.
Dawson has been an active member of his community. He is a former coach at Sioux City West High School and has previously served as a church elder. Dawson has been a union member with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) for over twenty years.
Dawson is a proven leader. He was a member of the 2011-2012 Class of Leadership Iowa, a premier issues-awareness program promoting leadership, which is sponsored by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry. For the past 14 years, Dawson was a board member and legal counsel for the Community Action Agency of Siouxland, which oversees local programs for Head Start and Early Head Start. Dawson is currently vice-president of the board for New Perspectives Inc., an organization to support persons with intellectual disabilities, and he has served on its board over the last decade. Dawson is a past President of Siouxland CARES, a community coalition to reduce underage substance abuse. Since 2019, Dawson has served as the President of the Siouxland Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, an organization supporting child abuse prevention services.
In 2012 and 2014, Dawson, a Democrat, was elected to the Iowa State House of Representatives. While in the Iowa legislature for two terms, he served on various committees, including Commerce, Ethics, Human Resources, Judiciary, Transportation, and Public Safety. While in the Iowa House, Dawson worked cooperatively on several bi-partisan pieces of legislation. Dawson earned a reputation as someone who worked across party lines to achieve positive outcomes for his constituents. In 2016, Dawson received the Gold Star Award from Iowa State Sheriffs’ and Deputies’ Association for leadership in the legislature on law enforcement and public safety issues.
Dawson and his wife, Liza, live in Lawton in Woodbury County. They have three children, including her son and daughter, who are in high school, and their daughter, who is in 6th grade.
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This announcement not issued by the Woodbury County Democratic Party.