{{Short description|American politician (born 1977)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Dan Gehlbach |image = Dan Gehlbach.jpg |state_house1 = Iowa |district1 = 46th |term_start1 = January 9, 2023 |term_end1 = |predecessor1 = Ross Wilburn (redistricting) |successor1 = |constituency1 = District 46 - (2023–present) |birth_date = {{birth year and age|1977}} |birth_place = Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = Republican |spouse = Staci |children = 2 |education = University of Kansas (BS)<br>Arizona State University (MBA) |occupation = Small business owner }}
'''Dan Gehlbach''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɡ|ɛ|l|b|ɑː|k}} {{Respell|GHEL|bahk}};<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsGdiOWH0N4|title=Dan Gehlbach for State House|work=YouTube|date=10 September 2024|accessdate=2 November 2024}}</ref> born 1977) is an American politician, small business owner, former teacher and former auditor who has represented the 46th district in the Iowa House of Representatives since January 2023, which consists of parts of northwest Dallas County and parts of Grimes and Urbandale in Polk County. He is a member of the Republican Party.<ref name="Legislature">{{cite web |title=State Representative |url=https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator/legislatorAllYears?personID=33980 |website=Iowa Legislature |access-date=21 April 2024}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Gehlbach was born in 1977 in Des Moines, Iowa, and was raised in Urbandale, Iowa. He graduated from Urbandale High School and attended the University of Kansas, where he received a Bachelor of Science, and Arizona State University, where he received a Master of Business Administration.<ref name=Legislature/><ref name=Register/>
==Political career== Gehlbach unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Waukee Community School District Board in 2015. He ran again in 2019 and was elected its vice president.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Miskimen |first1=Gage |title=Business owner announces second run for Waukee School Board |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/waukee/2019/09/18/business-owner-announces-second-run-waukee-school-board-dan-gehlbach/2362047001/ |website=The Des Moines Register |access-date=21 April 2024}}</ref> He resigned in November 2022 after his election to the House. Gehlbach also served on the Waukee Chamber of Commerce Board prior to his election to the school board.<ref name=Legislature/>
Gehlbach announced his intent to run for the open 46th district seat in the Iowa House of Representatives in January 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Conservative Waukee School Board member Gehlbach announces for Iowa House District 46 - The Iowa Standard |url=https://theiowastandard.com/conservative-waukee-school-board-member-gehlbach-announces-for-iowa-house-district-46/ |website=The Iowa Standard |access-date=21 April 2024 |date=31 January 2022}}</ref> He came in 3rd place with over 24 percent of the vote in the Republican primaries on June 7, 2022. Because no candidate received 35 percent of the vote, a special convention of 16 delegates from the Iowa Republican Party was held on June 27 to choose the Republican nominee. Gehlbach was chosen with roughly 55 percent of the vote.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Higgins |first1=Chris |title=Dan Gehlbach, Waukee School Board member, wins Republican nomination for House District 46 |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2022/06/27/dan-gehlbach-wins-republican-nomination-iowa-house-district-46-special-convention-election-2022/7749494001/ |website=The Des Moines Register |access-date=21 April 2024}}</ref> He defeated his Democratic opponent in the general election on November 8 by over 11 points.<ref name="Ballotpedia">{{cite web |title=Dan Gehlbach |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Dan_Gehlbach |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=21 April 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
Gehlbach endorsed Ron DeSantis for president in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Isenstadt |first1=Alexander |title=DeSantis rolls out a major slate of Iowa endorsements |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/12/desantis-iowa-endorsements-00096770 |website=Politico |date=May 12, 2023 |access-date=21 April 2024}}</ref>
In 2024, Gehlbach filed to run for reelection.<ref>{{cite web |title=primarycandidatelist.pdf |url=https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/Candidates/primarycandidatelist.pdf |website=Iowa Secretary of State |access-date=21 April 2024}}</ref> He won the Republican primaries unopposed on June 4, 2024, and will face Democrat Lynne Campbell in the general election on November 5, 2024.<ref name=Ballotpedia/>
Gehlbach currently serves on the Education, Local Government, and Natural Resources committees.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dan Gehlbach - State Representative |url=https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator?ga=90&personID=33980 |website=Iowa Legislature |access-date=21 April 2024}}</ref>
Gehlbach has said that his priorities include public education, individual freedoms and lowering taxes. He opposes abortion and supports school choice and the Second Amendment.<ref name="Register">{{cite web |title=Election 2022: Where do Iowa House District 46 candidates stand on key issues? |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/10/15/where-iowa-house-district-46-candidates-stand-on-2022-election-issues/10398895002/ |website=The Des Moines Register |access-date=21 April 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== Gehlbach has a wife, Staci, and two children. He resides with his family in Urbandale. He owns a Mathnasium Learning Center in West Des Moines, Iowa, and is a former Certified Internal Auditor, having worked in the healthcare, gaming and publishing industries. He also taught high school in Japan for two years.<ref name=Legislature/><ref name=Register/>
==Electoral history== {{Compact election box no change begin}} {{Compact election box no change |election_title = Iowa House of Representatives Republican primary elections, 2022 |election_note = District 46 |election_ref = <ref name=Ballotpedia/> |turnout_votes = 1,801 |result = Convention held to choose nominee (newly redistricted) |winner = None |winner_votes = |winner_percent = |candidate2 = Jeremy Freeman |candidate2_party = Republican Party of Iowa |candidate2_votes = 584 |candidate2_percent = 32.4 |candidate3 = Dan Kelley |candidate3_party = Republican Party of Iowa |candidate3_votes = 461 |candidate3_percent = 25.6 |candidate4 = Dan Gehlbach |candidate4_party = Republican Party of Iowa |candidate4_votes = 445 |candidate4_percent = 24.7 |candidate5 = Esperance Hope Ikora |candidate5_party = Republican Party of Iowa |candidate5_votes = 163 |candidate5_percent = 9.1 |candidate6 = Dave Dicks |candidate6_party = Republican Party of Iowa |candidate6_votes = 146 |candidate6_percent = 8.1 |candidate7 = Other/Write-in votes |candidate7_party = |candidate7_votes = 2 |candidate7_percent = 0.1 }} {{Compact election box no change |election_title = Republican Party of Iowa special convention, 2022 |election_note = District 46 |election_ref = <ref name=Ballotpedia/> |turnout_votes = 16 |result = (newly redistricted) |winner = Dan Gehlbach <!-- no incumbent --> |winner_party = Republican Party of Iowa |winner_votes = |winner_percent = 55 |candidate2 = Dave Dicks |candidate2_party = Republican Party of Iowa |candidate2_votes = |candidate2_percent = 17 |candidate3 = Jeremy Freeman |candidate3_party = Republican Party of Iowa |candidate3_votes = |candidate3_percent = 12 |candidate4 = Esperance Hope Ikora |candidate4_party = Republican Party of Iowa |candidate4_votes = |candidate4_percent = 11 |candidate5 = Dan Kelley |candidate5_party = Republican Party of Iowa |candidate5_votes = |candidate5_percent = 6 }} {{Compact election box no change |election_title = Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2022 |election_note = District 46 |election_ref = <ref name=Ballotpedia/> |turnout_votes = 14,415 |result = (newly redistricted) |winner = Dan Gehlbach <!-- no incumbent --> |winner_party = Republican Party of Iowa |winner_votes = 8,009 |winner_percent = 55.6 |candidate2 = Bridget Carberry Montgomery |candidate2_party = Iowa Democratic Party |candidate2_votes = 6,393 |candidate2_percent = 44.3 |candidate3 = Other/Write-in votes |candidate3_party = |candidate3_votes = 13 |candidate3_percent = 0.1 }} {{Compact election box no change end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Iowa House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gehlbach, Dan}} Category:Date of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:1977 births Category:Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives Category:21st-century members of the Iowa General Assembly Category:School board members in Iowa Category:American auditors Category:Schoolteachers from Iowa Category:Businesspeople from Iowa Category:21st-century American businesspeople Category:University of Kansas alumni Category:Arizona State University alumni Category:People from Urbandale, Iowa Category:Politicians from Des Moines, Iowa