{{Short description|American politician (born 1951)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ken Carlson | image = Member of the Iowa House of Representatives Ken Carlson.jpg | caption = Carlson in 2022 | state_house1 = Iowa | district1 = 13th | term_start1 = January 9, 2023 | term_end1 = January 12, 2025 | predecessor1 = Chris Hall (redistricting) | successor1 = Travis Sitzmann | constituency1 = District 13 - (2023–present) | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1951}} | birth_place = Whiting, Iowa, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Republican | spouse = Carolyn | children = 3 | education = Buena Vista University | occupation = }}

'''Ken E. Carlson'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Ken E. Carlson {{!}} House {{!}} Freedom Index |url=https://freedomindex.us/legislator/4282/ |website=freedomindex.us |access-date=May 5, 2026}}</ref> (born 1951) is an American politician, retired teacher and retired farmer who represented the 13th district of the Iowa House of Representatives from 2023 to 2025. Carlson's district included parts of southern Plymouth County, western Cherokee County, eastern Woodbury County and the whole of Monona 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=33967 |website=Iowa Legislature |access-date=March 23, 2024}}</ref>

==Early life== Carlson was born in 1951 near Whiting, Iowa, where he was raised. He graduated from Whiting Senior High School and attended Buena Vista University.<ref name=Legislature/>

==Political career== Following decennial redistricting in 2021, Carlson announced his intent to run for the open 13th district seat of the Iowa House of Representatives in March 2022.<ref name="Announce">{{cite web |last1=Gottburg |first1=Woody |title=CARLSON TO SEEK IOWA HOUSE DISTRICT 13 SEAT |url=https://kscj.com/2022/03/18/carlson-to-seek-iowa-house-district-13-seat/ |website=KSCJ 1360 |access-date=March 23, 2024 |date=March 18, 2022}}</ref> He was challenged in the Republican primaries on June 7, 2022, by Mark Peters, a farmer and truck driver, whom he defeated by over 300 votes, and defeated Libertarian candidate Amy Janowski in the general election on November 8 by over 8,400 votes.<ref name="Ballotpedia">{{cite web |title=Ken Carlson |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Ken_Carlson |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=March 23, 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

Carlson served as vice chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, and was also a member of the Agriculture, Economic Growth and Technology, and Veterans Affairs committees.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ken Carlson - Iowa Legislature |url=https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator?ga=90&personID=33967 |website=Iowa Legislature |access-date=March 23, 2024}}</ref>

Carlson endorsed Ron DeSantis for president in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Isenstadt |first1=Alexander |title=Ron DeSantis rolls out a major slate of Iowa endorsements |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/12/desantis-iowa-endorsements-00096770 |website=Politico |access-date=March 27, 2024}}</ref> In 2024 he announced that he would not seek reelection.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gottburg |first1=Woody |title=SITZMANN TO SEEK IOWA HOUSE DISTRICT 13 SEAT |url=https://kscj.com/2024/03/17/sitzmann-to-seek-iowa-house-district-13-seat/ |website=KSCJ 1360 |access-date=March 23, 2024 |date=March 17, 2024}}</ref>

Carlson has described himself as a constitutional conservative. He opposes abortion and supports the Second Amendment.<ref name=Announce/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Dreeszen |first1=Dave |title=Newcomer Ken Carlson wins Iowa House District 13 GOP race against Mark Peters |url=https://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/newcomer-ken-carlson-wins-iowa-house-district-13-gop-race-against-mark-peters/article_6cd00e82-c216-54e6-bf78-93383cf910d1.html |website=Sioux City Journal |access-date=March 23, 2024 |language=en |date=June 8, 2022}}</ref>

==Personal life== Carlson has a wife, Carolyn, and three adult children. He resides in Onawa, Iowa. He is a retired farmer and a former math and science public school teacher, having taught for 12 years. He is also an on-call preacher at the Onawa First Christian Church and is a member of the Monona County Farm Bureau, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and Western Iowa Experimental Farm.<ref name=Legislature/>

==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 13 |election_ref = <ref name=Ballotpedia/> |turnout_votes = 2,636 |result = (newly redistricted) |winner = Ken Carlson <!-- no incumbent --> |winner_party = Republican Party of Iowa |winner_votes = 1,488 |winner_percent = 56.4 |candidate2 = Mark Peters |candidate2_party = Republican Party of Iowa |candidate2_votes = 1,140 |candidate2_percent = 43.2 |candidate3 = Other/Write-in votes |candidate3_party = |candidate3_votes = 8 |candidate3_percent = 0.3 }} {{Compact election box no change |election_title = Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2022 |election_note = District 13 |election_ref = <ref name=Ballotpedia/> |turnout_votes = 11,897 |result = (newly redistricted) |winner = Ken Carlson <!-- no incumbent --> |winner_party = Republican Party of Iowa |winner_votes = 10,157 |winner_percent = 85.4 |candidate2 = Amy Janowski |candidate2_party = Libertarian Party (United States) |candidate2_votes = 1,703 |candidate2_percent = 14.3 |candidate3 = Other/Write-in votes |candidate3_party = |candidate3_votes = 37 |candidate3_percent = 0.3 }} {{Compact election box no change end}}

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carlson, Ken}} Category:Date of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:1951 births Category:Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives Category:21st-century members of the Iowa General Assembly Category:Farmers from Iowa Category:21st-century American farmers Category:Schoolteachers from Iowa Category:21st-century American Christian clergy Category:People from Monona County, Iowa Category:Buena Vista University alumni