Ryan Weldon is a first-term Republican state representative from the Ankeny suburbs who built his political career attacking LGBTQ+ students and promoting far-right culture war policies. As president of the Ankeny School Board, Weldon helped lead a conservative takeover that canceled DEI initiatives, fought inclusive education, and targeted LGBTQ+ literature.
Since being elected to the Iowa House in 2024, he has embraced an even more extreme agenda: voting to strip civil rights protections from transgender Iowans, support book bans, and install religious chaplains in public schools. His priorities are not public safety, education, or jobs—they’re censorship, religious coercion, and discrimination. But Weldon doesn’t have a mandate. He won his seat by just 138 votes, in a swing district that’s increasingly rejecting extremism. His record is toxic—and in 2026, he can be defeated.
Weldon is up for re-election in 2026, but his campaign will begin in 2025. That’s why Agenda PAC is naming him a target now—because we know how early the work starts, and we’ll be here waiting when he files.
Legislative Record
1. SF 418: Removing Civil Rights Protections from Transgender Iowans
In 2025, Weldon voted for Senate File 418, a law that eliminated “gender identity” as a protected category under Iowa’s Civil Rights Act. It redefined “sex” as male or female at birth and banned any instruction on gender identity in elementary schools. The law stripped away legal protections for transgender people in employment, housing, credit, education, and public accommodations. Iowa became the first state in the country to revoke civil rights protections for a protected class. Weldon not only supported this bill—he embraced its rationale and aligned with its most extreme backers.
2. HF 884: Installing Unlicensed Religious Chaplains in Public Schools
Weldon voted for HF 884, a bill that allows Iowa public schools to hire or accept volunteer chaplains with no educational credentials. Critics from across the political and religious spectrum condemned the bill as a Christian nationalist power grab. It passed the House with Weldon’s support, despite concerns about undermining mental health support for students, violating the First Amendment, and introducing religious coercion into public education.
3. SF 496: Censorship and Book Bans in K–12 Schools
Weldon supported SF 496, Iowa’s infamous book ban law. The bill mandates that all school materials be free of any “description of a sex act,” resulting in the mass removal of books dealing with LGBTQ+ themes, sexuality, race, and abuse. Books banned or challenged included The Hate U Give, Gender Queer, and Beloved. Weldon repeated Republican messaging calling these works “inappropriate for children,” a coded attack on queer and Black authors.
4. Attacks on Trans Students and LGBTQ+ Families
Weldon voted for legislation requiring schools to notify parents if a student requests to use a different name or pronoun, effectively mandating the forced outing of trans students. He has championed this as a “parents’ rights” measure, despite warnings from educators and psychologists about the potential harm to students’ safety and well-being. He has never voiced support for LGBTQ+ students, and his record shows no interest in representing queer Iowans.
Ryan Weldon is one of the most entrenched culture war politicians in Iowa—a first-term lawmaker governing from the fringe. He has
A documented record of stripping civil rights from LGBTQ+ Iowans.
Pushed religious indoctrination and censorship into public schools.
Championed school privatization and defunding of diversity programs.
Barely won his seat in 2024 by just 138 votes.
Lost his own school board re-election after public backlash.
