David Dawson

David Alan Dawson (born October 5, 1973) is an American politician and prosecutor. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2013 to 2017, representing the 14th district in Sioux City. He serves as a prosecutor in the Woodbury County Attorney's Office and is the Democratic nominee for Iowa's 4th congressional district in the 2026 election.

Early life and education Dawson was born in Cherokee, Iowa, and raised in Washta. He earned bachelor's degrees in sociology and psychology from Iowa State University in 1996 and received a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1999.

Legal career After graduating from law school, Dawson worked as an attorney with the law firm Winston & Strawn in Chicago, where he handled commercial litigation for three years. In 2002, he returned to Iowa and joined the Woodbury County Attorney's Office as a prosecutor handling child abuse and juvenile cases.

In 2010, Dawson opened a private law practice in Sioux City focused on children and families, where he practiced for five years.

Outside his legal career, Dawson has served on the board of Community Action Agency of Siouxland and is vice president of the board of New Perspectives, Inc. He is a former president of Siouxland CARES and served as president of the Siouxland Council on Child Abuse and Neglect.

Iowa House of Representatives Dawson was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives to represent the 14th district in 2012 and reelected in 2014, serving from 2013 to 2017.

During his tenure, Dawson worked on bipartisan legislation He won the Democratic primary in June 2026 with 39% of the vote, defeating Stephanie Steiner and Ashley WolfTornabane. He advanced to the general election against Republican nominee Chris McGowan after incumbent Representative Randy Feenstra chose to run for governor rather than seek reelection. They have three children and live in Lawton, Iowa. He is a member of the Lutheran Church.

Electoral history