Married Iowa Senate leader resigns after video appears to show him kissing lobbyist


He kissed a lobbyist and he liked it — until he was caught and had to resign.
Iowa Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, a married Republican, announced on Monday he was resigning from both his leadership post and as a state senator after a website published a video and photos that appeared to show him kissing a statehouse lobbyist for the Iowa League of Cities. The website, Iowa Starting Line, said the incident was recorded on March 1 at the Waveland Tap in Des Moines.
Republican Senate President Jack Whitver said in a statement he believes Dix "made the right decision for himself and for his district, but most importantly, I believe he made the decision in the best interest of his family," while Republican Sen. Brad Zaun said he was "disappointed, and my prayers go out to Sen. Dix and his family." Iowa State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald, a Democrat, said he wanted Dix to resign last year after a former GOP staffer sued Senate Republicans for sexual harassment and settled for $1.75 million. "When you operate with arrogance of power, it comes back to bite you," Fitzgerald said. A new majority leader will be elected on Wednesday. Catherine Garcia
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Wonsan-Kalma: North Korea's new 'mammoth' beach resort
Under the Radar Pyongyang wants to boost tourism but there won't be many foreign visitors to Kim Jong Un's 'pet project'
-
The 5 best TV reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Finding an entirely new cast to play beloved characters is harder than it looks
-
Sudoku hard: July 10, 2025
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read