Eddie Andrews (American politician)
Eddie Andrews | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Member of the Iowa House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office January 11, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Karin Derry |
| Constituency | 39th district (2021–2023) 43rd district (2023–present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Edgar Lee Andrews May 31, 1966 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Education | University of Iowa (BS) University of Massachusetts, Amherst Iowa State University Purpose Institute (GrDip) Shiloh University |
Edgar Lee Andrews (born May 31, 1966) is an American politician, tech entrepreneur and minister who has served as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives for the 43rd district since 2021. He is a member of the Republican Party. In June 2025, he announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2026 Iowa gubernatorial election.[1]
Iowa House of Representatives
Andrews was elected to the Iowa House November 3, 2020, defeating incumbent Democrat Karin Derry. As a member of the Iowa House of Representatives, Andrews is the Chair of the International Relations Committee, and sits on the Health and Human Services Committee, Natural Resources Committee, Economic Growth and Technology Committee,[2] and the House Veterans Affairs Committee and as a member of the Commerce Committee. Additionally, he co-founded the Taiwan Friendship Caucus and in the past served as the Vice Chair for the Subcommittee on Health and Human Services Appropriations.[3][4][5]
2020 election
While running in the 2020 election, Andrews highlighted "family safety, education, low taxes and creation of entrepreneur zones to help mom and pop small businesses," but also stressed that mental health issues would be his top priority.[6][7]
2021 session
Andrews ran legislation that would ban spousal-consent requirements for women who are seeking a hysterectomy.[8][9] On issues of policing, Andrews initially joined Democrats in voting against the "Back the Blue" bill, which created protections for police officers and punishments for protest-related offenses. He later joined Republicans in voting for the bill after the legislation returned from the Senate and was amended.[10][11][12] Andrews also pushed a parental rights bill, which would codify parental rights and protections for those rights. The legislation passed the House unanimously, but did not receive a vote in the Senate.[9][13][14]
Personal life
Andrews lives in Johnston, Iowa, and attended the University of Iowa where he obtained an bachelor's in electrical and computer engineering, began master's programs at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Iowa State University, completed his ministerial training at the Purpose Institute, and has begun a master's in biblical languages at Shiloh University.[15] Andrews works in tech.[3][4][5]
Andrews is married to Betty Andrews, his high school sweetheart, who, as of 2023, serves as the director of the NAACP Chapter for Iowa and Nebraska. Together they raised two daughters, a niece, and adopted a son who died. Andrews founded #mentoromics, a now-private youth program that teaches free coding specifically for making entrepreneurs with STEM skills. He founded the Des Moines Spanish Conversation group two decades ago, co-pastored Iglesia Pentecostal del Nombre de Jesus for a decade, and helped plant a Swahili congregation from Eastern Africa.[16]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Eddie Andrews | 12,455 | 50.8 | |
| Democratic | Karin Derry | 12,040 | 49.1 | |
| N/A | Other/Write-in Candidates | 24 | .1 | |
| Total votes | 24,519 | 100.0 | ||
References
- ^ "Republican state Rep. Eddie Andrews launches campaign for Iowa governor". Iowa Public Radio. 2025-06-05. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- ^ https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator?ga=91&personID=30650
- ^ a b c "Eddie Andrews". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
- ^ a b "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
- ^ a b "State Representative". www.legis.iowa.gov. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ Opsahl, Robin. "Iowa Elections: Meet the candidates running for Iowa House District 39". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ Mohmand, Amber. "Election 2020: Republican Andrews leads Democratic incumbent Derry in Iowa House District 39". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ Richardson, Ian. "Should a woman need her husband's consent for a hysterectomy? Iowa House pushes to ban doctors from requiring it". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ a b "Iowa Legislature - Find a Bill by Sponsor or Floor Manager". www.legis.iowa.gov. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ Iowa Legislature (2021-04-14). "STATE OF IOWA House Journal" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-04-15. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ Iowa Legislature (2020-05-18). "STATE OF IOWA House Journal" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ Richardson, Stephen Gruber-Miller and Ian. "Iowa House votes to increase penalties for protest-related crimes, broaden immunity for police". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ "Iowa Legislature - BillBook". www.legis.iowa.gov. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
- ^ Hart, Shane Vander. "Iowa House Unanimously Passes Parental Rights Bill". iowatorch.com/. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
- ^ https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator?ga=90&personID=30650
- ^ https://www.eddie4iowa.com/about/