Tupper

Former Marshalltown Police Chief Mike Tupper, who served the community for 13 years before retiring in February of 2025, has announced that he will be running for a seat in Iowa House District 52 as a Democrat, according to a press release issued Monday.

District 52 covers the city of Marshalltown and southeastern Marshall County, and the seat is currently held by Republican David Blom, also of Marshalltown. Before Blom defeated Sue Cahill in the 2024 election, the seat had been held by Democrats for over two decades. Notably, Democrat Mark Smith represented Marshalltown from 2001 to 2020.

“I’m running for the Iowa House to restore community-focused leadership and trust at the Capitol. Every day, I hear from neighbors who feel left behind by politicians in Des Moines, and I know I can rebuild that trust by showing up and listening to our community, as I did for years in law enforcement,” Tupper said.

In the press release, Tupper indicated that his priorities would be “fully funding our public schools, tackling the affordability crisis in Iowa by working to make housing cheaper for working families, and working with local officials to keep our communities safe.”

As the next Representative from Marshalltown, I will focus on:

“As a longtime community leader and recently retired Chief of Police in Marshalltown, I know folks across House District 52 know me as someone who leads with integrity and puts our community first. They can trust that I’ll be a reliable advocate for them in the Iowa House,” he said.

Tupper worked for 32 years as a police officer in Iowa and served as a police chief for 20 of those years in Nevada and Marshalltown. He currently works as a law enforcement consultant in the public entity insurance industry, has served as a community volunteer, nonprofit board member, youth sports coach and church leader. He is married to Sarah Tupper and has four daughters and one son.

Blom, the incumbent, issued the following statement when contacted by the T-R Monday.

“I’m running for re-election to the Iowa House to continue fighting for property tax relief, a major factor in rent and housing affordability, Marshall County jobs and economic development, Iowa veterans, teachers, and Marshall County families. It’s my honor to serve and I look forward to working to earn every vote in 2026,” he said.