Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver in treatment for brain tumor

Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver speaks with reporters during a 2020 news conference introducing new Senate leadership. (Photo by Linh Ta/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver is receiving treatment for a brain tumor, he announced Friday.

In a news release, Whitver said that he was diagnosed with a brain tumor following the conclusion of the 2024 legislative session, and that he has begun a treatment plan and radiation therapy. He added that he is “responding well” to initial treatments.

The Republican leader said he is remaining in the Iowa Senate and will continue in his role as the chamber’s majority leader while undergoing treatment.

“I appreciate the kind words and prayers my family and I have received,” Whitver said in a statement. “We ask for continued prayer and support as we continue this treatment.

Whitver, a 43-year-old from Grimes, was first elected to the state senate in 2011. In the years since, he served as senate president in 2016 before taking the position of majority leader in 2018. Outside of politics, Whitver played on the Iowa State University’s football team as a starting wide receiver, pursued sports and athletics-related business ventures including Acceleration Iowa and worked as an attorney with the law firm Whitaker Hagenow & Gustoff in Des Moines.

During his time as majority leader, Senate Republicans in Iowa have won significant election victories, and the party currently holds a 34-seat supermajority. Whitver said in the statement that he plans to continue to lead the Senate Republican caucus through the 2024 general election cycle.

“Our Senate Republican team is full of capable and accomplished people and I am grateful for the trust and support of the Senate Republican Caucus,” Whitver said. “I am confident Senate Republicans will be as successful this November as we have been the last several election cycles.”

After Whitver’s announcement Friday, Gov. Kim Reynolds released a statement supporting him and his decision to remain in the Senate leadership position.

“Jack Whitver is a strong and capable leader, and a good friend,” Reynolds said. “I admire and support his decision to remain in his role while undergoing treatment, and I am confident in his ability to do so. Kevin and I know this path well, and also the incredible advancements that have been made with treatment. We pray for his full recovery, for his wife Rachel and their children, and for his medical team. I look forward to continuing our work together on behalf of Iowans.”

Reynolds’ husband, Kevin Reynolds, was diagnosed with lung cancer in September 2023 and is receiving treatment.

Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum, a Dubuque Democrat retiring from the Senate this year, also released a statement, saying she and Senate Democrats were “very saddened to hear the news of Senator Whitver’s current medical challenge.”

“Jack is a proven fighter, and if anyone is prepared to face the challenge ahead, it’s Jack,” Jochum said in a statement. “We will continue to keep Jack and his family in our prayers and we all wish him a speedy recovery.”

Other Iowa politicians released statements on social media wishing Whitver a quick return to full health, including members of Iowa’s congressional delegation. U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst called for others to join her “in praying for Jack and Rachel during this difficult time.”

U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, the Republican representing Iowa’s 3rd District, also wrote in a post that he and his wife were praying for Whitver and his family. “Jack is a strong leader for Iowa and I will continue to support him as my Senator,” Nunn wrote. “I’m grateful to call him a friend.”

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