PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER – Within the Iowa House of Representatives Chambers, you can find District 53 Representative Dean Fisher sitting at his desk. House District 53 includes all of Poweshiek County and most of Tama County excluding the northeast corner.

DES MOINES — After more than a decade in the Iowa House of Representatives, Rep. Dean Fisher has no plans of stepping away.

“I am running again in 2026,” Fisher said. “I filed my paperwork.”

Now in his 14th year in office, the Republican lawmaker says his path to the legislature was rooted in both personal inspiration and political motivation.

Fisher pointed to his grandfather, a farmer who served on a rural electric cooperative board, as an early influence.

“That just kind of put in my mind that people can get involved,” he said. “You don’t have to be somebody special to step up and do this kind of work.”

His direct entry into politics came later, in response to the state of national politics.

“In 2009, I was getting fed up… and decided I needed to get involved and try to make a difference,” Fisher said. “In 2011, I found out the seat was open and thought, ‘I’m going to run for the House and see what happens.'”

During his time in office, Fisher highlighted a mix of large-scale legislative efforts and more targeted initiatives he personally championed. One of his most notable accomplishments, he said, was helping pass Iowa’s Safe at Home program — an address confidentiality system designed to protect victims of domestic violence.

“It allows them to use essentially a substitute address for public documents,” Fisher said. “That way, abusers can’t easily track them down.”

The program, now more than a decade old, continues to operate statewide. On a broader scale, Fisher expressed pride in Republican-led efforts to reduce taxes.

“We’ve cut income tax down to 3.8% and eliminated tax on retirement income,” he said. “Keeping the tax burden down has always been a priority.”

He also cited expanded Second Amendment protections and legislation related to gender identity as key policy areas he has supported or helped advance. Beyond passing legislation, Fisher emphasized another role: stopping bills he believes would negatively impact Iowa’s economy.

“There are a lot of proposals that sound good but just aren’t workable,” he said, noting his work in committee to halt certain environmental regulations affecting agriculture.

While some legislative priorities are statewide, others come directly from conversations with constituents.

Fisher pointed to what he described as a growing raccoon population as an example of a hyper-local issue that has gained surprising traction.

“I probably hear about that more than almost anything,” he said. “Farmers are dealing with thousands of dollars in damage, from crops to equipment.”

He also discussed efforts to address wind turbine lights in rural areas, though that proposal has faced resistance in committee. Fisher describes his relationship with constituents as generally strong, particularly among those who share his views. However, he acknowledged the challenges of representing a politically diverse population.

“Sometimes we can agree to disagree and still be respectful,” he said. “Other times, it gets more confrontational.”

He added that once he forms a position on an issue, it rarely shifts significantly.

“I try to make sure I’ve done my homework before I take a stance,” Fisher said. “It would take a lot to move me off that.”

Outside of policy debates, Fisher says much of legislative life is less glamorous than people might expect.

“Most of the day, it’s just work — emails, meetings, discussions,” he said. “It’s not as exciting as people think.”

One of the biggest personal challenges is the daily commute. Fisher travels more than an hour each way to Des Moines during the session.

“It can be tiring,” he said. “But I get to sleep in my own bed every night, and that’s a big advantage.”

During the busiest part of the session, days can stretch well into the evening.

“You might get here at 8 in the morning and not leave until 7:30 at night,” he said.

Fisher said his motivation to continue serving comes from both enjoyment of the work and a belief in the policies being enacted under current Republican leadership.

“With the House, Senate and governor aligned, we’ve been able to get a lot done,” he said. “That’s exciting.”

As Iowa approaches another election cycle, he emphasized the importance of voter participation — particularly in non-presidential years.

“These midterms are every bit as important,” Fisher said. “People need to pay attention.”