DES MOINES, Iowa — Gov. Kim Reynolds announced her choice for lieutenant governor Monday morning at the State Capitol, and State Senator Chris Cournoyer was sworn into office shortly after.

Cournoyer, a Republican, was serving in the Iowa Senate when selected to take on the role of lieutenant governor. She has been in the Iowa Senate since 2019 with her latest term representing District 35 expiring in January of 2025.

Gov. Reynolds said, “First and foremost, she has the character, judgement, and ability needed to serve as governor in case I were ever unable to—qualities that also make her ideally suited to support our work on a day-to-day basis. I can’t wait to deploy Chris’ extensive experience on key legislative committees, including Ways and Means, and expertise in technology, innovation, and artificial intelligence on a wide range of issues important to Iowans.”

The new lieutenant governor is a staunch advocate for STEM skills and is a member of the Iowa Governor’s STEM council. Cournoyer has a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from the University of Texas and is a website developer and designer.

“I’m profoundly honored to serve as lieutenant governor, and Iowans can be confident that I will always approach the role with all the seriousness it deserves. I couldn’t be more excited to join Governor Reynolds’ team and do my part to implement her bold agenda for our state,” said Lt. Gov. Cournoyer.

Cournoyer is the mother of four children.