Walt Rogers nearly pulled off a stunning upset in the 2008 election.  Matched against the President Pro Tem of the Iowa Senate in the worst year for Republicans in a generation, he came within 22 votes - out of over 32,000 cast - of unseating liberal Democrat Sen. Jeff Danielson.

Walt was born on July 5, 1961, as the sixth of what would be eight children.  Some would say, “Wow, you just missed being born on the Fourth of July.”  But in Walt’s philosophy, it’s not just whether you declare freedom on one official day - it’s what you’re going to do about freedom the next day and the day after.  And as he's watched a government with an endless appetite for expansion erode our liberties, undercut our businesses, and intrude deeper into our lives, it has become obvious that we need leaders to step up and turn things around.

The high tax burden is one of the biggest assaults on the people and businesses of Iowa, he explains.  “It hurts all businesses, but the small family business especially.”  That’s something Rogers is determined to fix.  Walt first saw the effects of high taxes and burdensome government during his time working with local businesses Rath Packing Company, Northland Products, and Mudd Advertising.  And over the nearly twenty years he spent working with youth as a member of the Staff Management Team at Orchard Hill Church and then on the staff of Prairie Lakes Church, both in Cedar Falls, he watched one teenager after another mature into young adulthood, only to face higher and higher taxes and increasing burdens on their families.  And that’s not a good way to keep them in their home state!  “I’ve watched the party in power voting as a block for every single spending bill these last four years,” Walt emphasizes.  “It’s time for a big change in Des Moines.”

Rogers is a nationally sought-after leadership consultant with experience as a concert/event planner, including founding and directing Onefest, one of the largest indoor musical festivals in the Midwest.  His work through board memberships in the Safe and Drug Free Committee, Alternatives Pregnancy Center, My Waterloo Days and Love Cedar Valley has honed his leadership skills and given him an appreciation for local grassroots efforts.

Walt attended St. Nicholas Elementary School, St. Edward Middle School, and graduated from Columbus High School in 1979, after being active in Student Council, track, cross-country, and football. It was during high school that Walt met Jenny Ridder; they were married in 1980. Walt then attended the University of Northern Iowa, where he earned a Bachelor of Technology Degree with an emphasis in Manufacturing and Management Technology in 1984. While at UNI, Walt was a member of the track team, and was active in both the Society of Mechanical Engineers and the technical fraternity Epsilon Pi Tau.

Walt and Jenny have lived in Cedar Falls for 27 years. Together they have three children: Jonathan, Alli and Michael.  Jonathan and his wife Katie live and work in Cedar Falls, Alli and her husband Kirk work in the music industry in Nashville, Tennessee, and Michael also lives in Cedar Falls.