John Kooiker

John Kooiker
Member of the Iowa House of Representatives
from the 4th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 12, 2014
Preceded by Dwayne Alons
Personal details
Born June 28, 1946[1]
Sioux County, Iowa
Political party Republican
Residence Boyden, Iowa
Occupation Teacher, Farmer
Website Kooiker's website

John J. Kooiker (born June 28, 1946) is an American politician who represents Iowa's Fourth District in the state House of Representatives.

Early life and career

Kooiker is one of seven children born to John and Johanna Kooiker (née Vermeer).[2] He gradated from Western Christian High School in 1964, as class valedictorian.[3] He attended Calvin College, then Kansas State University, where he earned a masters in Math Education. He taught math and physics at a school in Japan, before returning to Kansas State for a Ph.D. He also served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War.[4] Kooiker moved to Boyden in 1975. He worked for the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier from 1977 to 2005.[5]

Political career

Kooiker defeated Democrat John Bunstma and write-in candidate Dennis Wright, a former mayor of Hull, Iowa,[6] in the 2014 special election called on January 6, after the death of Dwayne Alons.[7] He serves on the Labor, Local Government, Public Safety, and Veteran Affairs committees and co-chairs the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Capitals Appropriations Subcommittee.

Personal

He and his wife Sherry have four children.[5] Sam first ran for the mayoralty of Rapid City, South Dakota in 2007, but lost.[8][9] He has served as the mayor of Rapid City since 2011.[10] A daughter died of cancer in October 2007.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Representative John Kooiker". Iowa House Republicans. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Johanna Kooiker". Sioux County Index. September 1, 1993. Retrieved January 18, 2015 – via Find a Grave.
  3. ↑ "John J. Kooiker Plans to Study Chemistry at Calvin". Sioux County Index. July 2, 1964. p. 1. Retrieved January 17, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ McLaughlin, John Lee (January 8, 2015). "Rapid City mayor's dad elected to Iowa Legislature". Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hall, Jacob (December 19, 2014). "Kooiker gets GOP nod for HD 4". The Iowa Statesmen. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  6. ↑ Hayworth, Bret (January 8, 2015). "Kooiker takes on Iowa House District 4 position". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  7. ↑ Murphy, Erin (January 6, 2015). "Kooiker wins easily in special Iowa House District 4 vote". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
  8. ↑ Rusch, Emilie (February 7, 2010). "Just who is Sam Kooiker?". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  9. ↑ Visser, Jeanne (July 4, 2007). "Kooiker loses close race for Rapid City mayor". Sioux County Index Reporter (Small Town Papers News Service). Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Sam Kooiker Biography". Rapid City Library. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Obituaries for October 23, 2007". Rapid City Journal. October 23, 2007. Bonnie Lynn (Kooiker) Matulka. Retrieved January 10, 2015.