Connect with Brenna
Attorney General Brenna Bird is asking voters for another four-year term over Democrat Nate Willems. She has served as the state's top lawyer since 2023 after unseating former Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller in 2022.
In our one-on-one Beyond the Podium interview Bird discussed her office's cold case unit, why she wants to crack down on voter fraud, and making social media safer for children. You can watch the full interview below.
Bird said the unit, which she created two years ago, works with local law enforcement on unsolved homicide cases.
“We want to make sure that it gets that second set of eyes, that no stone is left unturned and that nobody gets away with murder,” Bird said.
Bird also pointed to her office’s efforts to hold online platforms accountable for how they market products to children.
“When a company says that they are safe for kids, if they’re not safe for kids, I’m going to take them to court and hold them to account,” Bird said.
She cited lawsuits involving video game platform Roblox and social media platform TikTok as part of those efforts.
Bird also said age limits could be part of the solution, though she acknowledged that would require action from the Iowa Legislature.
“I may not make the law, but I enforce the law,” Bird said.
Bird has also called for stronger enforcement of Iowa’s election laws. She acknowledged voter fraud is rare but said even one illegal vote is too many.
“I don't want anybody's vote to get canceled out and I want to make sure all of our laws are being upheld and that people know that at the end of the day, their vote matters, their vote counts,” Bird said.
Bird received an endorsement from President Donald Trump in September.
She said Trump, “like other Iowans, understand how important it is who your attorney general is.”
Bird declined to say whether Trump’s standing with voters could affect her race against Willems.
“As attorney general, I run on my record,” Bird said.
Bird also discussed Iowa receiving $126 million through a multistate settlement with Meta. She said some of that money will help fund a special victims unit within her office.
“That is a unit in my office within the statewide prosecutions division, that's going to focus on cases that really are important when it comes to protecting kids,” Bird said.
The election is Nov. 3. Early voting is underway and continues through Nov. 2.