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Merlin Bartz

Merlin E. Bartz
Merlin Bartz - Official Portrait - 84th GA.jpg
Member of the Iowa Senate
from the 6th district
In office
January 12, 2009 – January 13, 2013
Preceded by E. Thurman Gaskill
Succeeded by Mark Segebart
Member of the Iowa Senate
from the 10th district
In office
January 11, 1993 – February 11, 2002
Preceded by Alvin Miller
Succeeded by Amanda Ragan
Member of the Iowa House of Representatives
from the 19th district
In office
January 14, 1991 – January 11, 1993
Preceded by Dennis May
Succeeded by Gary Blodgett
Personal details
Born (1961-03-16) March 16, 1961 (age 56)
Mason City, Iowa
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Lisa Jorgensen
Children stepdaughter: Kimberly
Will, Marena
Residence Grafton, Iowa
Alma mater Luther College
Occupation Farmer
Website Bartz's website

Merlin Bartz (born March 16, 1961) was the Iowa State Senator from the 6th District, elected in 2008 for just one term. A Republican, he sat on the Appropriations, Human Resources, Natural Resources, and Ways and Means committees. He was the ranking member on the Administration and Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee.

Bartz lost his reelection bid in 2012 in a race where there were two incumbents redistricted together. Incumbent Mary Jo Wilhlem defeated Senator Bartz by 126 votes in a very contentious election, where at one point Bartz was accused of joining the War on Women and of being demeaning to women.

Previously he served in the Iowa House of Representatives (19th District, 1991 – 1993), and the Iowa Senate (10th District, 1993 – 2002). He was Senate Assistant Majority Leader in the 77th, 78th, and 79th General Assemblies. Bartz was appointed (January, 2002) Special Assistant to the Undersecretary, Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. He is a sixth generation Iowa farmer. From July 2004, he was Regional Assistant Chief, Central, for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). He was a management representative of the Chief, providing direction of NRCS programs and activities and overall leadership and supervision to state conservationists in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin. Bartz has a B.A. music and political science from Luther College.


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