Races › State Representative District 83

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About the office

Iowa House members help write and vote on state laws as part of the General Assembly; the House has 100 members, one from each House district.

Term: 2 years.

Pay: $25,000 annual salary, plus a daily allowance during the legislative session and a monthly expense allowance (Iowa Code 2.10).

Mike Bergman

State Representative District 83

Democratic

Photo: source

Surveillance & privacy Flock: mixed

Said statewide ALPR guidance 'may be necessary', with data access limited to vetted people.

SAID
In a KCRG Q&A, he said statewide guidance may be necessary on automatic license plate readers, with data access restricted to a small group of vetted individuals.newsKCRG · Sept. 29, 2026

Quick facts

Office: State Representative District 83
Incumbent: No
Opponent: R Cindy Golding (Republican, incumbent)

At a glance

$0Raised (cycle)

$0Spent (cycle)

0Contributions

$0From PACs

$0From party

—Latest filing

Recent statement

Campaign site says he is running as a Democrat for Iowa House District 83 on a platform centered on public school funding.

Biography

The race

Mike Bergman is the Democratic candidate for State Representative District 83 in the Nov. 3, 2026, Linn County general election.
They are not the current officeholder.
Also on the ballot for this office: Cindy Golding (Republican, incumbent).

Sources: Linn County Election Services candidate list

Background

Mike Bergman of Mount Vernon retired as a colonel from the Air Force in 2007 and bought a 240-acre northern Linn County farm in the mid-1980s, converting it to Conservation Reserve Program grasslands for pheasant habitat.
Mike Bergman of Lisbon bought a 240-acre northern Linn County farm in 1986 during the farm crisis and has worked to return the land to its pre-settlement condition.
Campaign site says he served 26 years in the Air Force, retiring as a colonel in 2006.
His campaign Facebook page describes him as a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, an Iowa farmer and conservationist, an Iowa State alumnus, and a 20-year Mount Vernon resident.

Sources: The Gazette (Cedar Rapids Community History Archive); The Gazette (Cedar Rapids Community History Archive); Mike Bergman for Iowa; Facebook

Public life

Campaign site says he served as a mediator for the Sixth Judicial District and owns 330 acres of Linn County farmland.
Ballotpedia lists him as the Democratic candidate in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election for Iowa House District 83 against incumbent Cindy Golding (R).
The campaign Facebook page describes itself as the official page for Mike Bergman, Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 83.

Sources: Mike Bergman for Iowa; Ballotpedia; Facebook

Positions & statements

In a KCRG Q&A, he said his top priority is to undo the damage of the private school voucher law to public schools.
In a KCRG Q&A, he said he considers data center regulation a local control issue that does not need one-size-fits-all state laws.
In a KCRG Q&A, he said statewide guidance may be necessary on automatic license plate readers, with data access restricted to a small group of vetted individuals.
He told the Daily Iowan that Golding's vote for the education savings account law prompted him to run.

Show 7 more

He told the Lisbon council that the 2% cap on municipal budget increases would need to be undone if he were elected.
Campaign site says he is running as a Democrat for Iowa House District 83 on a platform centered on public school funding.
Campaign site says he opposes education savings accounts and private school voucher programs.
Campaign site says he opposes state preemption of local minimum wage laws and the 2% cap on local budget increases.
Campaign site says he supports funding water quality sensor systems to monitor nitrate levels.
Campaign site says he opposes the Center for Intellectual Freedom mandate at the University of Iowa.
His campaign Facebook page uses the hashtag #PublicFundsForPublicSchools.

Sources: KCRG; The Daily Iowan; Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun; Mike Bergman for Iowa; Mike Bergman for Iowa; Facebook

Campaign money

Mike Bergman's campaign committee is Bergman For Iowa (IECDB id SWGA51729).
The committee had not reported any contributions in the state filings on file.

Sources: Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board (committees); Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board (contributions)

In the news

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun ran a community profile headlined 'MV citizen running for House District 83 seat'.
The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun reported that Bergman spoke at the Lisbon City Council meeting on Aug. 24 about his campaign.
KCRG published a candidate Q&A with Mike Bergman, the Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 83.
The Daily Iowan profiled Bergman as the Democratic nominee running against Republican incumbent Cindy Golding for Iowa House District 83.

Sources: Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun; Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun; KCRG; The Daily Iowan

Where they stand

Each mark is one sourced item from Positions & statements (left) or Record in office (right), grouped by issue. Click a mark to open its source; open an issue below to read its items.Tap an issue to see the sourced items.

Surveillance & privacy1 statement

Positions

In a KCRG Q&A, he said statewide guidance may be necessary on automatic license plate readers, with data access restricted to a small group of vetted individuals.newsKCRG · Sept. 29, 2026

Record

None found.

Data centers1 statement

Positions

In a KCRG Q&A, he said he considers data center regulation a local control issue that does not need one-size-fits-all state laws.newsKCRG · Sept. 29, 2026

Record

None found.

Property taxes & budget2 statements

Positions

Campaign site says he opposes state preemption of local minimum wage laws and the 2% cap on local budget increases.campaignMike Bergman for Iowa · Oct. 17, 2026

He told the Lisbon council that the 2% cap on municipal budget increases would need to be undone if he were elected.newsMount Vernon-Lisbon Sun · Sept. 9, 2026

Record

None found.

Water & environment1 statement

Positions

Campaign site says he supports funding water quality sensor systems to monitor nitrate levels.campaignMike Bergman for Iowa · Oct. 17, 2026

Record

None found.

Schools & education4 statements

Positions

Campaign site says he is running as a Democrat for Iowa House District 83 on a platform centered on public school funding.campaignMike Bergman for Iowa · Oct. 17, 2026

Campaign site says he opposes education savings accounts and private school voucher programs.campaignMike Bergman for Iowa · Oct. 17, 2026

In a KCRG Q&A, he said his top priority is to undo the damage of the private school voucher law to public schools.newsKCRG · Sept. 29, 2026

He told the Daily Iowan that Golding's vote for the education savings account law prompted him to run.newsThe Daily Iowan · Sept. 29, 2026

Record

None found.

The race

State Representative District 83General election · Nov. 3, 2026

Mike BergmanDemocraticThis profile
Cindy GoldingRepublican · ★ Incumbent

Source: Linn County Election Services candidate list · Oct. 7, 2026

Campaign money

Campaign committee: Bergman For Iowa (IECDB id SWGA51729).officialIowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board (committees)
No contributions reported in the state filings on file.officialIowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board (contributions)
No expenditures reported in the state filings on file.officialIowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board (expenditures)

Public record

Years come from the item text; a gray italic year is when the source was published.

2026
Ballotpedia lists him as the Democratic candidate in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election for Iowa House District 83 against incumbent Cindy Golding (R).referenceBallotpedia · Oct. 17, 2026
Campaign site says he served as a mediator for the Sixth Judicial District and owns 330 acres of Linn County farmland.campaignMike Bergman for Iowa · Oct. 17, 2026Year is the source's publication date.

Positions & statements

9 statements are grouped above under Surveillance & privacy, Data centers, Property taxes & budget, Water & environment, Schools & education. Also said:

Campaign site says he opposes the Center for Intellectual Freedom mandate at the University of Iowa.campaignMike Bergman for Iowa · Oct. 17, 2026
His campaign Facebook page uses the hashtag #PublicFundsForPublicSchools.socialFacebook · Oct. 17, 2026

Background

Years come from the item text; a gray italic year is when the source was published.

2026
The campaign Facebook page describes itself as the official page for Mike Bergman, Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 83.socialFacebook · Oct. 17, 2026
His campaign Facebook page describes him as a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, an Iowa farmer and conservationist, an Iowa State alumnus, and a 20-year Mount Vernon resident.socialFacebook · Oct. 17, 2026
2007
Mike Bergman of Mount Vernon retired as a colonel from the Air Force in 2007 and bought a 240-acre northern Linn County farm in the mid-1980s, converting it to Conservation Reserve Program grasslands for pheasant habitat.newsThe Gazette (Cedar Rapids Community History Archive) · Jan. 11, 2008
2006
Campaign site says he served 26 years in the Air Force, retiring as a colonel in 2006.campaignMike Bergman for Iowa · Oct. 17, 2026
1986
Mike Bergman of Lisbon bought a 240-acre northern Linn County farm in 1986 during the farm crisis and has worked to return the land to its pre-settlement condition.newsThe Gazette (Cedar Rapids Community History Archive) · Dec. 20, 2014

In the news

KCRG published a candidate Q&A with Mike Bergman, the Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 83.newsKCRG · Sept. 29, 2026
The Daily Iowan profiled Bergman as the Democratic nominee running against Republican incumbent Cindy Golding for Iowa House District 83.newsThe Daily Iowan · Sept. 29, 2026
The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun reported that Bergman spoke at the Lisbon City Council meeting on Aug. 24 about his campaign.newsMount Vernon-Lisbon Sun · Sept. 9, 2026
The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun ran a community profile headlined 'MV citizen running for House District 83 seat'.newsMount Vernon-Lisbon Sun · July 29, 2026