John Kooiker
John Kooiker | |
|---|---|
 86th General Assembly portrait (2015) | |
| Member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 4th district | |
| Assumed office January 12, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Dwayne Alons |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 28, 1946[1] Sioux County, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Sherry Kooiker (m. 1971) |
| Children | Sam |
| Residence | Boyden, Iowa |
| Occupation | Teacher, Farmer |
| Website | legis.iowa.gov/... |
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 graduated 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 and a Ph.D.[4] Kooiker served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War.[5] He left the army and began teaching math and physics at the Christian Academy in Japan in 1972.[6] Kooiker returned to the United States in 1975, moving to Boyden, Iowa. He worked for the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier from 1977 to 2005.[4]
Political career
Kooiker defeated Democrat John Bunstma and write-in candidate Dennis Wright, a former mayor of Hull, Iowa,[7] in the special election called on January 6, 2015, after the November 2014 death of Dwayne Alons.[8] He serves on the Labor, Local Government, Public Safety, and Veteran Affairs committees and co-chairs the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Capitals Appropriations Subcommittee.[9] In October 2015, Kooiker stated that he would not seek a second term.[10]
Personal
He and his wife Sherry have four children.[4] Sam first ran for the mayoralty of Rapid City, South Dakota in 2007, but lost.[11][12] He ran again and won the office in 2011, serving until 2015. A daughter died of cancer in October 2007.[13]
References
- ^ "Representative John Kooiker". Iowa House Republicans. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
- ^ "Johanna Kooiker". Sioux County Index. September 9, 1993. Retrieved January 18, 2015 – via Find a Grave.
- ^ "John J. Kooiker Plans to Study Chemistry at Calvin". Sioux County Index. July 2, 1964. p. 1. Retrieved January 17, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Hall, Jacob (December 19, 2014). "Kooiker gets GOP nod for HD 4". The Iowa Statesmen. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
- ^ McLaughlin, John Lee (January 8, 2015). "Rapid City mayor's dad elected to Iowa Legislature". Retrieved January 11, 2015.
- ^ "[No title]". Sioux County Index. September 21, 1972. p. 11. Retrieved July 2, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hayworth, Bret (January 8, 2015). "Kooiker takes on Iowa House District 4 position". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
- ^ Murphy, Erin (January 6, 2015). "Kooiker wins easily in special Iowa House District 4 vote". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- ^ Eschliman, Bob (October 20, 2015). "Kooiker not seeking re-election in HD 4; Wheeler steps up". The Iowa Statesman. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
- ^ "Iowa Rep. John Kooiker says he will not seek re-election". Washington Times. Associated Press. October 19, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
- ^ Rusch, Emilie (February 7, 2010). "Just who is Sam Kooiker?". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Obituaries for October 23, 2007". Rapid City Journal. October 23, 2007. Bonnie Lynn (Kooiker) Matulka. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
External links
- 1946 births
- People from Boyden, Iowa
- Iowa Republicans
- American expatriates in Japan
- United States Army soldiers
- Kansas State University alumni
- United States Postal Service people
- American schoolteachers
- American military personnel of the Vietnam War
- Living people
- Calvin College alumni
- Foreign educators in Japan