Biography
Teresa Perin is the Democratic candidate for Iowa House of Representatives District 51 in the November 3, 2026 general election, facing incumbent Republican Brett Barker.[1][2] A recently retired educator with 31 years of experience, Perin says in a Ballotpedia survey that she is running on public school funding, sustainable agriculture and keeping young people in Iowa.[2][3]
Teresa Perin graduated from West Marshall High School, earned an associate degree from Marshalltown Community College in 1988, a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University in 1993 and a graduate degree from Viterbo University in 2009.[2] In a Ballotpedia survey, Perin said she grew up in District 51, taught special education and English, and is a mostly retired farmer with a small herd of goats.[3]
Perin advanced from the Democratic primary on June 2, 2026, and in the survey listed the Iowa Federation of Labor and the Iowa State Education Association as endorsers.[2][3] She named funding public schools and the area education agencies, making agriculture more regenerative and sustainable, and raising the minimum wage and expanding affordable housing and child care as her main messages.[3]
- 1.Iowa House of Representatives elections, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Teresa Perin · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Teresa Perin - Candidate Connection survey (2026) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Iowa House District 51
Teresa Perin is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Iowa House District 51 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.