Biography
Thomas O'Donnell is the Democratic candidate for the Iowa House of Representatives, District 87, in the November 3, 2026 general election, in which incumbent Jeff Shipley (R) is also running.[1][2] A retired Iowa reporter and editor, he said in a Ballotpedia survey that he worked for almost 16 years at the Des Moines Register.[1][3]
Thomas O'Donnell graduated from Ballard High School.[1] In a Ballotpedia survey, he said he grew up with 13 siblings in a small Iowa town, worked his way through Iowa State University, and began working for newspapers at 17.[3] He said he spent more than 20 years as an Iowa reporter and editor, including almost 16 years with the Des Moines Register, and then 16 years at a nonprofit company focused on science.[3]
O'Donnell said he lives near Keosauqua with his wife, Paula Mohr, and serves on the board of the Rural Restoration Project.[3] He listed struggling rural schools and the state's private school voucher program among his key messages, and said he advanced from the Democratic primary on June 2, 2026.[3][1]
- 1.Thomas O'Donnell - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Iowa House of Representatives elections, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Ballotpedia 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 87
Thomas O'Donnell is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Iowa House District 87 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.