| Dennis M. Cohoon | |
| State House: | Iowa |
| District: | 87th |
| Term Start: | January 12, 1987 |
| Term End: | January 9, 2023 |
| Succeeded: | Matthew Rinker (redistricting) |
| Constituency3: | 60th district 100th district 88th district 87th district |
| Birth Date: | March 29, 1953 |
| Birth Place: | Des Moines County, Iowa |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Residence: | Burlington, Iowa |
| Alma Mater: | Iowa Wesleyan College |
| Website: | Cohoon's website |
Dennis M. Cohoon (born March 29, 1953) is an American politician who served as an Iowa State Representative from 1987 to 2023 representing several different seats in Burlington.[1]
Cohoon graduated from Burlington High School in 1971. After graduating high school, he attended Southeastern Community College where he earned an associate degree in business. He received his BA in business administration and business education with minors in special education and psychology from Iowa Wesleyan College. He has also done graduate work in special education at the University of Iowa.
From 1973 to 1979 Cohoon served in the Iowa Army National Guard. In 1978, he began teaching in the Burlington School District. He spent 32 years teaching special education in the Burlington School District until retiring in 2010.
Cohoon currently served on several committees in the Iowa House - the Appropriations committee; the Education committee; the Local Government committee; and the Transportation committee. He also serves as chair of the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Capitals Appropriations Subcommittee.
Cohoon was re-elected in 2006 with 7,201 votes, running unopposed. https://web.archive.org/web/20070715101939/http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/GenOffResults.pdf
Cohoon endorsed North Carolina Senator John Edwards for president in 2004.[2]
Cohoon endorsed Joe Biden for president in the 2008 and 2020 Democratic primaries.[3] [4] Following the suspension of Biden's campaign in January 2008, Cohoon endorsed Barack Obama for president.[5]
Dennis Cohoon has collected Presidential memorabilia such as buttons, stamps, cards, and busts since he was seven years old. He is also a fan of University of Iowa Hawkeye basketball and the New York Yankees.[6]
Cohoon is the son of Meril, a railroad worker and Marie Cohoon, a homemaker. He has two sisters, Judy and Sally. He has been married to his wife Sue, a math teacher, since 1998 and together they have four step children.
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| Election results of Dennis Cohoon < | -- Percentages are calculated out of the total vote count provided in Iowa SoS pdfs so include over and undervotes where those are reported. --> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | District | Election | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1986 | Iowa House of Representatives | 60 | Primary[7] | D | 1,079 | 100.00% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986 | Iowa House of Representatives | 60 | General[8] | D | 4,353 | 56.97% | Steven R. Arnold | R | 3,288 | 43.03 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988 | Iowa House of Representatives | 60 | Primary[9] | D | 1,579 | 100.00% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988 | Iowa House of Representatives | 60 | General[10] | D | 7,064 | 62.82% | Dianne Lerud | R | 4,180 | 37.18% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990 | Iowa House of Representatives | 60 | Primary[11] | D | 1,439 | 100.00% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990 | Iowa House of Representatives | 60 | General[12] | D | 5,630 | 62.86% | Dianne K. Lerud | R | 3,325 | 37.13% | Write-ins | W-I | 1 | 0.01% | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Iowa House of Representatives | 100 | Primary[13] | D | 874 | 100.00% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Iowa House of Representatives | 100 | General[14] | D | 7,615 | 64.43% | Sharon Marlow-Bennett | R | 4,204 | 35.57% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994 | Iowa House of Representatives | 100 | General[15] | D | 1,125 | 100.00% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994 | Iowa House of Representatives | 100 | General[16] | D | 5,299 | 100.00% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Iowa House of Representatives | 100 | Primary[17] | D | 1,888 | 100.00% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Iowa House of Representatives | 100 | General[18] | D | 7,226 | 99.99% | Write-ins | W-I | 1 | 0.01% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Iowa House of Representatives | 100 | Primary[19] | D | 1,483 | 100.00% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Iowa House of Representatives | 100 | General[20] | D | 5,807 | 100.00% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Iowa House of Representatives | 100 | Primary[21] | D | 2,536 | 99.80% | Write-ins | W-I | 5 | 0.20% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Iowa House of Representatives | 100 | General[22] | D | 7,673 | 64.90% | Matthew Murray | R | 4,145 | 35.06% | Write-ins | W-I | 5 | 0.04% | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Iowa House of Representatives | 88 | Primary[23] | D | 1,050 | 99.81% | Write-ins | W-I | 2 | 0.19% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Iowa House of Representatives | 88 | General[24] | D | 7,540 | 98.92% | Write-ins | W-I | 82 | 1.08% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Iowa House of Representatives | 88 | Primary[25] | D | 1,470 | 99.53% | Write-ins | W-I | 7 | 0.47% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Iowa House of Representatives | 88 | General[26] | D | 10,541 | 99.15% | Write-ins | W-I | 90 | 0.85% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Iowa House of Representatives | 88 | Primary[27] | D | 1,681 | 99.23% | Write-ins | W-I | 13 | 0.77% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Iowa House of Representatives | 88 | General[28] | D | 7,201 | 99.31% | Write-ins | W-I | 50 | 0.69% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Iowa House of Representatives | 88 | Primary[29] | D | 1,558 | 99.62% | Write-ins | W-I | 6 | 0.38% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Iowa House of Representatives | 88 | General[30] | D | 10,248 | 73.65% | Write-ins | W-I | 173 | 1.31% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Iowa House of Representatives | 88 | Primary[31] | D | 512 | 81.92% | Write-ins | W-I | 2 | 0.32% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Iowa House of Representatives | 88 | General[32] | D | 5,702 | 56.75% | Dave Selmon | R | 4,022 | 40.03% | Write-ins | W-I | 7 | 0.07% | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Iowa House of Representatives | 87 | Primary[33] | D | 867 | 83.29% | Write-ins | W-I | 6 | 0.58% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Iowa House of Representatives | 87 | General[34] | D | 6,898 | 45.69% | Dan Cahill | Independent | 5,234 | 34.67% | Andrew Wilson | R | 2,489 | 16.49% | Write-ins | W-I | 6 | 0.40% | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Iowa House of Representatives | 87 | Primary[35] | D | 557 | 80.96% | Write-ins | W-I | 2 | 0.29% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Iowa House of Representatives | 87 | General[36] | D | 6,786 | 68.94% | Write-ins | W-I | 157 | 1.60% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Iowa House of Representatives | 87 | Primary[37] | D | 603 | 86.89% | Write-ins | W-I | 6 | 0.86% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Iowa House of Representatives | 87 | General[38] | D | 9,333 | 67.84% | Write-ins | W-I | 196 | 1.42% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Iowa House of Representatives | 87 | Primary[39] | D | 1,344 | 84.79% | Write-ins | W-I | 8 | 0.50% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Iowa House of Representatives | 87 | General[40] | D | 6,010 | 55.87% | Tim Goodwin | R | 4,596 | 42.73% | Write-ins | W-I | 7 | 0.07% | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Iowa House of Representatives | 87 | Primary[41] | D | 2,869 | 93.79% | Write-ins | W-I | 13 | 0.42% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Iowa House of Representatives | 87 | General[42] | D | 9,992 | 70.62% | Write-ins | W-I | 331 | 2.34% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Iowa House of Representatives | 99 | Primary[43] | D | 1,165 | 93.35% | Write-ins | W-I | 5 | 0.40% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Iowa House of Representatives | 99 | General[44] | D | 5,007 | 46.99% | Matt Rinker | R | 5,468 | 51.31% | Write-ins | W-I | 26 | 0.24% |