Al Sturgeon (born 14 February 1956) is an American lawyer and former politician.

Early life and political career

Al Sturgeon is a native of

Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...

, born on 14 February 1956. He graduated from East High School and

Morningside College Morningside University is a private university affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1894 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, Morningside University has 21 buildings on a campus in Sioux City (ar ...

in his hometown. Sturgeon was then employed as a consultant to the Northwest Regional Library, and also worked in production for the

Continental Baking Company The Continental Baking Company was one of the first bakeries to introduce fortified bread. It was the maker of the Twinkie and Wonder Bread. Through a series of acquisitions and mergers it became part of the former Hostess Brands company. His ...

for six and a half years before winning his first statewide legislative election in 1980, representing District 51 of the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. Sturgeon subsequently won reelection to House District 2 in 1982 and 1984. During his third consecutive term as state representative, Sturgeon began attending the

University of Iowa College of Law The University of Iowa College of Law is the law school of the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. It was founded in 1865. Iowa is ranked the 28th-best law school in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or U ...

. Sturgeon was elected to the first of two terms on the

Iowa Senate The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly, United States. There are 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state of Iowa with populations of approximately 60,927 per constituency, . ...

in 1986 and completed his

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

degree in 1989. After defeating

Milo Colton Milo Colton (born March 25, 1943) is an American politician who served in the Iowa Senate The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly, United States. There are 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, representing 50 single-member dist ...

in a 1990 party primary, Sturgeon held the Senate District 1 seat until 1995. After leaving the Iowa General Assembly, Sturgeon later served as chairman of the Woodbury County Democratic Party. He stepped down from the position in 2005, and was succeeded by Tim Bottaro.

Personal life

In April 1986, Sturgeon attended a party with legislative colleagues, and was charged by a grand jury that August with indecent exposure. The charge was filed as a misdemeanor, and Sturgeon pled innocent during a September court hearing. He eventually pled guilty to the lesser charge of disorderly conduct in February 1987. Sturgeon's first application to sit for the Iowa bar exam was rejected due to this controversy. During the legal proceedings for this case, Sturgeon admitted to birthing a child out of wedlock in 1984, and agreed to pay child support. Al Sturgeon's father Harold Allen Sturgeon Sr. died on 31 July 2010. His mother Opal Grace Sturgeon died on 3 April 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sturgeon, Al Iowa lawyers Politicians from Sioux City, Iowa Morningside University alumni University of Iowa College of Law alumni Democratic Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives Living people 20th-century American lawyers 1956 births 20th-century American politicians Democratic Party Iowa state senators 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American politicians