Zacharia Wahls (born July 15, 1991) is a Democratic state senator from Coralville currently serving his second term representing the 43rd district. Wahls is the son of two lesbian women and has been a prominent LGBTQ+ activist since giving a viral testimony to the Iowa House in 2011 at age 19 opposing a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. He is an Eagle Scout, co-founder of Scouts for Equality (which successfully lobbied the Boy Scouts to end anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination), and author of a bestselling book about his family. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa and a master's degree from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs. He was elected Iowa Senate Democratic Leader from 2020-2023 before resigning over staff disputes. As of early 2026, Wahls is leading in Democratic primary polling significantly ahead of Josh Turek.
Wahls was born July 15, 1991, in Marshfield, Wisconsin, to two lesbian mothers. He moved to Iowa City at age 9. His mother Terry has multiple sclerosis, which contributed to his healthcare advocacy. At age 19, as a college freshman, Wahls gave a viral testimony to the Iowa House opposing a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, which became a pivotal moment in Iowa's marriage equality debate. The video received over 15 million views. He graduated from Iowa City West High School and earned a B.A. from the University of Iowa in sustainability studies in 2014 and an M.P.A. from Princeton University in 2018. He co-founded Scouts for Equality and led the successful campaign to end Boy Scouts' anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination. He co-founded Wahls Enterprises LLC and worked as VP for Community Investment at GreenState Credit Union. He was first elected to Iowa Senate District 37 in 2018 and now represents District 43 in Coralville area. He served as Iowa Senate Democratic Leader from 2020-2023. Married to journalist Chloe Angyal; they have a young son.