16 Facts About Mark Chelgren

Eric Mark Chelgren was born on January 21,1968 and is an American politician who served in the Iowa Senate.

Mark Chelgren was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2010 and re-elected in 2014.

Mark Chelgren has drawn controversy for proposing legislation that would cap the percentage difference in political parties of professors and instructors that state universities can hire.

Mark Chelgren drew controversy for his false claim of having a "business degree" from the "Forbco Management School," which was in fact a manager training course run by a company that operated Sizzler restaurants in southern California.

Mark Chelgren was born in Ross, California, on January 21,1968.

Mark Chelgren grew up in Huntington Beach, and graduated from Huntington Beach High School in 1986.

At the start of his career, Mark Chelgren's employment included managing a Sizzler restaurant in Torrance, California.

The Iowa Senate Republicans organization states that "Senator Mark Chelgren is an entrepreneur with multiple patents, primarily focused in health care".

Mark Chelgren's education became an issue in 2017 when he proposed a bill to quiz prospective university professors on their political affiliation, and enact a percentage system to ensure that Iowa's institutions of higher learning did not hire what he deemed an inappropriately high percentage of Democrats and liberals.

In defending his proposed legislation, Mark Chelgren claimed to have witnessed what he termed excessive liberal advocacy among the professors of the college he attended.

In 2010, Mark Chelgren was elected to the Iowa Senate, defeating incumbent Democrat Keith Kreiman with 9,572 to 9,582 votes.

In 2011, Mark Chelgren endorsed Michele Bachmann in the 2012 presidential election.

In 2014, Mark Chelgren was re-elected, defeating Democrat Steve Siegel 10,331 to 9,954 votes.

In 2016, Mark Chelgren was a US congressional candidate for Iowa's 2nd District but withdrew in March.

In 2018, Mark Chelgren announced that he would not be a candidate for reelection that year.

In 2022, Mark Chelgren was seeking to be elected to fill the vacant seat of the newly-created house district 26 he was defeated by Austin Harris.