Dolores Mertz

Dolores Mertz has been a Democratic member of the Iowa House of Representatives since 1988 and is also a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), having served as National Chairwoman in 2007. Former President George W. Bush stated that he “appreciated” Mertz's leadership in a 2007 speech to the American Legislative Exchange Council.

The Iowa legislature also passed a resolution honoring Mertz for her appointment as ALEC National Chairwoman.

In August 2011, Mertz was awarded ALEC's 2011 William J. Raggio Excellence in Leadership and Outstanding Service Award for having been a member of ALEC for a minimum of 10 years, having served in a leadership position within ALEC, and having made a "demonstrable contribution to the success of ALEC through advancing Jeffersonian principles, recruitment, fundraising, or other comparable activity."