Governor Tom Vilsack was elected Iowau2019s 39th Governor in 1998, the first Democratic governor of the state in more than 30 years. He was re-elected to a second four-year term in 2002. Prior to being elected governor, Governor Vilsack was an Iowa State Senator (1992-98) and the mayor of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa (1987-92) as well as managing a private law practice with his father-in-law.