About John Forbes
John Forbes is a six-term state representative running in Supervisor District 2 which includes Urbandale, Johnston, Grimes, Polk City, Alleman, Sheldahl, Elkhart, Bondurant, Mitchellville and unincorporated portions of Polk County.
John currently represents Iowa House District 44 which covers most of Urbandale in Polk County. He was first elected in 2012 and has won re-election five times. In two of those elections, he did not face an opponent.
During his tenure in the House, he has served as an assistant minority leader, Ranking Member of the Health and Human Services Budget Subcommittee, Commerce Committee, Ways and Means Committee, Health and Human Services Committee and the Transportation Committee.
In 2019, he was awarded the “Uncommon Public Service Award” from the Hoover Presidential Foundation. It is given annually to legislators “who demonstrate uncommon service to the people of Iowa above and beyond their legislative responsibilities.”
Prior to his service in the legislature, John was on the Urbandale City Council. He currently serves on the Urbandale Public Library Foundation. He has also fundraised for and led several “Honor Flights” in Central Iowa, taking veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit war memorials.
John, a pharmacist, is the former owner of Medicap Pharmacy in Urbandale. He and his wife Cindy sold the business in 2022 after serving the community for over 40 years. During his career, he won many local and national pharmacy awards. He is a past president of the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce and a past Urbandale “Citizen of the Year.”
John and his wife Cindy reside in Urbandale and have two adult children and three grandchildren.