Greg Forristall
# Greg Forristall

Gregory Forristall (February 15, 1950 – May 10, 2017) was an American politician who served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2007 until his death in 2017.

Prior to his death, Forristall served on several committees in the Iowa House, including Human Resources, Transportation, and Ways and Means committees. He also served as the chair of the Labor committee and as a member of the Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee.

## Early life and education

Forristall was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and was raised and lived near Macedonia. After graduation from Carson-Macedonia High School in 1968, he went on to complete coursework in computer science and international marketing at Iowa Western Community College and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in music at the University of Iowa in 1972 and 1973 respectively.

## Career

Forristall worked as a farmer for 25 years and also worked in the financial services and information technology industries.

Forristall was active in the community with organizations such as the Council Bluffs Sister Cities, Farm Bureau, the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and the Iowa Western Community College Board. He was a member of the United States Grain Council and served on the Iowa State Board of Education and the Iowa Community College Council. Forristall was a founding and continuing member of the Grist Mill Fine Arts Council.

He chaired the Education Task Force of the American Legislative Exchange Council and was on the executive committee of the Midwest Higher Education Compact. Forristall also represented Iowa in national meetings of the Lumina Foundation and the Foundation for Excellence in Education.

Forristall was first elected to represent House District 98 in November 2006. He shifted to representing District 22 when the maps were redrawn in 2010.

In March 2014, he filed a police report stating he had been assaulted by a private citizen at Iowa State Capitol. During a June 2014 trial lasting two days, a jury of six people determined the defendant not guilty after one hour of deliberation.

## Personal life

He resided in Macedonia, Iowa, with his wife, Carol, who taught music in Iowa public schools for thirty-five years. The two were married in 1978.

Forristall died on May 10, 2017, in Omaha, Nebraska, of cancer at the age of 67. Following his death, his wife Carol sought to replace him. She lost the Republican nomination to Jon Jacobsen.

## Electoral history

*incumbent

| Election | Political result | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2006 District 98 Turnout: 1,543 | Republican | Greg Forristall | Republican | 1,116 | 72.33% |
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2006 District 98 Turnout: 1,543 | Republican | Sharon McNutt | Republican | 426 | 27.61% |
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2006 District 98 Turnout: 10,817 | Republican hold | Greg Foristall | Republican | 6,570 | 60.74% |
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2006 District 98 Turnout: 10,817 | Republican hold | Sally Vitamvas | Democratic | 3,858 | 35.67% |
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2008 District 98 | Republican | Greg Foristall* | Republican | unopposed | unopposed |
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2008 District 98 | Republican hold | Greg Foristall* | Republican | unopposed | unopposed |
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2010 District 98 | Republican | Greg Foristall* | Republican | unopposed | unopposed |
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2010 District 98 | Republican hold | Greg Foristall* | Republican | unopposed | unopposed |
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2012 District 22 Turnout: 4,410 | Republican | Greg Foristall* | Republican | 2,529 | 57.35% |
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2012 District 22 Turnout: 4,410 | Republican | Clint Fichter | Republican | 1,615 | 36.62% |
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2012 District 22 | Republican (newly redistricted) | Greg Foristall* | Republican | unopposed | unopposed |
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2014 District 22 | Republican hold | Greg Foristall* | Republican | unopposed | unopposed |
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2016 District 22 Turnout: 1,200 | Republican | Greg Forristall | Republican | 962 | 80.17% |
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2016 District 22 Turnout: 1,200 | Republican | Bryan Holder | Republican | 238 | 19.83% |
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2016 District 22 | Republican hold | Greg Foristall* | Republican | unopposed | unopposed |
