Sen. Claire Celsi remembered for her passion and outspokenness

The Democratic state senator from West Des Moines died on Oct. 6 after a bout with an undisclosed illness. 

West Des Moines resident Al Womble will always remember the first time he met Iowa Sen. Claire Celsi.

Womble, a union organizer by trade, was an active volunteer in the Iowa Democratic Party and its Polk County chapter. However, he had no idea that West Des Moines had its own party chapter until his late mother, Phyllis, got him to attend an event, which is where he met Celsi.

“First time Claire met me, she’s like, ‘Do you volunteer with or are you involved with the West Des Moines Democrats?’” Al recalled. “I said, ‘No, I’m not,’ and she said, ‘Well, you are now.’ And that was Claire. She wanted to make sure that people got involved on the side of right.”

It’s been years since that initial meeting, and Womble now serves as chair of the West Des Moines Democrats, a feat that may not have happened without the loving but forceful nod from Celsi, who died on Oct. 6.

She was 59.

Celsi’s family announced that she had entered hospice care on Sept. 18. She leaves behind her mother, Ellen, two daughters, a granddaughter, and a host of other friends, relatives and supporters.

Celsi was born in Des Moines on Aug. 17, 1966, to Ellen and her late husband, Frank, a first-generation Italian-American immigrant. Claire was proud of her heritage, and on social media, she often shared recipes and traditions her family brought over from Italy. 

Before her death, Celsi served as the state senator for Iowa’s 16th Senate District, which covers portions of West Des Moines, Clive, and Windsor Heights. She was first elected in 2018 and won a third term in 2024 with nearly 70% of the vote.

In 2024, Celsi’s colleagues in the Democratic caucus elected her to be one of four assistant leaders. She also served as the ranking member on the Senate’s government oversight committee, as well as on the health and human services, natural resources and environment, state government, and transportation committees.

As a legislator, Celsi prioritized adequate funding for public education and fought for reproductive health care, affordable health care, clean water, the civil rights of all Iowans, and other causes.

Celsi, who owned a public relations firm, was not shy about using her digital platforms to inform and educate her constituents—and any Iowan who would listen—about what was happening with their state government.

“All you need to do is take a look at her Facebook page and you would see an in-depth analysis of what types of things were taking place down at the state capitol and how that affected people’s lives,” Womble said. “She wasn’t one of those individuals who suddenly decided, ‘I want to be a senator because I want to be a senator,’ she was somebody who cared deeply about West Des Moines, its citizens, and what was happening in the state.”

Celsi would also use her floor speeches in the Iowa Senate Chamber to speak frankly about legislation she thought was unjust or harmed vulnerable populations. 

In 2023, during a heated debate over SF 496, a landmark bill that banned books and forcibly outed students who used a different gender identity at school, Celsi publicly lambasted Republican lawmakers who pushed the bill through.

“I’m ashamed of being a part of this body that has so callously cast our citizens aside,” Celsi said during the debate.

Once, during a public bill signing, Celsi stood off to the side of Gov. Kim Reynolds and held a sign that criticized the legislation for providing what she considered an inadequate amount of funding for public schools.

“She did it quietly, but also very publicly to show that she was not scared to fight for the things she believed in, and public education was that thing,” said Heather Matson, a friend of Celsi’s and a Democrat who represents part of Ankeny in the Iowa House. 

Jennifer Konfrst, a Democratic state representative from Windsor Heights and a candidate for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District seat, has known Celsi for most of her adult life. Both women are Drake University graduates, have taught at their alma mater in various capacities, and first met through their shared background in public relations.

“Certainly, we have disagreed on policy, on approach, but at the end of the day, I’ve never doubted where Claire’s heart is,” Konfrst said. “Claire wants to do right by her constituents first and foremost. Even when we would disagree, I would always know it was coming from a good place.”

The class of 2018

While 2018 marked Celsi’s first successful legislative run, it wasn’t her first foray into politics. Before she became an elected official, Celsi worked on campaigns—big and small—and volunteered her time to numerous causes and social organizations.  

Celsi worked on former Vice President Al Gore’s 2000 bid for the presidency and served as a volunteer advisor for the campaign that led to Renee Hardman becoming the first Black woman to serve on the West Des Moines City Council in 2017. Additionally, she held numerous roles within Iowa’s Democratic Party infrastructure.

She was also a former president of the Clegg Park Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization, held various roles on the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Commission, including chair, and served on the board of education for Dowling Catholic High School, another of her alma maters. 

Before she became a state senator, Celsi also unsuccessfully ran for the Iowa House in 2016. During that run, Celsi campaigned alongside Konfrst, Matson, and a few other female candidates from Polk County as they all hoped to upset male incumbents in the Iowa Legislature.

“That’s how we really got to know each other better,” said Matson, who, like Celsi and Konfrst, wound up winning her first legislative race in 2018 after previously falling short. “It was such a good and positive feeling to be part of that group and to be in it together.”

Lasting legacy

Part of what inspired Celsi to get involved in politics was to create a better world for her daughters, Chelsey and Bailey, and her granddaughter, Mia, whom she would teach Italian words and phrases, and bring to various community events, as well as her expectant grandson.

“Public education is what spurred her into this, and I know that she would really want strong public schools for those grandkids,” Konfrst said. “She loves them very much, and it breaks my heart that she doesn’t get to have longer with them.”

Celsi’s warmth wasn’t limited to only her family. Womble, the union organizer, noted that Celsi was always good to his late mother, Phyllis, who often volunteered at West Des Moines Democratic Party events.

“She was usually just the lady who was checking people into the meeting, and most people would just sign in with her and walk by like she didn’t matter or something, and Claire would always take the time to stop and talk to my mom and ask how she was doing,” Womble said.

Celsi sent Phyllis Womble birthday cards and Christmas cards until her death in 2022.

“When my mom passed away, Claire sent flowers to my mom’s funeral in Davenport,” Al Womble said. “That meant a lot to me; my mom wasn’t just some Democrat [she knew], she really cared.”

Although Celsi was dealing with her own not publicly disclosed health problems, Womble said Celsi was aware of his heart issues and checked in on him often to make sure he was doing OK.

“One of our last conversations was her concern for my health and how I was doing,” he said. “More so than just her being a tremendous advocate for working families, schools and seniors, it was her humanity towards myself and my mom … that’s one of the things that’s going to stand out about Claire Celsi to me for the rest of my life.”

Matson will also fondly remember her fallen comrade.

“Claire is such an amazingly unique individual, and she is passionate and thoughtful,” Matson said. “She is a loyal friend, and she cares a lot for her family—loves them deeply—and I just feel fortunate that I was able to count her as a friend.”