Warren County, Iowa, lost a longtime public servant when Julian Burgess Garrett, a Republican state senator, retired attorney and farmer rooted in Warren County life, died June 8, 2026, in Des Moines at age 85.

Garrett was born in Des Moines in 1940 and raised on a farm near Pella. He graduated from Central College in Pella and the University of Iowa College of Law. He then served 12 years as assistant attorney general in charge of consumer protection for the State of Iowa. He later practiced law in Indianola and Des Moines while also living and working as a farmer in Warren County.

His public life was closely tied to local Republican politics and community service. He was active in the Warren County Republican Central Committee for more than 40 years and twice served as Ronald Reagan’s campaign chairman in Iowa’s former 5th congressional district. He was also a longtime Farm Bureau member and raised purebred Charolais cattle on his farm. A 2026 Senate resolution noted that he coached Little League and soccer, served on the Indianola Little League Board of Directors, and coached middle school mock trial teams, taking two teams to the state tournament.

Garrett first won election to the Iowa House in November 2011 and later won a special election to the Iowa Senate in November 2013. He served in the House during the 84th General Assembly and in the Senate from the 85th through the 91st General Assemblies, representing Senate District 11 as a Republican from Warren County. In the Senate, he chaired the Justice System Appropriations Subcommittee and served on the Appropriations, Education, Health and Human Services, and Judiciary committees. A 2026 Senate resolution said he had championed efforts to overhaul the nomination process for judges and supported historic tax cuts, welfare reform and the protection of fetal life.

Garrett’s legislative style was often practical. On child-custody legislation in 2011, he said, “What we’re doing is just giving a little nudge to the system to say, ‘Let’s think about this. Let’s give everybody equal opportunity.’” He also said, “I believe that children do best when they have a close relationship with both parents.” On sentencing legislation, he said, “The County Attorneys recommended just a flat 45 years. The Bar Association…recommended 25 years and we’ve kind of struck a middle ground here.”

The Iowa Senate honored Garrett on April 16, 2026, adopting Senate Resolution 114 and rising to express its tribute. Mike Klimesh called him “a pillar of our caucus,” and said he had spent his time in the Senate committed to conservative policies while dedicating his life to Republican activism and community service. Jeff Kaufmann said, “I was fortunate to serve alongside Julian Garrett in the Iowa House and to call him a friend.”

He and his wife, Nancy, lived in Warren County, and he had three sons. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Ann Garrett, and a son, Jason Richard Garrett. Garrett will be remembered for his long service to Warren County and Iowa through law, politics, farming and youth mentorship.