Chet Culver
An Iowa governor who steered the state through a historic flood and economic crisis while championing renewable energy.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American politician·Birthday: January 25·Generation X
Biography
Chet Culver's tenure as Iowa's governor was defined by navigating profound natural and economic disasters. Elected in a 2006 landslide, the former teacher and secretary of state soon faced the catastrophic floods of 2008, which submerged parts of Cedar Rapids and required a massive statewide recovery effort. Simultaneously, he managed the fallout from the Great Recession, using federal stimulus funds to shore up Iowa's budget. A passionate advocate for alternative energy, Culver signed legislation that established ambitious renewable fuel standards and propelled Iowa to become a national leader in wind power production. His single term, which ended with an electoral defeat during a conservative wave, was a period of intense crisis management that left a lasting mark on the state's infrastructure and energy landscape.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Chet was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chet Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Chet's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Managed Iowa's response to the devastating floods of 2008, securing billions in federal recovery aid.
- Established a state fund for disaster prevention and created the Iowa Power Fund to advance renewable energy.
- Signed legislation raising the state's minimum wage and expanding children's health insurance coverage.
- Oversaw Iowa's early ascent as a national leader in wind energy production and ethanol usage.
Did You Know?
He is the son of former U.S. Senator John Culver of Iowa.
Culver was a college football quarterback at Virginia Tech before transferring to Drake University.
Before entering politics, he worked as a high school government teacher and football coach.
His 2006 gubernatorial victory was the largest margin for an Iowa Democrat in over 40 years.
“We will rebuild our homes, our businesses, and our communities.”
