Sen. Claire Celsi, D-West Des Moines, speaks at the Iowa Capitol on Dec. 14, 2023, calling for a bipartisan Senate Oversight Committee investigation into Iowa nursing homes. (Photo by Clark Kauffman/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Iowa Sen. Claire Celsi, D-West Des Moines, is receiving hospice care, her family announced in a statement.
Celsi, 59, has been facing an undisclosed medical issue for several months, having missed more than a month of votes at the state Legislature during the 2025 session beginning in February, returning after a surgery in April.
On Thursday, Celsi’s family released a statement saying she was entering hospice care, meaning she will no longer seek curative treatment. Further details were not shared.
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“Senator Claire Celsi, our beloved wife, sister, mom, and grandma, has entered hospice care,” Celsi’s family said in a statement. “Our family asks that you please respect our privacy during this difficult time. Thank you.”
Celsi represents Iowa Senate District 16. She was first elected to the state Senate in 2018, and won reelection in 2022. In the most recent session, she served as the ranking member of the Senate Government Oversight Committee and was elected by Senate Democrats in 2024 to serve as one of four assistant leaders. Outside of the Statehouse, Celsi owns The Public Relations Project and works as a marketing and communications consultant.
