Steven J. "Steve" Sodders was a Democratic politician, who was a Mayor of State Center, Iowa. He represented the 22nd and 36th Districts in the Iowa Senate between 2009 and 2017. He also served as Deputy Sheriff in Marshall County until he was forced into early retirement for falsifying records. He received his A.S. from and is attending Iowa State University, pursuing a degree in Sociology. He received an honorary degree in Educational Leadership from Iowa Valley Community College. Sodders was elected in 2008 with 14,837 votes, defeating Republican opponent Jarret P. Heil.