Career
A Democrat, she has served in the Iowa Senate since 2002. She has also served as the Executive Director of Meals on Wheels and of Community Kitchen of Northern Iowa. Ragan currently serves on several committees in the Iowa Senate - the Appropriation committee.
The Natural Resources committee.
The Rules and Administration committee. The Veterans Affairs committee.
And the Human Resources committee, where she is chairman She also serves on the Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, where she is vice chairman
Ragan was born and raised near Rockwell, and graduated from Rockwell-Swaledale High School.
Ragan enrolled in North Iowa Area Community College receiving her Associate of Arts She graduated cum laude from Buena Vista University with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services. Ragan is currently an assistant majority leader in the Senate. In 2005 Ragan was targeted by several groups for her opposition to a proposed amendment banning gay marriage in the state of Iowa.
In 2008 as chair of the Senate Human Resources Committee Ragan was a direct player in the formulation of health care legislation that would cover more Iowan children and fix health care problems in the state of Iowa.
Ragan was again re-election to the in 2010. Ragan defeated Republican candidate James Mills by a margin of 12,908 (604%) to 8,452 (394%).