Janet Petersen (born August 1, 1970) is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Iowa Senate representing the 18th District since January 2013.

Petersen serves on several committees in the Iowa Senate – the Government Oversight, Judiciary, State Government and Ways & Means committees.

Petersen served as state Senate minority leader after replacing Rob Hogg in October 2017.

Before her election to the state legislature, Petersen worked for the '92 Clinton-Gore campaign, the American Heart Association, and Strategic America, a marketing communications firm.

[2] Since becoming a politician, much of her private work has focused on making Iowa "the safest place in the nation to have a baby".