He's served a total of 22 years in the Iowa House and Senate. Lykam was first elected to the House in 2002, and served there until 2016 when he won a special election to the state senate. He won a full term in 2018.
Lykam says he helped pass legislation to crack down on puppy mills, helped create the Resource Enhancement and Protection Fund known as REAP, supported the legalization of riverboat gambling in Iowa, and helped pass bills to limit access to pseudoephedrine, a key meth-making ingredient.