Republicans represent all four of Iowa’s congressional districts, but Democrats are hopeful about their chances in Congress. General elections on Tuesday.
Two of the districts are considered particularly competitive, including the 1st District in southeastern Iowa and the 3rd District in central and southern Iowa. Republicans are expected to have an easier time maintaining control in northeastern Iowa’s 2nd District and western Iowa’s largely rural 4th District.
In the 1st District, incumbent Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks will seek her third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, facing the same Democrat she defeated in 2022. In that race, Miller-Meeks topped Democrat Christina Bohannan by about 7 percentage points — a far wider spread than her six-vote margin in 2020 over Democrat Rita Hart.
In her campaign, Bohannan, a University of Iowa law professor and former lawmaker, has emphasized her support for abortion rights at a time when Republicans in Iowa have changed the law to ban abortions in most circumstances. She also called for lowering costs on a range of goods and services, including groceries, gasoline and housing.
Miller-Meeks, a former ophthalmologist, opposes abortion rights and supported a bill seeking a national abortion ban after 15 weeks, which would have allowed states to impose even stricter limits. She has also said she wants to help reduce inflation and improve the economy, and she supports lowering the price of prescription drugs and over-the-counter oral contraceptives.
The Third District, which includes much of the Des Moines metro area, is also seen as competitive as Democrat Lanon Baccam challenges incumbent Republican Zach Nunn. Both candidates have military backgrounds, as Baccam served in the Iowa National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan. Nunn served as a pilot in the Air Force and served three deployments in the Middle East. In June he was promoted to Colonel of the Air Force.
Like other House races, abortion has been a key issue, with Baccam pointing to Nunn’s opposition to abortion rights. Baccam said he would vote to restore national abortion rights that ended when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Nunn said that while he opposes abortion rights and voted for strict abortion restrictions in Iowa, he does not support a nationwide abortion ban.
Both candidates have pledged to support efforts to make Congress less dysfunctional and more focused on solving problems. Nunn also emphasizes the need to reduce illegal border crossings, and Baccam calls for improving the economy and creating more jobs for the middle class.
In the 2nd Congressional District, Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson will seek a third term as she faces Democrat Sarah Corkery.
Hinson, a former news anchor for KCRG-TV, said her main issue is strengthening the country’s southern border. Corkery, a community activist, said her biggest issue is restoring abortion rights.
Jody Puffett, an independent candidate, is also running.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra is seeking a third term in the sprawling 4th District, which consists of 36 of Iowa’s 99 counties. He will face Democrat Ryan Melton.
Republicans have a huge lead in registered voters in the district and typically win the general election by more than 20 percentage points.
