116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Campaign Almanac: Strong fundraising period for Christina Bohannan, but Mariannette Miller-Meeks still has cash advantage
Also, Iowa Democrats and Republicans mark the first day of early voting in Iowa
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Christina Bohannan had a strong fundraising cycle, but Mariannette Miller-Meeks is going into the home stretch with more money in her campaign account.
Miller-Meeks is the Republican incumbent and Bohannan the Democratic challenger in Eastern Iowa’s 1st Congressional District election.
The latest campaign fundraising reports were published Wednesday by the Federal Elections Commission. The reports cover the three-month period of July through September.
Bohannan reported raising nearly $1.9 million during the period. That is nearly double the just over $1 million Miller-Meeks raised.
However, Bohannan’s campaign also spent more than $3 million during the three-month reporting period, leaving her with just shy of $1.3 million in her account at the end of September.
Miller-Meeks, meanwhile, had more than $2 million left in her account at the end of the reporting period. She spent just more than $1.2 million in the three-month reporting period.
The 1st District election is a rematch of 2022, when Miller-Meeks defeated Bohannan by roughly 7 percentage points. It is considered by forecasters to be among the most competitive U.S. House elections in the country.
In the campaign for Eastern Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, Republican incumbent Ashley Hinson reported raising nearly $900,000 from July through September and closed out the period with more than $2.1 million in her campaign account.
Democratic challenger Sarah Corkery raised more than $177,000 during the period and, after spending nearly $132,000, finished the period with just shy of $115,000 in her account.
Jody Puffett, a candidate who claims no party, raised roughly $25,200 during the period, spent roughly $25,800, finishing the period with $158.
Iowa Republicans, Democrats push early voting
Both of Iowa’s major political party leaders highlighted early voting on the first day Iowans could cast their ballot in the 2024 elections.
Oct. 16 was the first day for in-person early voting at county auditor locations. It also was the first day auditors could begin mailing absentee ballots to Iowa voters who had requested them.
Among Iowa Republicans, Gov. Kim Reynolds, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, and U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn voted Wednesday, according to a party news release.
“Every vote counts, and you don’t want an unexpected life event to keep you from getting to the polls,” Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in the news release. “This important election will decide what kind of country our grandchildren, like mine, will grow up in. Get to the polls as early as you can.”
Iowa Democrats hosted early voting events in Davenport, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City on Wednesday. Congressional candidates Christina Bohannan in Eastern Iowa’s 1st District and Lanon Baccam in Central Iowa’s 3rd District were among the Iowa Democrats who participated in early voting events.
Get the latest Iowa politics and government coverage each morning in the On Iowa Politics newsletter.
Daily Newsletters