Retired Army nurse to run for northeast Iowa congressional seat

A retired Army nurse and former dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids has filed paperwork to run as a Democrat to challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson for Northeast Iowa's U.S. House seat in 2026.

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Kathryn Dolter, 67, of Asbury, filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District July 8, and intends to officially announce her campaign later this week.

Dolter spent 23 years in the Army, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel, and had decades of experience in starting and leading various nursing programs, including at the University of Dubuque and Mount Mercy University.

She led the development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs to provide consistent quality of care and address health needs of veterans, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines and their families, according to her resume.

She also served as the dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College for 10 years, and is currently a semiretired faculty member at Mount Mercy University, serving as an undergraduate nursing program clinical and compliance coordinator and nursing student advisor, according to her resume. She also currently serves on the Dubuque County Board of Health.

Dolter, a first-time candidate who switched her voter registration from “no-party” to Democrat about four months ago, said she’s running to oppose Medicaid cuts that harm rural hospitals contained in President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill.

“Recent federal policies have made me very worried for the health, safety and economic welfare of all Iowans,” Dolter told The Gazette. “So I changed my registration, got involved in the Dubuque (County) Democratic Party and a little bit with Indivisible, and just feel the need to stand up and take care of Iowans.”

Hinson joined the rest of Iowa's all-Republican congressional delegation in voting for Trump's "big beautiful bill.“ They argue the tax breaks will stimulate the economy and create jobs, and assert that the spending cuts are intended to streamline and reform safety net programs, eliminating waste and focusing on those who truly need assistance.

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Hinson lauded the bill in a conference call with reporters last week for providing historic investments in border security and immigration enforcement, and tax relief for working Iowans. That includes no tax on tips, no tax on overtime; an expanded Child Tax Credit of $2,200 per child; and a $6,000 added tax deduction for seniors age 65 and older. Additionally, the bill makes permanent a provision in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that allows eligible small businesses to deduct up to 20 percent of their qualified business income.

“This is going to cut taxes for working Americans, permanently secure our border and fund deportations, unleash American energy, and strengthen Medicaid for vulnerable Iowans, all while ending waste, fraud and abuse,” Hinson said. “… I was proud to get this bill across the finish line, and will continue working with President Trump to deliver for all Iowans.”

Dolter said she’s also running to protect immunization programs she said are being placed at risk and undermined by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and to preserve critical medical research funding — including cancer research — advocate for comprehensive health care access, protect student aid programs and fight for more thoughtful, focused trade policies that protect Iowa's economic interests.

“You've got induced market uncertainty, which is going to hurt businesses, and it's hurting farmers, right?“ Dolter said of the ”crazy tariff stuff that's going on without congressional approval.“

She said her campaign message centers on being a leader who can implement meaningful change through practical experience rather than political rhetoric.

Dolter said she’s running with the goal to shift from transactional politics to a collaborative, measurable process that genuinely serves Iowans.

“I think it's more based on corporate interests and toeing the party line than listening to actual constituents in the second district,” she said.

“I'm a novice. I'm not a politician,” she told The Gazette. “I'm a regular American, an Iowan, who wants to do something to prevent bad policies from hurting Iowans and Americans. … I want to fight for Iowans. I’ve been a patient advocate, a student advocate, and I want to advocate for Iowans.”

If elected, Dolter said she intends to use her experience in health care policy and education to offer substantive policy solutions focused on improving Iowans’ health, education and cost of living. She said she’s committed to being directly responsive to Iowans' needs, promising to conduct surveys, hold regular meetings and create advisory panels to better understand constituents’ concerns.

“I've demonstrated an ability to start and successfully lead complex programs from scratch, which I believe sets me apart from career politicians,” Dolter said.

Hinson, 42, of Marion, was first elected to the seat in 2020, ousting then-Democratic incumbent Abby Finkenauer. She won re-election in 2022 and 2024 and is serving in her third term.

Iowa’s 22-county 2nd Congressional District includes Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque and Mason City.

Hinson has not officially announced a formal re-election campaign, but earlier this year ruled out running in Iowa's open gubernatorial race, citing a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" with Republican control of Congress and the presidency.

Democrats had been without a candidate in northeast Iowa's 2nd District after former U.S. attorney Kevin Techau suspended his campaign June 30, two months after launching his bid to try to unseat Hinson, due to low fundraising.

Hinson announced in a press release July 8 that she raised more than $850,000 in the second quarter of the year and has $2.8 million in cash on hand.

“I've always believed that you don't let anybody tell you not to do something, that … when you see that something's wrong, you've got to try to do something. You don't want anything stop you,” Dolter said. “I've got a campaign adviser, and it's going to be one step at a time.”

State Rep. Lindsay James, a Democrat from Dubuque, said she is “seriously considering” launching a campaign to seek her party’s nomination to challenge Hinson for the congressional seat.

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com