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Campaign Almanac: U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan endorses Joe Mitchell in Eastern Iowa Republican primary
Also in the almanac, former Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller endorses Nate Willems for the office
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DES MOINES — Ohio Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan has endorsed Joe Mitchell in a competitive Eastern Iowa congressional campaign.
Mitchell, a former state legislator from Clear Lake, is one of three Republicans seeking the party’s nomination in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. The others are state legislators Shannon Lundgren of Peosta and Charlie McClintock of Alburnett.
“Joe Mitchell will be an unapologetic champion for lower taxes, fewer regulations, and America-First policies that keep our country safe and free,” Jordan said in a press release from Mitchell’s campaign. “We need strong candidates in every corner of the country to protect the Republican Majority, and Joe has proven he’s the right candidate for this critical race. I’m confident he can win both the Republican Primary and the General Election next year.”
Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District is an open-seat election in 2026 after incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson announced she will run in the state’s open-seat U.S. Senate election next year.
It is the second endorsement in a competitive Iowa congressional primary from Jordan, who chairs the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and serves on the House Oversight Committee. He previously endorsed Chris McGowan, who is one of five Republicans running in western Iowa’s 4th Congressional District.
Mitchell also recently was endorsed by Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, whom the Mitchell campaign called “a well-known conservative congresswoman with deep ties to the MAGA movement.”
Former Iowa AG Tom Miller endorses Nate Willems
In his run for Iowa attorney general, former Democratic state lawmaker and labor attorney Nate Willems of Mount Vernon has received the backing of former Democratic Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller.
Miller, the longest-serving state attorney general in U.S. history, serving from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 2023, was unseated in 2022 after losing to current Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, a Republican. In a statement Monday, Miller said he thinks Willems will protect workers, improve public safety and “ensure the law works for everyone in our state.”
“I know how much it matters to have an attorney general focused on consumer protection and fairness,” Miller said in a statement Monday. “Nate Willems has dedicated his life to upholding our laws and making Iowa a better place for working families — I can’t think of a better person to lead this office forward and fight for Iowans every day.”
Willems is running against Bird, who is seeking re-election in 2026.
“I’m honored to have the support of Tom Miller, whose leadership set the standard for working Iowans,” Willems said in a statement. “As attorney general, I’ll restore the office’s commitment to helping seniors, stopping corporate abuse, and ensuring fairness for every Iowan.”
Union endorses Zach Wahls for Senate
Ironworkers Local 111 became the latest union to endorse Zach Wahls, a state legislator from Coralville and one of four Democrats campaigning for the U.S. Senate in Iowa.
In a press release from the Wahls campaign, the union cited what it said was Wahls’ “commitment to strengthening organized labor, protecting retirement security, and fighting to lower costs for working families.”
“(Wahls) understands the challenges our members and hardworking Iowans face,” Ironworkers Local 111 Business Manager Mike Olvera said in the press release. “We need someone who will fight for better pay, secure retirements, and lower costs — we need Zach Wahls in the U.S. Senate.”
The other Democrats campaigning for the party’s nomination in the state’s 2026 U.S. Senate election are state legislator Josh Turek of Council Bluffs, former Chamber of Commerce leader Nathan Sage of Indianola, and former state legislator and veterans advocate Bob Krause of Burlington.
The election is an open-seat campaign after incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst announced she will not seek re-election. U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson of Marion and former state lawmaker Jim Carlin of Sioux City are seeking the Republican nomination.
Iowa’s 2026 primary election is June 2, and the general election is Nov. 3.
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