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After months of pressure, Miller-Meeks to hold long-awaited in-person town hall in Keosauqua
Miller-Meeks’ long-delayed town hall comes as her campaign eyes a tough re-election fight in a competitive district
Nov. 9, 2025 10:46 am
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Republican Iowa U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks will hold an in-person town hall Monday in Keosauqua after facing months of criticism and pressure to hold an in-person forum after she pledged to do so earlier this year.
Her office announced Sunday morning that the town hall will take place at 2 p.m. at Roberts Memorial Center in Keosauqua. The event will be moderated by Kadie Johansson, general manager of KILJ AM/FM Radio, and is open to residents of Iowa’s 1st Congressional District.
Miller-Meeks’ office, in response to a question about the short notice, said it’s common to announce such events just a day in advance for planning and security reasons, adding that Sundays tend to draw higher engagement on the congresswoman’s social media platforms since most people aren’t working.
The announcement follows months of pressure from Democrats and some constituents who accused the second-term congresswoman of avoiding public scrutiny. Miller-Meeks, who narrowly beat Democrat Christina Bohannan to win re-election in 2024 by 799 votes, represents a district that national election forecasters rate as a “toss-up” heading into 2026.
Months of scrutiny over lack of in-person forums
The debate over Miller-Meeks’ accessibility reignited after CNN reported last month that she told attendees at a Johnson County Republicans meeting in August she would hold a town hall “when hell freezes over.”
In recent months, Miller-Meeks has opted for telephone and radio forums instead of in-person forums. She held a telephone town hall on Oct. 15 that drew 10,700 participants, according to her office, and joined a Nov. 4 radio town hall on conservative talk show host Simon Conway’s program.
Miller-Meeks has defended her approach, saying during the tele-town hall that the format allows her to reach more people who can listen in at the end of the day.
She has also said that she frequently makes herself available to constituents at public events, including Rotary meetings, county fairs and the Iowa State Fair.
“Every time I walk around Iowa — every meeting that I go to, every rotary I attend, every county fair I go to — I am out in the public. I am out in the open, and I can answer anyone’s questions they have,” she told reporters earlier this fall.
She also argued that Democrats are attempting to “stage confrontations for cameras” at public events, a strategy that has generated viral moments for her colleagues.
Iowa GOP town halls have drawn national attention
Town halls hosted by other members of Iowa’s all-Republican congressional delegation this year have at times turned hostile — and politically costly.
In May, Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst received national backlash over a controversial comment during a town hall meeting about proposed changes to Medicaid included in Republicans’ sweeping tax-cut-and-spending bill. Ernst — who voted for the bill — responded, “Well, we all are going to die,” after an audience member expressed concern over potential loss of coverage. Ernst quickly followed up saying Medicaid spending will focus on the most vulnerable who meet the program's eligibility requirements. The remark grabbed national headlines.
Ernst attempted to address the situation with a follow-up video filmed at a cemetery, where she sarcastically "apologized" and downplayed her previous comment.
Fellow Iowa GOP U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley faced pointed questions about tariffs and deportations during an April town hall, and was heckled and jeered by an agitated crowd weeks prior.
Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, of Marion, was met with a mix of boos and applause during a town-hall meeting in Elkader, and was booed, heckled and shouted at as she defended President Donald Trump's agenda during an April town hall in Mason City.
Republican leaders have privately urged caution, advising GOP lawmakers earlier this year to hold telephone or virtual events where they can control the format, even as the party encourages members to showcase the benefits of the new tax law signed by Trump.
A high-stakes race in a swing district
Miller-Meeks, whose longtime residence has been in Ottumwa and rents an apartment in Davenport, is running for re-election in 2026 to a fourth term.
The former state lawmaker, ophthalmologist and 24-year Army veteran has survived two razor-thin elections, and national Democrats have again targeted Iowa’s 1st Congressional District as a potential pickup.
Democrats view her as one of the most vulnerable House Republicans in the nation. The Cook Political Report, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and Inside Elections all categorize the 1st District race as a “toss-up.”
Bohannan, a University of Iowa law professor and former state lawmaker, is seeking a rematch in what’s expected to be one of the nation’s most competitive House contests. Other candidates running for the seat include Democrats Taylor Wettach, a Muscatine native and lawyer, and Travis Terrell, a health care worker from Tiffin.
Miller-Meeks also could face a Republican primary challenge from Davenport businessman David Pautsch, who won 44 percent of the GOP vote against her in 2024.
The 1st District covers 20 counties in eastern and southeastern Iowa, including Davenport, Iowa City, Burlington and Indianola.
Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com
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