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Campaign Almanac: Bohannan rolls out ethics plan as Miller-Meeks presses to ban congressional stock trading
Also, House GOP Whip Tom Emmer backs Joe Mitchell as Lt. Gov. Cournoyer endorses Shannon Lundgren in 2nd District GOP primary
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Iowa Democratic congressional candidate Christina Bohannan has unveiled an expansive ethics reform agenda aimed at tightening rules on members of Congress, as Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks calls on House leaders to advance legislation banning lawmakers and their spouses from trading individual stocks.
Bohannan, a University of Iowa law professor and former state legislator running for the Democratic nomination in Iowa’s 1st District, argued reforms are needed to curb personal enrichment in public office and rebuild trust.
Her plan proposes more than a dozen changes, including bans on first- and business-class air travel using taxpayer dollars, prohibitions on paying family members from campaign or official office accounts, a lifetime lobbying ban for members and their families and staff, and creation of an independent ethics agency empowered to investigate lawmakers. She also backs a constitutional amendment overturning the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, term limits, age caps, restrictions on leadership PAC spending and barring personal use of congressional office budgets. The plan also would halt lawmaker pay during shutdowns and establish a code of ethics for Supreme Court justices.
Bohannan argued Iowa’s 1st District needs a representative who isn’t aligned with special interests, criticizing Miller-Meeks for accepting campaign donations from individuals or political action committees affiliated with pharmaceutical and insurance companies, while supporting policies Bohannan says raises health care costs while benefiting corporate donors.
Among Bohannan’s proposed reforms is a complete ban on stock trading by members of Congress, executive branch officials and Supreme Court justices as well as their spouses and staff — a point on which she and Miller-Meeks now share common ground.
Miller-Meeks last week urged the House Administration Committee to move forward on bipartisan legislation she cosponsors, the Restore Trust in Congress Act, which would bar lawmakers and their spouses from buying or selling individual stocks while in office.
“At a time when Americans’ trust in their elected officials remains strained, Congress must take meaningful and immediate steps to demonstrate that we place the public’s interest above our own,” Miller-Meeks wrote in a letter to committee chairman Bryan Steil and ranking member Joe Morelle. “Members of Congress regularly receive non-public briefings, interact with regulators, and help shape federal policy in ways that can influence markets.”
She argued that even the perception of lawmakers profiting from non-public information undermines confidence in Congress.
“Iowans expect, and deserve, a Congress that works for them, not for personal profit,” Miller-Meeks said in a press release. “Members of Congress should not be trading individual stocks while writing laws and receiving non-public briefings. It’s time to end this practice, restore trust, and make sure the decisions we make are driven solely by the people we serve.”
In her letter to committee leaders, she suggested the use of diversified mutual funds, index funds or blind trusts as alternatives and urged "strong, uniform enforcement mechanisms with meaningful penalties for violations."
Miller-Meeks does not own any individual stocks, according to her most recent financial disclosure report filed in May. Bohannan's financial disclosure report filed in October with the U.S. House Clerk’s Office shows she has some individual tech stocks but plans to divest her portfolio if elected.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, while members of Congress are allowed to trade individual stocks, existing laws remain weak and poorly enforced. The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012 requires disclosure of trades over $1,000 within 30 days, but imposes minimal penalties as low as $200 for failing to report transactions.
Bohannan and Miller-Meeks are headed toward a potential third matchup in 2026 in a race national forecasters rate as a toss-up.
Other candidates seeking the Democratic nomination are lawyer Taylor Wettach of Muscatine and Travis Terrell, a health care worker from Tiffin.
Miller-Meeks also faces a potential primary challenge from Davenport Republican and Quad Cities Prayer Breakfast founder David Pautsch, who garnered 44 percent of the GOP primary vote when he ran against her in 2024.
House GOP Whip Tom Emmer endorses Joe Mitchell in Iowa’s 2nd District race
U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota has endorsed Republican Joe Mitchell in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District primary, adding another high-profile national Republican to Mitchell’s list of backers.
“If House Republicans are going to stay in the majority and continue delivering for the American people, we need bold conservative candidates like Joe Mitchell in Congress,” Emmer said in a statement released by Mitchell’s campaign. “Radical Democrats will stop at nothing to return to power and revive (Democratic former President Joe) Biden’s reckless policies. Iowans know better which is why they’re going to send Joe Mitchell to Washington to fight for America First policies.”
Mitchell, a former Iowa legislator from Clear Lake, said Emmer’s support underscores the strength of his bid.
“Tom Emmer knows what it takes to win tough races, and I’m honored to have his support,” Mitchell said in a statement. “His endorsement reflects the strong position our campaign is in to win this race.”
Emmer, a former two-time chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, joins a slate of prominent GOP figures backing Mitchell, including U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Florida U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. Three Republicans are competing for the nomination for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Marion, who is running for U.S. Senate in 2026 to succeed retiring Iowa GOP U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst.
Iowa Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer endorses Lundgren for Congress
Iowa Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer has endorsed state Rep. Shannon Lundgren in the race for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, adding another prominent Republican voice to Lundgren’s growing list of supporters. Cournoyer, who previously served in the Iowa Senate, cited Lundgren’s deep roots in northeast Iowa and her conservative record as reasons for her endorsement.
“Shannon has been a champion for Northeast Iowa. She has raised her family there, started her businesses, and represented her neighbors in the Iowa House,” Cournoyer said in a statement released by Lundgren’s campaign. “In Congress, she will support President Trump, stand for life, and protect conservative values.”
Lundgren, a Peosta Republican who chaired the Iowa House Commerce Committee, said she was grateful for the lieutenant governor’s backing.
“I’m honored to have the support of my friend, Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer,” she said in a statement. “I have been honored to work with her on issues that improve the lives of Iowans. She is a fierce defender of our conservative values."
Lundgren has branded herself an “America First Mom and Grandma” and an original Trump supporter as she seeks the Republican nomination for the open seat in 2026. She has received endorsements from more than a dozen current and former GOP legislators.
She is one of three Republicans competing for the nomination, alongside Mitchell and state Sen. Charlie McClintock of Alburnett.
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