Campaign Almanac: Boone Democrat launches grassroots bid for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District

Guy Morgan, a 33-year-old hotel manager from Boone, says he knows his decision to run for Congress in a district he doesn’t live in may raise eyebrows. But the first-time candidate insists his heart — and his family roots — are in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District.

Morgan, a Democrat, has filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for the district’s open U.S. House seat. He said he has announced his candidacy at county Democratic Party meetings in the district, and has launched a campaign website: voteforyourguy.com.

A person is not required to live in the specific congressional district they wish to represent. The U.S. Constitution only requires that a candidate for the U.S. House be an "inhabitant" of the state they represent at the time of their election.

Morgan said his connection to the 2nd District runs deep — his father grew up in Hardin County and he attended the University of Northern Iowa. He’s mounting what he calls an “ambitious town hall campaign,” pledging to spend five to six days a week driving across the district to meet voters.

The seat is open after U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, a Marion Republican, announced she will run for U.S. Senate to succeed Sen. Joni Ernst, who is not seeking re-election.

Four other Democrats have already announced they’re seeking their party’s nomination for the seat and have launched campaigns. They are:

Morgan describes himself as a progressive Democrat frustrated by what he sees as complacency in both major parties amid the rise of political extremism.

He said his candidacy is motivated in part by personal tragedy — the loss of his father during the COVID-19 pandemic, whom he said fell into far-right extremism and refused medical treatment after believing conspiracy theories. Morgan said that experience fuels his mission to counter political polarization and misinformation.

Morgan said he aims to unite Iowans around shared concerns — clean water, fair wages and affordable education — while “digging in and fighting fiercely” against what he calls “harmful and extremist policies.” He condemned spending reductions to Medicaid, public health and other safety-net programs pushed by national Republicans. Critics argue they abandon low-income and rural Iowans who depend on them. He also criticized the administration’s aggressive deportation operations and expanded detention efforts.

He pointed to Iowa’s troubling water quality and high cancer rates — which he linked to agricultural runoff — as issues that demand tougher accountability for polluters. Iowa’s waterways are in crisis, Morgan said, adding companies that intentionally harm the environment to make money should face real punishment, not just fines that don’t even dent their profits.

He also emphasizes expanding union power and access to education, which he views as the twin pathways to economic stability for working families.

According to his latest Federal Election Commission filing, Morgan had raised about $2,400 as of the end of September — a small amount compared with better-known Democratic contenders already in the race. But Morgan says his campaign’s strength lies in grassroots energy, not money.

He said he volunteers regularly with county Democratic organizations and local community events, from Pride festivals to party fundraisers, and hopes his volunteer record and accessibility will set him apart.

Iowa’s primary election is June 2, 2026, and the general election is Nov. 3, 2026.

DNC launches ads targeting Iowa GOP over trade war’s toll on farmers

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The Democratic National Committee on Tuesday launched a new ad campaign targeting Iowa Republican U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ashley Hinson and Zach Nunn, accusing them of backing President Donald Trump’s trade war policies that Democrats say have hurt Iowa farmers and driven up production costs.

The ads — featuring Illinois soybean farmer John Bartman — focus on the impact of tariffs and China’s refusal to buy U.S. soybeans, which the DNC says have “locked American farmers out of their biggest market.” The campaign is running on farmer-focused YouTube and TV platforms across Iowa’s 1st, 2nd and 3rd congressional districts.

“We’re in harvest season and Iowa farmers are in crisis,” DNC Deputy Executive Director Libby Schneider said in a statement. “Congressman Nunn and Congresswomen Miller-Meeks and Hinson have done nothing to stop Trump’s trade war, which has increased their costs and decimated the U.S. soybean market.”

Miller-Meeks and Hinson have pushed back on Democrats’ claims, saying Iowa farmers’ struggles stem from high inflation, soaring input costs and a lack of new trade opportunities under Democratic former President Joe Biden.

Miller-Meeks pointed to ongoing efforts to pass a farm bill, expand biofuels tax credits and promote new markets through trade missions.

“Most farmers, they don’t want money. They want to be able to farm and do the work that they do,” she said, adding that sustainable aviation fuel and expanded biofuel blending requirements could help.

On Trump’s tariffs, Miller-Meeks — who is running for re-election in 2026 — acknowledged mixed results but said farmers ultimately want “fair trade.” She said she hopes tariffs will ease as trade negotiations progress.

Hinson, who is running for U.S. Senate in 2026, said Trump is “doing the right thing” to push China and other trading partners toward better deals. During a stop in Eldridge on Oct. 2, she said she expected Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to soon announce additional farm relief tied to Trump’s trade strategy.

"I think President Trump is doing the right thing to try to get China to the table and a lot of our other trading partners to come to the table and get a better deal, but we do need to make sure that we have the ability to feed and fuel the world, and so that is something I know they're taking very seriously and President Trump will not abandon Iowa's farmers," Hinson said.