Democrat, former U.S. attorney Kevin Techau suspends Iowa congressional campaign

Two months after launching his bid to try to unseat Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, former U.S. Attorney Kevin Techau of Cedar Rapids announced Monday he is suspending his congressional campaign, citing poor fundraising.

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He’s the second Iowa Democrat this month to drop their congressional bid. Democratic candidate Ryan Melton, an insurance manager from Webster City, suspended his campaign June 17, a little more than a month after launching his third bid for Iowa's Fourth Congressional District.

Techau launched his bid for northeast Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District seat in April. The district includes Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque and Mason City.

While he said he “adamantly” believes Iowa’s Second Congressional District “deserves better leadership than what we’re getting from Ashley Hinson,” Techau said in statement his campaign lacked the adequate funds to continue.

“It is regrettable that too much of our politics is about money,” he said in the statement. “And I still hold out hope that with greater civic engagement, democracy rather than dollars, will ultimately prevail. But campaigns aren’t just about convictions — they require resources to be competitive. And the reality is, this campaign’s fundraising simply hasn’t met the threshold level that this race demands. As such, I am announcing effective today, that I am suspending my campaign for Congress.”

Techau’s campaign did not immediately return messages seeking comment for this article Monday evening.

His campaign had yet to report its latest fundraising numbers with the Federal Elections Commission. Candidates and their campaigns have until July 15 to report their fundraising for the quarter ending June 30.

Techau is a first-time candidate for elected office.

He served in the U.S. Air Force as a judge advocate from 1985 until 1992, and then spent nearly 20 years as an officer in the Iowa National Guard, retiring as a colonel and receiving the Legion of Merit medal.

Under Democratic then-Gov. Tom Vilsack, Techau oversaw state law enforcement as Iowa commissioner of public safety.

He was nominated by Democratic former President Barack Obama in 2013 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2014 as the U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Iowa. He was among 46 U.S. Attorneys across the nation appointed by Obama who resigned during Republican President Donald Trump’s first term in 2017.

In his statement, Techau said he will continue to support efforts to defeat Hinson and elect Democrats “who will fight for working families, defend democracy, and restore decency to our politics.”

“I’m proud of the campaign we built, of the conversations we’ve had with Iowans, and of the values we’ve stood for,” he said. “But in this political environment, with all that is at stake, the responsible choice is to step aside."

The decision, for the moment, leaves Democrats without a candidate to challenge Hinson in 2026.

Bret Nilles, chair of the Linn County Democrats, said other Democratic candidates are on the verge of declaring in the coming weeks.

“Kevin seemed like a good, qualified candidate with lots of experience and a solid background in terms of his military and legal experience and working within the government,” Nilles said. “… For Second District Democrats, I think there’s still a lot of people out there who are considering running, and it’s still early in the election cycle. I’m surprised by the announcement, but I think there are still opportunities out there to have a good candidate to reclaim the seat for the Democratic Party.”

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.

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The former Iowa state lawmaker and former KCRG-TV news anchor earlier this year ruled out running in Iowa's open race for governor, citing a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" with Republican control of Congress and the presidency.

“Iowans will continue to reject failed liberal policies & politicians and once again support Ashley Hinson as she fights alongside President Trump to secure the border, rein in wasteful spending, and Make America Great Again,” Hinson Campaign Manager Addie Lavis said in a statement to The Gazette.

National Republican Congressional Committee Spokesperson Emily Tuttle said in a statement Techau's announcement “is a brutal reality check for delusional national Democrats about their pipe dream of beating Ashley Hinson.”

National forecasters at the Cook Political Report list the race as a “solid Republican” R+4 district, meaning the district performed four points more Republican than the nation did as a whole in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections.

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Hinson, though, has been met with a mix of boos and applause and heckled and shouted at during recent town halls over access to health care and food assistance, funding cuts to university research, and her support of President Donald Trump’s policies to deport undocumented immigrants, prohibit transgender athletes from participating in women’s and girls sports, extend tax cuts, and use the Department of Government Efficiency to cut spending.

“Ashley Hinson must answer to Iowans for voting to slash Medicaid and rip away their health insurance, fully supporting sweeping tariffs that are raising costs on Iowa families and farmers, and selling Iowans out to give tax breaks to billionaires,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Katie Smith said. “Iowans see Hinson isn’t looking out for them and they’ll fire her next year.”

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