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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Democrats outraise GOP incumbents in competitive Iowa congressional races
Christina
Jul. 17, 2024 5:27 pm, Updated: Oct. 8, 2024 1:48 pm
Republican incumbents from left to right: Zach Nunn, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ashley Hinson, and Randy Feenstra.
2024 Democratic challengers for Congress from left to right: Lanon Baccam, Sarah Corkery, Christina Bohannan, and Ryan Melton
Democrats running in Iowa’s two most competitive U.S. House races outraised Republican incumbents, according to new congressional campaign finance reports filed this week.
Christina Bohannan, a Democratic former state lawmaker and University of Iowa law professor, raised $1.23 million to Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' $847,000 in southeast Iowa's 1st Congressional District.
Bohannan has surpassed Miller-Meeks in cash on hand by more than $200,000.
Lanon Baccam, a U.S. Army veteran and former U.S. Department of Agriculture official, raised $1.3 million compared to GOP incumbent U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn's $1 million in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes the Des Moines metro area. Nunn, though, has a cash-on-hand advantage of about $845,000.
It’s the fourth quarter in a row Bohannan has outraised Miller-Meeks, and the third quarter in a row where Baccam has raised more money than Nunn.
National Democrats have targeted both seats in their quest to regain control of the U.S. House in the November election. The campaign arm of U.S. House Democrats have named Bohannan and Baccam to its “Red to Blue” program that helps Democrats running against Republican incumbents in competitive districts.
Iowa Republican incumbents U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson and Randy Feenstra both heavily outraised their Democratic challengers.
The latest congressional reports released Monday by the Federal Election Commission cover second-quarter fundraising totals from April 1 through June 30, which includes the run-up to Iowa's June 4 primary.
Miller-Meeks and northwest Iowa Republican U.S. Rep Randy Feenstra both fended off Republican primary challengers, while Baccam defeated fellow Democrat Melissa Vine to secure the party's nomination.
A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll taken in June found likely Iowa voters prefer Republicans to Democrats in all four of the state's congressional districts, with the tightest margin in the Eastern Iowa’s 1st District.
Libertarian candidates running in Iowa’s 3rd and 4th districts did not file fundraising reports with the FEC. Candidates must file paperwork with the FEC once they raise or spend more than $5,000.
Jody Puffett, of Delhi, and Stephanie Jones, of De Soto, who are running unaffiliated with a political party in Iowa’s 2nd and 1st districts, respectively, also did not file fundraising reports with the FEC.
Here's how much the candidates have raised and spent.
1st District
The 20-county district includes the cities of Davenport, Iowa City, Burlington and Indianola.
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R, incumbent)
- Raised this period: $846,883
- Raised election cycle to date: $3,566,673
- Spent this period: $376,390
- Spent election cycle to date: $1,940,903
- Cash on hand: $2,271,644
Christina Bohannan (D)
- Raised this period: $1,230,196
- Raised election cycle to date: $3,373,652
- Spent this period: $442,398
- Spent election cycle to date: $1,044,017
- Cash on hand: $2,423,860
2nd Congressional District
The district covers 22 counties in northeast Iowa, including the cities of Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Mason City and Dubuque.
Ashley Hinson (R, incumbent)
- Raised this period: $719,581
- Raised election cycle to date: $4,160,405
- Spent this period: $486,841
- Spent election cycle to date: $2,556,752
- Cash on hand: $1,900,942
Sarah Corkery (D)
- Raised this period: $98,166
- Raised election cycle to date: $254,880
- Spent this period: $108,495
- Spent election cycle to date: $185,452
- Cash on hand: $69,428
3rd Congressional District
The district covers 21 counties in central and southern Iowa, including the Des Moines metro area, Osceola and Ottumwa.
Zach Nunn (R, incumbent)
- Raised this period: $1,012,704
- Raised election cycle to date: $3,990,058
- Spent this period: $421,208
- Spent election cycle to date: $1,691,962
- Cash on hand: $2,439,075
Lanon Baccam (D)
- Raised this period: $1,304,008
- Raised election cycle to date: $2,712,843
- Spent this period: $863,962
- Spent election cycle to date: $1,118,827
- Cash on hand: $1,594,015
4th Congressional District
The district covers 36 counties in western Iowa, including the cities of Ames, Marshalltown, Council Bluffs, Sioux City and Fort Dodge.
Randy Feenstra (R, incumbent)
- Raised this period: $635,115
- Raised election cycle to date: $3,709,478
- Spent this period: $1,180,859
- Spent election cycle to date: $3,565,647
- Cash on hand: $1,244,649
Ryan Melton (D)
- Raised this period: $22,480
- Raised election cycle to date: $59,057
- Spent this period: $21,996
- Spent election cycle to date: $46,718
- Cash on hand: $20,031
Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com
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