Democrats target Eastern Iowa races for U.S. House

DES MOINES — Democrats are taking steps in an effort to flip political control of two Eastern Iowa Congressional districts.

The campaign arm of U.S. House Democrats on Thursday announced it has placed two Iowa candidates, Liz Mathis and Christina Bohannan, in its program set up to help Democrats win U.S. House races against Republican incumbents.

Mathis, an Iowa state senator and nonprofit leader from Hiawatha, is running in the new 2nd Congressional District. She is to face Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who represents what is now Iowa’s 1st District.

Bohannan is a state legislator, attorney and law professor from Iowa City who is running in the new 1st Congressional District. She is expected to face Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who is in her first term in what is now Iowa’s 2nd District.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program helps candidates with campaign infrastructure, fundraising and voter engagement, the committee said in a news release. Candidates in the program are provided organizational and fundraising support and other resources from the DCCC, the committee said.

“Liz Mathis has spent over a decade fighting for Iowans in the state Senate. Now she’s continuing that record of service and problem-solving leadership by running to be a champion for (the new 2nd District) in Congress,” DCCC spokesperson Elena Kuhn said in a news release.

In a separate release, Democrats noted Miller-Meeks’ won a congressional seat in 2020 by six votes and that the composition of the new 1st District will help Bohannan’s campaign.

“Christina Bohannan has spent her time in public office fighting for working families, looking out for seniors, pushing for more investment in public schools, and helping Iowa families and small businesses recover from COVID-19,” Kuhn said in the release.

REYNOLDS FILES: Shortly after the campaign event at which she officially announced she would seek re-election as Iowa’s governor, Republican Kim Reynolds filed her nomination papers with more than 16,000 signatures with the Iowa Secretary of State.

“This strong grassroots response reflects our message resonating in all 99 counties,” Reynolds said in a news release. “I am excited to get back on the campaign trail and beyond grateful for the support Iowans have shown me across the state.”

Reynolds, Iowa’s first female governor since 2017, likely will face Democratic challenger and Des Moines businesswoman Deidre DeJear. The Libertarian Party of Iowa candidate is Rick Stewart.

FINKENAUER FILES: Abby Finkenauer, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, filed more than 5,000 nominating signatures with the Iowa Secretary of State’s office, putting her on the 2022 ballot.

Finkenauer, a former congresswoman and state legislator from Cedar Rapids, is one of four Democrats vying for the party’s nomination to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.

The other Democratic candidates are Mike Franken, a U.S. Navy veteran from Sioux City; Minden physician Glenn Hurst; and Burlington veterans advocate Bob Krause.

Grassley also faces a primary challenge from Sioux City state legislator and attorney Jim Carlin.

Finkenauer said she is proud her campaign not only collected its needed signatures, but helped other, down-ballot campaigns do the same.

“Yes, this race is about beating Chuck Grassley, fighting for the future of Iowa and also our democracy while we’re at it, but it’s also about leading the state and making sure that we are lifting up other campaigns across the state as well,” Finkenauer said.

Gazette Des Moines Bureau