Dubuque state Rep. Lindsay James ‘seriously considering’ run for Iowa congressional seat

Iowa state Rep. Lindsay James, a Democrat from Dubuque, said she is “seriously considering” launching a campaign to seek her party’s nomination to challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson for Northeast Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District seat.

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The district includes Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque and Mason City.

James, an ordained Presbyterian pastor and college chaplain, was first elected to the Iowa House in 2018 and is currently serving her fourth term. She won re-election in 2024 by 12 percentage points, defeating Republican Jim McClain, a real estate investor, first-time candidate and owner of a fencing and excavation company.

In 2023, she was named House Minority Whip, making her the No. 2 Democrat in the Iowa House.

Speaking to The Gazette Friday, James said she was spurred to seriously considering running for Congress over Hinson’s support of Trump’s agenda-setting tax and spending bill.

James criticized Trump’s so-called “big beautiful bill” for favoring the wealthy over working families.

“Part of what we continue to see come out of Washington, D.C., is that it's billionaires who are getting the big, beautiful, if you will, tax cuts, while everyday Iowans are facing the terrifying prospect of losing their health care,” she said.

Democrats argue that the bill prioritizes tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, while relying on spending cuts to programs like Medicaid and food assistance to offset the cost. James said the cuts to safety net programs will harm vulnerable populations of Iowans, including children, the elderly, veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Hinson and the rest of Iowa’s all-Republican congressional delegation have defended the bill by arguing the tax cuts will benefit working families and businesses, not just the wealthy. Republicans argue the tax breaks will stimulate the economy and create jobs, and assert that the spending cuts are intended to streamline and reform safety net programs, eliminating waste and focusing on those who truly need assistance.

Hinson, of Marion, lauded the bill in a conference call with reporters on Thursday for providing historic investments in border security and immigration enforcement, and tax relief for working Iowans. That includes no tax on tips, no tax on overtime; an expanded Child Tax Credit of $2,200 per child; and a $6,000 added tax deduction for seniors age 65 and older. Additionally, the bill makes permanent a provision in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that allows eligible small businesses to deduct up to 20 percent of their qualified business income.

“This is going to cut taxes for working Americans, permanently secure our border and fund deportations, unleash American energy, and strengthen Medicaid for vulnerable Iowans, all while ending waste, fraud and abuse,” Hinson said. “… I was proud to get this bill across the finish line, and will continue working with President Trump to deliver for all Iowans.”

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the proposal will add $3.3 trillion to the nation’s debt over the next decade, and 11.8 million more people will go without health coverage.

Democratic members of the Joint Economic Committee, based on the CBO’s analysis and other research, estimates 113,979 Iowans would lose health insurance coverage.

The Tax Policy Center, which provides nonpartisan analysis of tax and budget policy, projected the bill would result next year in a $150 tax break for the lowest quintile — or one-fifth — of Americans, a $1,750 tax cut for the middle quintile and a $10,950 tax cut for the top quintile. That’s compared with what they would face if the 2017 tax cuts expired.

Iowa hospitals and health care providers have warned the legislation will lead to significant cuts in federal Medicaid spending and increased financial burdens on states. Such changes would result in reduced access to care for millions of Americans.

James said she is worried about everyday Iowans and their struggles to afford child care costs and pay for medication or rent. She said she’s worried about Iowans losing health care and the potential closures of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and rural hospitals.

“And so for me, it's not just bad policy, it's a moral failure,” James said. “And we deserve leaders who will stand up for working people and not sell them out. … The consideration of running for U.S. Congress is about people in Iowa. It's about my family. It's about my friends, it's about the next generation. And, for me, there's too much at stake, and we have to get it right for Iowa families. … I think that we can change the economic realities of people in the state, but it's going to take someone with courage and conviction, and I have shown a track record of that kind of courage and conviction in the Iowa state legislature. And you know, I'm seriously considering taking that fight to a different place.”

Former U.S. Attorney Kevin Techau of Cedar Rapids suspended his campaign June 30, two months after launching his bid to try to unseat Hinson, due to low fundraising.

The decision, for the moment, leaves Democrats without a candidate to challenge Hinson in 2026, but others are expected to declare soon.

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