Mariannette Miller-Meeks draws rival in Republican primary

DAVENPORT — Southeast Iowa's representative in Congress is facing a primary challenger from the right flank of the GOP.

David Pautsch, a Davenport Republican and devout Christian known for organizing the annual Quad Cities Prayer Breakfast and advocating for a greater role of Christianity in government, said he filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission last week to run for Iowa's 1st Congressional District.

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He's challenging Iowa's 2nd District Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican who won a second term in 2022.

Pautsch thinks Miller-Meeks is "too often out of step with the principles of her fellow Republicans and with biblical morality," he told the Quad-City Times.

Miller-Meeks' campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pautsch, 69, said the biggest reason he's running is to "restore a sense of trust in God. He's real. He's relevant, and he promises to bless the nation whose God is the Lord."

Pautsch founded Thy Kingdom Come Ministries in 1988 and the Quad Cities Prayer Breakfast in 1995, he said. Recent keynote speakers at the prayer breakfast have included former Arizona gubernatorial candidate and Quad Cities area native Kari Lake and My Pillow founder Mike Lindell. Both have questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Pautsch criticized Miller-Meeks' vote in support of the Respect for Marriage Act. Miller-Meeks joined 46 other House Republicans, including Iowa Republican Ashley Hinson, in supporting the bill, which requires the federal government to recognize marriages regardless of the sex or race of the couple. The bill included a provision to clarify that religious organizations are not required to perform same-sex marriages.

Pautsch also took issue with Miller-Meeks' votes opposing U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan for speaker of the House. Miller-Meeks voted for the Ohio Republican on the first ballot last month, but opposed him on the following two votes over concerns of whether he could unite the party. Miller-Meeks said the decision prompted death threats to her office.

Two of Pautsch's five sons were involved in combat for the U.S. military, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Cpl. Jason G. Pautsch, 20, was killed in action in 2009 while deployed to Iraq.

"We've lost our way. We have become so secularized to think we're so capable on our own. We are not. My son paid the price," David Pautsch said.

Pautsch graduated from the Armed Forces School of Music in 1973 and was a tuba player in the Continental Army Band in Fort Monroe, Va., according to his resume. He worked for Luis Palau, an evangelist, in Portland, Ore., as a crusade director from 1982-1985, according to his resume. He has also consulted for Ag Spectrum, and has owned several marketing consulting firms, including most recently purchasing Ramsey Advertising in 1990.