Miller-Meeks, Bohannan to face off again in November

By Andrew Rice
The Center Square

Voters across Iowa selected partisan candidates on Tuesday night in races that could determine control of Congress.

U.S. Rep. Mariannette-Miller Meeks will face off against Chirstina Bohannan again in November, after narrowly defeating her within one percentage point in 2024.

Here are projections in Iowa’s closest races.

U.S. Senate

U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, defeated former state Sen. Jim Carlin, according to early projections. Hinson was endorsed by President Donald Trump in the primary election to fill Sen. Joni Ernst’s seat.

While in the U.S. House, Hinson sponsored legislation to allow veterans to avoid extensive background checks when obtaining a firearm and a bill to increase funding for domestic fertilizer production.

Hinson received more than $6.4 million in contributions through her “Ashley for Iowa” campaign. She received contributions from the Verizon political action committee, Boeing and the National Turkey Federation, according to filings from the Federal Elections Commission.

Hinson will face off against Iowa Rep. Josh Turek in November. Turek, seen as a moderate Democrat, overcame a challenge from Zach Wahls, a progressive candidate endorsed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

Turek has highlighted his bipartisan support of legislation in the Iowa House. He highlighted his support for bills to increase homestead tax credits for veterans and use Medicaid funds for wheelchair and mobility assistance.

“Josh is one of the most bipartisan members of the Iowa legislature,” Turek’s website reads. “He is running on a platform that is laser-focused on benefiting the working class and addressing corruption in Washington.”

Turek has raised more than $3.4 million in contributions toward his campaign, including donations from the Blue Hen Federal PAC.

U.S. House

District 1

Christina Bohannan is set to face off against U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Meeks survived a challenge from marketing consultant David Pautsch to secure the Republican nomination.

In 2024, Miller-Meeks came within one percentage point of her seat in Iowa’s first congressional district against Bohannan.

Miller-Meeks has focused her campaign on protecting social welfare programs, including Social Security and Medicare.

“I’ll always fight to protect Social Security and Medicare because Iowa seniors earned those benefits through a lifetime of hard work,” Miller-Meeks wrote.

Bohannan, a former Iowa Representative, has criticized Miller-Meeks’ voting record, including on the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and called for more affordable policies.

“Mariannette Miller-Meeks is making things worse because she puts her special interest and corporate donors ahead of us,” Bohannan said. “She makes sure that they profit, and we pay for it.”

Miller-Meeks has raised more than $4.5 million in campaign contributions compared to Bohannan with more than $4.8 million.

District 3

Incumbent Rep. Zach Nunn easily secured the Republican nomination to Iowa’s third congressional district on Tuesday, as he was the only candidate to run in the race.

Nunn will face off against Democratic candidate Sarah Trone Garriott in a race that is labeled a “toss up” by the Cook Political Report. Trump endorsed Nunn in 2025, citing the stiff competition in Iowa’s third district.

“Zach needs our full support to win Iowa-03,” Trump wrote. “He is fighting for the Farmer, and everything else that Iowa stands for, including, of course, Lower Taxes, and our always under siege Second Amendment.”

Trone Garriott focused on reforming the immigration system and fighting back against the Trump administration’s policies.

Trone Garriott has focused on reforming the immigration system and fighting back against the Trump administration.

“I’ll push for comprehensive immigration reform that fixes our broken system: secures the border, streamlines legal pathways, protects Dreamers, and invests in preventing human trafficking and drug smuggling,” Trone Garriott’s website reads.

She has raised more than $3.8 million in contributions, including funds from Sen. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the National Postal Mail Handlers Union and JStreetPAC. Nunn has received more than $2.4 million in contributions toward his campaign.

Iowa voters will return to the polls in November to select candidates for U.S. Senate and House, in races to determine the partisan makeup of Congress.