Democrats sweep most U.S. House races in Iowa

(The Center Square) - Democrats Christina Bohannan, Lindsay James and Sarah Trone Garriott won each of their respective elections for the U.S. House of Representatives in a sweep of crucial Iowa elections. 

Races across Iowa for the U.S. House were crucial to determining partisan control of the lower chamber in Congress through the midterm elections. The Iowa victories helped secure House majority for Democrats. Republicans only won one race in Iowa during the elections, sending Rep. Chris McGowan to Congress for the first time.

Here is a look at the results in each race.

District 1

Christina Bohannan defeated U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in a rematch election from 2024 with 93% of votes counted. In the last election. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, defeated Democrat Bohannan with just over 50% of the vote. 

Bohannan earned 53.6% of the vote over Miller-Meeks with 42.8%. 

"Tonight, Iowans of all political affiliations came together to send a message: they want a representative who will take on the billionaires, corporate interests, and politics as usual to finally put people first," Bohannan wrote on social media.

Miller-Meeks voted for the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a signature piece of legislation touted by Republicans in Congress as the largest tax cut in history. The legislation included no taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security payments.

“This bill protects Iowa families, seniors, and small businesses while strengthening Medicaid for the vulnerable – not for those who can work and choose not to,” Miller-Meeks said.

Bohannan criticized Miller-Meeks’ vote for the legislation and said it would increase prices for Iowa families instead of lowering taxes.

“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.”

District 2

Democrat Linsday James defeated Republican Joe Mitchell in the race for U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s seat in Congress, with 98% of votes counteds. The race came down to disagreements over U.S. energy policy and lowering gas prices.

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James earned 49.5% of votes over Mitchell with 45.6% of the vote. 

Mitchell, 29, said he would seek to reduce regulations on American energy and increase domestic supply. He called on his previous experience as a housing developer and state representative to assert his qualifications for the race.

“There’s too many regulations, too much compliance, too much red tape, to unleash the American dream,” Mitchell told Iowa Public Radio in an interview.

James said rising gas prices due to the U.S. military conflict in Iran and the Trump administration’s tariff policies have harmed the residents across Iowa. She said affordability is a key concern in the state.

“I'm going to fight against these tariffs and fight to roll back decisions like the Affordable Care Act cuts and Medicaid cuts that have resulted in a billion dollars of economic loss for our rural healthcare systems,” James said in an October debate.

District 3

Democratic candidate Sarah Trone Garriott overcame U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, with 92% of votes counted. Trone Garriott won 54.6% of the vote over Rep. Nunn with 45.4%. 

Nunn introduced legislation to ban foreign beef imports into the United States, in an apparent effort to rebuff President Donald Trump.

“Lowering beef prices for Iowa families and supporting our cattle producers should go hand-in-hand,” Nunn said. “If we want more affordable beef for the long term, we need more American beef being raised and produced here at home.”

Trone Garriott has made opposition to the Trump administration’s tariff policies central to her campaign against Nunn. She estimated tariff policies cost Iowa families $600 more per year and erased $2.1 billion in farm income.

“Iowa farmers are getting squeezed from every direction: fertilizer and diesel costs spiking from the Iran war, trade wars compounding the downturn, and monopolies price-gouging,” Trone Garriott wrote on social media.

For more information and updated election results, visit thecentersquare.com/elections.