Iowa's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020

Elections in Iowa, 2020

• Election date: Nov. 3
• Registration deadline(s): Oct. 24
• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: Yes
• Recount laws

• Early voting starts: Oct. 5
• Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Nov. 2 (postmarked); Nov. 9 (received)
• Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots
• Voter ID: Non-photo ID
• Poll times: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • State ballot measures

2022 → ← 2018
Iowa's 2nd Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 13, 2020
Primary: June 2, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: Dave Loebsack (Democrat)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Voting in Iowa
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up Inside Elections: Lean Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
See also
Iowa's 2nd Congressional District U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th Iowa elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House racesArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House racesFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House racesOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House racesTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House racesVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House racesSubmit

Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) was certified as the winner of the general election for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District on November 30, 2020, after a recount showed her defeating Rita Hart (D) by six votes. Hart announced on December 2 that she would contest the election with the House Administration Committee. Hart later withdrew her challenge on March 31, 2021. Click here for more information.

The November 3 election was the narrowest margin of victory in a U.S. House race since 1984, when Francis McCloskey (D) defeated Richard McIntyre (R) by four votes in Indiana's 8th Congressional District.

Hart served in the Iowa State Senate from 2013 to 2019, and Miller-Meeks joined the chamber in 2019. Miller-Meeks challenged Dave Loebsack (D) in the 2nd District in 2014, losing 47% to 53%. Loebsack, who was first elected in 2006, did not seek re-election in 2020. In 2016 and 2018, Loebsack defeated Republican challengers 54% to 46% and 55% to 43%, respectively.

The 2nd District was one of 30 Democratic-held U.S. House districts that Donald Trump (R) won in the 2016 presidential election. Of those 30 districts, Iowa's 2nd had the only open seat in 2020. Trump received 49% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's (D) 45% in the 2nd District.

As of October 16, 2020, the National Republican Congressional Committee had spent $3 million on the race, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had spent $2.8 million. This was each group's third-highest expenditure on 2020 races at the time.

The outcome of this race affected partisan control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 117th Congress. All 435 seats in the House were up for election. At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232 to 198 majority over Republicans. The Libertarian Party had one seat. Four seats were vacant. Democrats defended 30 districts Donald Trump (R) won in 2016. Republicans defended five districts Hillary Clinton (D) won in 2016.

Iowa's 2nd Congressional District covers most of the southeastern part of the state including Iowa City. Appanoose, Cedar, Clarke, Clinton, Davis, Decatur, Des Moines, Henry, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Lucas, Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, Muscatine, Scott, Van Buren, Wapello, Washington, and Wayne counties are included in this district.

For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

This election was a battleground race. Other 2020 battlegrounds included:

Michigan Supreme Court elections, 2020 Minnesota House of Representatives elections, 2020 Montana Secretary of State election, 2020

Post-election analysis

The table below compares the vote totals in the 2020 presidential election and 2020 U.S. House election for this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

Presidential and congressional election results, Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, 2020
Race	Presidential	U.S. House
Democratic candidate	47.1	49.9
Republican candidate	51.1	49.9
Difference	4	0

Aftermath

Election contested with House Administration Committee

The House Administration Committee investigated the 2020 election results in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District after Rita Hart (D) filed a notice of contest challenging the results on December 22, 2021. If the committee recommended the matter to the full House, the chamber would have decided the outcome by a majority vote as provided for in Article I, Section 5, of the U.S. Constitution. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) was provisionally seated on January 3, 2021. Lawyers for Hart and Miller-Meeks had until March 22 to submit their initial briefs in the case and until March 29 to provide written answers to a series of questions asked by the committee. On March 31, 2021, Hart withdrew her challenge of the results.

After the November 3, 2020, general election, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (R) ordered recounts in Jasper and Lucas Counties after both counties incorrectly reported vote totals. Hart later requested a full recount of votes in all 24 counties in the district. After this last recount, Miller-Meeks was certified as the winner by a margin of six votes. In a statement, Hart said “When we know there were a lot of votes that were not examined it’s just so crucial that we get this right and we make sure every person’s vote was counted.” Miller-Meeks said that every legal vote was already counted and that Hart wants to "not follow the rules of Iowa law. She wants a partisan political process in Washington D.C. to override Iowa law." Forgoing further legal action in the state, Hart announced that she would contest the election with the House Administration Committee. On January 21, 2021, Miller-Meeks filed a motion calling on Congress to dismiss Hart's petition.

On March 10, the House Administration Committee voted to consider Rita Hart's notice of contest and move forward with an investigation. The committee tabled Miller-Meeks' motion to dismiss Hart's petition. Hart and Miller-Meeks were allowed to state their cases, use depositions, and subpoena witnesses and documents. The committee would then have submitted a report to the full House of Representatives and a simple majority vote of the full House will decide the outcome of the election.

Historically, most contested election cases heard by the committee have been dismissed. Out of 107 contested election cases filed between 1933 and 2009, the candidate who contested the election only won three times.

Timeline

This timeline presents, in reverse chronological order, major events in the aftermath of the November 3, 2020, election, including recounts, legal challenges, and the contest in the House.

• March 31, 2021: Rita Hart dropped her petition asking the House Administration Committee to investigate the November 3 election results in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District. “Despite our best efforts to have every vote counted, the reality is that the toxic campaign of political disinformation to attack this constitutional review of the closest congressional contest in 100 years has effectively silenced the voices of Iowans,” Hart said.

• March 10, 2021: The House Administration Committee voted 6-3 to move forward with Hart's petition. Hart said that the decision helps ensure that every vote is counted. “At least twenty-two Iowans’ legally-cast ballots still have not been counted due to a string of errors. We are glad to see the House Committee on Administration taking the next step towards ensuring that every legally-cast vote is counted in this race and that all Iowans’ voices are heard. Every legal voter in this country has a right to have their ballot counted and the remedy here is clear — count the ballots,” she said. Miller-Meeks said that “In Iowa, the votes were counted, recounted, and in some cases - recounted again. Now, Rita Hart is asking democrat politicians in DC to elect her because the voters of Iowa did not.”

• January 21, 2021: Miller-Meeks filed a motion asking Congress to dismiss Hart's challenge of the election results through the House Administration Committee. Alan Ostergren, an attorney for Miller-Meeks, said that Hart should have first presented her complaint to the Iowa courts, as "The precedents of the House, going back a century or more, require contestants to avail themselves of every single remedy they have under state law before they go to Congress." The House Administration Committee could dismiss Hart's complaint or move forward with an inquiry into the results.

• January 3, 2021: Miller-Meeks was provisionally seated as the House Administration Committee continued to review the Hart campaign's challenge. Addressing Hart's challenge in an interview with KWWL, Miller-Meeks said the following: "It is regrettable my opponent did not go through the Iowa courts. They could certainly have addressed 22 ballots and made a decision on this. She used the legal processes that were available to her, and while we go through these in the interim time, people need to know that they have a representative and that representative is not gonna quit working for them."

• Dec. 22, 2020: Hart filed a notice of contest in which she says that 22 ballots were unfairly excluded. According to the filing, eleven of the ballots were excluded due to errors by poll workers and another 11 were wrongly excluded because of unsealed or damaged envelopes, having the voter's signature in the wrong place, or being left in a drop box outside the county. Marc Elias, Hart's lawyer, said that “Although it is admittedly tempting to close the curtain on the 2020 election cycle, prematurely ending this contest would disenfranchise Iowa voters and award the congressional seat to the candidate who received fewer lawful votes."

• Dec. 2, 2020: Hart announced that she would contest the election with the House Administration Committee. If the committee recommends the matter to the full House, the chamber will decide the outcome by a majority vote. Article I, Section 5, of the U.S. Constitution establishes that each chamber of Congress "shall be the judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members." Click here for more information about the process.

• Nov. 30, 2020: Miller-Meeks was certified as the winner after a recount showed her with six more votes than Hart.

• Nov. 17, 2020: The recount began. Counties were required to complete the process by November 28.

• Nov. 13, 2020: Hart's campaign requested a full recount. As of Nov. 12, unofficial results showed Miller-Meeks leading by 47 votes, a margin of 0.02 percentage points. Click here for more information on Iowa's recount laws. Also, the Lucas County recount was completed and did not alter vote totals.

• Nov. 10, 2020: Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (R) requested a second recount, this one in Lucas County, after the county auditor found one of the precinct's vote totals had not been included in the county's results. After adding that precinct's totals, Miller-Meeks led by 32 votes. The Lucas County recount was scheduled to take place Nov. 12.
  • After the district's 24 counties completed their official canvasses of votes, Miller-Meeks was ahead by 40 votes. She released a statement saying, "I express my heartfelt gratitude to the voters of Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District and acknowledge my opponent Rita Hart’s grace and positive demeanor during this challenging campaign. The election is over, and it is time to move forward together and focus on the priorities that will best serve Iowans."
  • Hart's campaign manager, Zach Meunier, responded, "As we have said repeatedly, it is critical that Iowans’ voices are heard and the votes are accurately counted. The vote totals in this race continue to fluctuate, and both Iowa officials and independent news organizations have made it clear that the race is too close to call. Iowa is a state that values election integrity and Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ campaign’s attempts to usurp this process undermines that integrity. We appreciate the hard work of our poll workers and election officials to accurately count all legal ballots and the votes, and are confident by the end of this process that Rita Hart will be the next congresswoman from Iowa’s Second District."

• Nov. 9, 2020: After the Jasper countywide recount (not including the hand recount in the precinct in which the error originated), Hart's lead changed from 162 votes to 163. Absentee and provisional ballots were still being counted, and her lead narrowed to 152 on Nov. 9.

• Nov. 6, 2020: Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (R) requested a recount in Jasper County after Jasper County Auditor Dennis Parrott told the state that a human error had resulted in 591 Election Day ballots from one precinct being counted incorrectly. Parrott and the Jasper County Board of Supervisors agreed to the recount of around 19,000 ballots. A countywide administrative recount and a hand recount in the precinct where the error originated were ordered. Prior to the recount, unofficial results after totals were adjusted from the error showed Hart ahead by 162 votes. Miller-Meeks had led by 282 votes before the adjustment.

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Iowa modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

• Absentee/mail-in voting: Absentee ballot application forms were sent to all registered voters in the general election.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Candidates and election results

Due to nationwide changes in election administration in 2020, Ballotpedia is exercising increased caution before projecting election winners. Click here to read our new election calling policy and vote total update schedule. 

General election

General election for U.S. House Iowa District 2

Mariannette Miller-Meeks defeated Rita Hart in the general election for U.S. House Iowa District 2 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R)	49.9	196,964
		Rita Hart (D)	49.9	196,958
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	703

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 394,625
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 2

Rita Hart advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 2 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rita Hart	99.6	67,039
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	271

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 67,310
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Newman Abuissa (D)
• Joseph Kane Baker (D)
• Veronica Tessler (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 2

Mariannette Miller-Meeks defeated Robert T. Schilling, Steven Everly, Ricky Lee Phillips, and Tim Borchardt in the Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 2 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mariannette Miller-Meeks	47.6	23,052
		Robert T. Schilling	36.3	17,582
		Steven Everly	5.8	2,806
		Ricky Lee Phillips	5.0	2,444
		Tim Borchardt	4.9	2,370
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	161

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 48,415
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Mathew Hepker (R)
• Thomas Kedley (R)

Recount laws in Iowa

See also: Recount laws in Iowa

Any candidate may request a recount. If the margin of victory separating candidates is 50 votes or 1% of the total number of votes cast, whichever is greater, the state covers the cost of the recount. In all other instances, the candidate is responsible for costs associated with the recount. Costs paid by the candidate are refunded if the recount changes the election outcome.

The recount can be requested up to three days after the county canvass. The deadline for completion is 18 days after the county canvass.

For more information about recount procedures in Iowa, click here.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Rita Hart

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Iowa State Senate (2013-2019)

Biography:  Hart earned her B.S. from the University of Northern Iowa and her M.S. in Educational Administration. She worked as a farmer and teacher. Hart became an international exchange coordinator at the Education First Foundation for Foreign Study in 2007. She became director of community relations at Pangaea International Academy in 2019.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Hart emphasized her background as a farmer and teacher, and having grown up with a mother who spoke in a whisper due to a health issue. Hart said she learned the importance of listening to everyone.

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Hart said she would focus on economic development and affordable healthcare.

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Hart emphasized endorsements she received from Republicans, saying she had a record of working with Republicans and Democrats to improve skills training in Iowa and to make healthcare more affordable for small businesses, farmers, and families.  

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Show sources

Sources: Rita Hart's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed October 16, 2020; YouTube, "Rita Hart, Videos," accessed October 16, 2020; Vote Smart, "Rita Hart's Biography," accessed October 16, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Iowa District 2 in 2020.

Mariannette Miller-Meeks

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Iowa State Senate (Assumed office: 2019)

Biography:  Miller-Meeks received a B.S. in Nursing from Texas Christian University, an M.S. in Education from the University of Southern California, and an M.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She served in the Army for 24 years as a private, nurse, and doctor. Miller-Meeks entered private practice as an ophthalmologist in 1997. Former Gov. Terry Branstad (R) appointed her as Iowa's director of public health, a position she held for three years.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Miller-Meeks emphasized her background in the Army and as a state senator, doctor, and former public health director. She said her medical background equipped her to get Iowans safely back to work amid the pandemic.

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Miller-Meeks said she would work for affordable healthcare that gave people choices, skills training and apprenticeships, growing the economy and increasing take-home pay, and government accountability.

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A Miller-Meeks campaign ad said Hart and liberal elites would wipe out family farms with red tape and limits on production. It also said they would raise taxes and cause jobs to be lost in Iowa.

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Show sources

Sources: Mariannette Miller-Meeks' 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed October 16, 2020; YouTube, "Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Videos," accessed October 16, 2020; Vote Smart, "Mariannette Miller-Meeks," accessed October 16, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Iowa District 2 in 2020.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, 2020: General election polls
Poll	Date	Hart	Miller-Meeks	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size	Sponsor
Monmouth	Oct. 15-20	49%	43%	8%	± 5.2	355	--
Monmouth	July 25-Aug. 3	44%	47%	9%	± 5.1	374	--

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election. It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees. The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Rita Hart	Democratic Party	$4,262,215	$4,143,623	$118,592	As of December 31, 2020
Mariannette Miller-Meeks	Republican Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+1, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 1 percentage point more Democratic than the national average. This made Iowa's 2nd Congressional District the 193rd most Democratic nationally.

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.17. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.17 points toward that party.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Iowa's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 3, 2020	October 27, 2020	October 20, 2020	October 13, 2020
The Cook Political Report	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Lean Democratic	Tilt Democratic	Tilt Democratic	Tilt Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available.

• Rita Hart
• Mariannette Miller-Meeks

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorsement	Hart (D)	Miller-Meeks (R)
Newspapers and editorials
Des Moines Register editorial board	✔
The Daily Iowan editorial board	✔
Iowa City Press-Citizen editorial board	✔
Elected officials
President Donald Trump (R)		✔
Gov. Kim Reynolds (R)		✔
Individuals
Former President Barack Obama (D)	✔
Former Davenport Alderman-At-Large Jason Gordon (R)	✔
Former Clinton County Supervisor Jill Davisson (R)	✔
Former Clinton County Treasurer Rhonda McIntyre (R)	✔

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Rita Hart

Supporting Hart

"Move Forward" - Hart campaign ad, released Oct. 22, 2020

"Weeds" - Hart campaign ad, released Oct. 14, 2020

"People First" - Hart campaign ad, released Oct. 7, 2020

"Dirk" - Hart campaign ad, released Sept. 23, 2020

"Star Spangled Banner" - Hart campaign ad, released Sept. 20, 2020

"Voice" - Hart campaign ad, released Sept. 13, 2020

"Family Supper" - Hart campaign ad, released Aug. 25, 2020

"Divided Household" - Hart campaign ad, released Aug. 25, 2020

Opposing Miller-Meeks

• "The Iowa Way" - Hart/DCCC ad, accessed Oct. 16, 2020

Mariannette Miller-Meeks

Supporting Miller-Meeks

"Experience" - Miller-Meeks campaign ad, released Oct. 27, 2020

"Public Health" - Miller-Meeks campaign ad, released Sept. 29, 2020

"Kitchen Fire" - Miller-Meeks campaign ad, released Aug. 18, 2020

"Government Accountability" - Miller-Meeks campaign ad, released Nov. 14, 2020

"Health care" - Miller-Meeks campaign ad, released Nov. 14, 2020

"Trade" - Miller-Meeks campaign ad, released Nov. 14, 2020

"Immigration" - Miller-Meeks campaign ad, released Nov. 14, 2020

"Pro-Life" - Miller-Meeks campaign ad, released Nov. 14, 2020

"2nd Amendment" - Miller-Meeks campaign ad, released Nov. 14, 2019

"Pass the USMCA" - Miller-Meeks campaign ad, released Sept. 30, 2019

"Mariannette Miller-Meeks for Congress" - Miller-Meeks campaign ad, released Nov. 11, 2019

Opposing Hart

"Liberal Elites" - Miller-Meeks campaign ad, released Oct. 15, 2020

Satellite group ads

Click "show" to the right to see satellite group ads.

Opposing Hart "Your Choice" - National Republican Congressional Committee ad, released October 6, 2020 "Pattern" - Congressional Leadership Fund ad, released September 30, 2020 "Checkbook" - National Republican Congressional Committee ad, released September 30, 2020 "Heartbreaker" - National Republican Congressional Committee ad, released September 22, 2020 Opposing Miller-Meeks "Do" - House Majority PAC ad, released October 29, 2020 "You Pay More" - Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad, released October 15, 2020 "Follow" - Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad, released October 1, 2020

Debates and forums

Oct. 15

The Quad-City Times and KWQC hosted a debate. Click here for the video.

Oct. 8

KCRG-TV9 hosted a debate. Click here for the video.

Sept. 24

Iowa PBS hosted a debate. Click here for the video.

Campaign themes

See also: Campaign themes

Rita Hart

Hart’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Tackling Political Corruption in Washington Too often in Washington, the loudest and most powerful voices drown out the rest of us. Special interests are able to use money and influence to stymie progress on all the issues we need action on – lowering the cost of health care, investing in education, and raising wages for everyone. That’s why Rita wants the first bill she votes on to be tackling political corruption in Washington. In Congress, Rita will work to: Close the revolving door by banning members of Congress from becoming lobbyists, permanently. Prevent conflicts of interest by banning members of Congress from owning individual stocks or serving on corporate boards. Pass a “No budget, no pay” law so members of Congress are forced to do their job in a timely fashion. Get dark, unaccountable money out of politics by reversing the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision. Let voters pick their representatives instead of letting politicians pick their voters by ending partisan gerrymandering. Jobs and Growing Our Economy Rita understands that no matter where you live — a city, a small town, or out in the country — every Iowan should have the opportunity and security that comes with a good job with good benefits. Rita founded the Clinton County Economic Development Coordinating Council and created a framework for small-town mayors to work together to spur economic growth. In Congress, Rita will work to: Spur job creation and improve coordination between local governments, economic development organizations, and businesses by appointing a full-time staffer to focus on economic development in the district. Look out for families and businesses hurt by the coronavirus crisis and do everything we can to get people back on their feet and back to work—safely. Invest in education by reducing the cost of college and increasing the availability of high-quality job training and apprenticeships. Close the connectivity gap, provide work from home opportunities, and ensure small business the opportunity to compete by investing in rural broadband. Increase take-home pay for working Iowans. That starts by raising the minimum wage. Tackle the national debt and deficit so we do not pass a crushing debt onto our children and grandchildren. Expand affordable, quality child-care options for all families. Making Health Care More Affordable And Accessible Ensuring access to quality, affordable health care is personal for Rita. Her mom lived with a damaged heart for most of her life as a result of a battle with rheumatic fever when she was young. Rita’s mother spent years in and out of local hospitals and the Mayo Clinic. Only the miracles of modern science allowed her to live a longer and healthier life. Tragedy also struck Rita’s nephew, Tucker. After his first year of college, he was accidentally shot and became a quadriplegic. Tucker is fortunate to have affordable insurance that covered his needs, but the providers of the services he needs are dependent on a working Medicaid system. Once already, Tucker had to move after his care providers were unable to continue providing the skilled care he needed. We all have some version of these stories or know someone who does. Just in the past few months, too many Iowans and Americans have been hurt by the coronavirus including seniors and vulnerable people who have pre-existing conditions. Fortunately, Rita’s mom and Tucker both had health insurance. Health care should be a right, not a privilege. That means everyone should have access to critical care and no one should go broke because they can’t afford it. In Congress, Rita will work to: Build on the successes of the Affordable Care act like protecting coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions and allowing young people to stay on their parents’ plans. Expand coronavirus testing and contact tracing with federal investment and coordination—we have to know where the virus is circulating so Americans can get back to work. Ensure our hospitals, doctors, nurses, and other frontline workers have the resources and protective gear they need to keep themselves and our communities safe. Fix Medicaid privatization by repealing the waiver Iowa was granted by the federal government that allows out-of-state MCOs to provide less care while pocketing taxpayer dollars and threatening our rural hospitals. Protect and strengthen Medicare and Social Security for our Seniors Create incentives for high-need providers in rural areas like psychologists, psychiatric nurses, and OB-GYNs. Improve access to mental health treatment and guarantee mental health parity. Reduce the cost of prescription drugs by allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower prices for seniors, increasing transparency in billing, and making it easier and faster to produce less expensive generic drugs. Investing in Education Rita attended Iowa public schools, graduated from North Iowa Area Community College and the University of Northern Iowa, and spent 20 years as a teacher in small rural school districts in eastern Iowa. She taught junior high and high school English and, after leaving the classroom, she ran school-to-work and gifted and talented programs. Rita has seen firsthand the impact that quality education can have on a person’s life, ensuring that our children have even greater opportunities than we’ve had. In Congress, Rita will work to: Invest in job training, apprenticeship, continuing education, and public-private partnership programs to provide the next generation with the skills they need for good jobs with livable wages and good benefits. Reduce student college debt by allowing people to renegotiate their loans to get lower interest rates – just like the big banks get every day. Work with educators, instead of politicians who have never been teachers in a classroom, to develop assessments instead of relying on high-stakes, standardized testing. Make early childhood education available to every child and affordable for every family. The research is clear – investments in early childhood development ensure that children have more successful, safer, and healthier lives Growing Iowa's Agriculture Rita has lived in rural Iowa her whole life. She grew up on a dairy farm, taught in rural schools, and owns and operates a corn and soybean farm south of Wheatland, Iowa with her husband Paul. They started on their farm during the depths of the farm crisis while living in a mobile home. Rita describes their farm investment as the best decision she and Paul ever made. Iowa agriculture has continued to face crisis after crises exacerbated by ill-conceived policies out of Washington. Farm incomes have been declining for a half decade and Washington politicians are making it worse. That doesn’t just hurt farmers. It harms the entire rural economy. Then, the coronavirus pandemic hit our farmers especially hard, while Washington left them behind, initially excluding them from small business relief. Rita recognizes that because of climate change and changes in the ag industry, now is the time to lay the groundwork for the future of the ag economy. In Congress, Rita will work to: Encourage the ingenuity of the great American farmer to find practical solutions and help farmers lead in the fight against climate change by paying for environmental services like sequestering carbon. Make it more economically viable to engage in regenerative practices like planting cover crops, installing edge of field practices, and using research-driven technologies that include precision agriculture. Make sure Iowa farmers hurt by the coronavirus crisis have the relief they deserve and Iowa workers have the protective equipment necessary to keep our supply chain moving. Keep Iowa a leader in green energy by fighting for a strong Renewable Fuel Standard and ending the EPA’s waivers to Big Oil companies like Exxon Mobile and Chevron that are depressing prices. Encourage and incentivize research, development and promotion of alternative fuels. Open new markets to our exports while guaranteeing a level-playing field for American workers. Caring for Our Veterans We have asked so much of the men and women who have answered the call to serve our country. Our veterans courageously sacrificed for our freedom and security. The very least we must do is keep our promise to them and their families when they return home. Veterans deserve the best and most efficient health care possible at the Veterans Administration as well as opportunities to find and keep good-paying civilian jobs when they leave military service. Rita worked with veterans and community leaders to create a model Home Base Iowa program in Clinton that created incentives for veterans to move to Clinton and provided community supports so veterans would have opportunities when they return home. She knows firsthand how valuable veterans are to our communities as well as the unique challenges they face transitioning back to civilian life. In Congress, Rita will work to: Increase education, training and apprentice programs, and partnerships with public and private businesses for veterans to use their unique skills to strengthen our economy. Invest in mental health and homelessness programs to ensure every veteran receives appropriate services and does not fall through the cracks. Adequately fund and hold the VA accountable to ensure our veterans get the top-notch physical and mental health care they deserve while opposing risky schemes like privatizing the VA that hand care over to for-profit companies. Cut bureaucratic red tape, reduce wait times, and expand access to care, especially for veterans in rural communities like ours.	”
—Rita Hart’s campaign website (2020)

Mariannette Miller-Meeks

Miller-Meeks' campaign website posted the following videos:

• Government Accountability

• Health care

• Pro-Life

• 2nd Amendment

• Immigration

• Trade

District represented by a Democrat in 2020 and won by Donald Trump in 2016

See also: U.S. House districts represented by a Democrat in 2020 and won by Donald Trump in 2016

This district was one of 30 Democratic-held U.S. House districts up in 2020 that Donald Trump (R) won in the 2016 presidential election. Most were expected to be among the House's most competitive elections in 2020.

2020 Democratic-held U.S. House districts won by Donald Trump in 2016
District	Incumbent	Ran in 2020?	2018 congressional margin	2016 presidential margin	2012 presidential margin
Arizona's 1st	Tom O'Halleran	Yes	Democrats+7.7	Trump+1.1	Romney+2.5
Georgia's 6th	Lucy McBath	Yes	Democrats+1.0	Trump+1.5	Romney+23.3
Illinois' 14th	Lauren Underwood	Yes	Democrats+5.0	Trump+3.9	Romney+10
Illinois' 17th	Cheri Bustos	Yes	Democrats+24.2	Trump+0.7	Obama+17
Iowa's 1st	Abby Finkenauer	Yes	Democrats+5.1	Trump+3.5	Obama+13.7
Iowa's 2nd	Dave Loebsack	Retired	Democrats+5.2	Trump+4.1	Obama+13.1
Iowa's 3rd	Cindy Axne	Yes	Democrats+2.2	Trump+3.5	Obama+4.2
Maine's 2nd	Jared Golden	Yes	Democrats+1.3	Trump+10.3	Obama+8.6
Michigan's 8th	Elissa Slotkin	Yes	Democrats+3.8	Trump+6.7	Romney+3.1
Michigan's 11th	Haley Stevens	Yes	Democrats+6.7	Trump+4.4	Romney+5.4
Minnesota's 2nd	Angie Craig	Yes	Democrats+5.5	Trump+1.2	Obama+0.1
Minnesota's 7th	Collin Peterson	Yes	Democrats+4.3	Trump+30.8	Romney+9.8
Nevada's 3rd	Susie Lee	Yes	Democrats+9.1	Trump+1.0	Obama+0.8
New Hampshire's 1st	Chris Pappas	Yes	Democrats+8.6	Trump+1.6	Obama+1.6
New Jersey's 3rd	Andrew Kim	Yes	Democrats+1.3	Trump+6.2	Obama+4.6
New Jersey's 5th	Josh Gottheimer	Yes	Democrats+13.7	Trump+1.1	Romney+3.0
New Jersey's 11th	Mikie Sherrill	Yes	Democrats+14.6	Trump+0.9	Romney+5.8
New Mexico's 2nd	Xochitl Torres Small	Yes	Democrats+1.9	Trump+10.2	Romney+6.8
New York's 11th	Max Rose	Yes	Democrats+6.5	Trump+9.8	Obama+4.3
New York's 18th	Sean Maloney	Yes	Democrats+10.9	Trump+1.9	Obama+4.3
New York's 19th	Antonio Delgado	Yes	Democrats+5.2	Trump+6.8	Obama+6.2
New York's 22nd	Anthony Brindisi	Yes	Democrats+1.8	Trump+15.5	Romney+0.4
Oklahoma's 5th	Kendra Horn	Yes	Democrats+1.4	Trump+13.4	Romney+18.4
Pennsylvania's 8th	Matt Cartwright	Yes	Democrats+9.3	Trump+9.6	Obama+11.9
Pennsylvania's 17th	Conor Lamb	Yes	Democrats+12.5	Trump+2.6	Romney+4.5
South Carolina's 1st	Joe Cunningham	Yes	Democrats+1.4	Trump+13.1	Romney+18.1
Utah's 4th	Ben McAdams	Yes	Democrats+0.3	Trump+6.7	Romney+37.0
Virginia's 2nd	Elaine Luria	Yes	Democrats+2.2	Trump+3.4	Romney+2.3
Virginia's 7th	Abigail Spanberger	Yes	Democrats+1.9	Trump+6.5	Romney+10.5
Wisconsin's 3rd	Ron Kind	Yes	Democrats+19.3	Trump+4.5	Obama+11
Source: Sabato's Crystal Ball and Daily Kos

Click here to see the five U.S. House districts represented by a Republican in 2020 and won by Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Thirty-one of 99 Iowa counties—31 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County	Trump margin of victory in 2016	Obama margin of victory in 2012	Obama margin of victory in 2008
Allamakee County, Iowa	24.15%	4.17%	14.25%
Boone County, Iowa	13.69%	6.64%	7.63%
Bremer County, Iowa	13.68%	2.68%	9.31%
Buchanan County, Iowa	15.02%	13.87%	18.48%
Cedar County, Iowa	17.78%	4.59%	9.64%
Cerro Gordo County, Iowa	7.66%	13.38%	20.83%
Chickasaw County, Iowa	22.94%	11.07%	20.74%
Clarke County, Iowa	28.02%	1.47%	2.25%
Clayton County, Iowa	22.78%	7.03%	17.17%
Clinton County, Iowa	5.12%	22.84%	23.03%
Des Moines County, Iowa	6.89%	18.41%	23.04%
Dubuque County, Iowa	1.23%	14.71%	20.77%
Fayette County, Iowa	19.36%	11.96%	16.60%
Floyd County, Iowa	14.84%	14.63%	21.88%
Howard County, Iowa	20.49%	20.95%	25.78%
Jackson County, Iowa	19.27%	16.89%	24.39%
Jasper County, Iowa	18.13%	7.07%	7.50%
Jefferson County, Iowa	0.47%	15.97%	20.23%
Jones County, Iowa	19.08%	7.78%	10.40%
Lee County, Iowa	16.02%	15.49%	16.01%
Louisa County, Iowa	28.37%	0.64%	4.25%
Marshall County, Iowa	8.31%	9.36%	9.35%
Mitchell County, Iowa	24.04%	3.37%	12.31%
Muscatine County, Iowa	6.26%	15.88%	15.64%
Poweshiek County, Iowa	6.53%	9.35%	11.75%
Tama County, Iowa	20.28%	7.43%	12.19%
Union County, Iowa	27.49%	3.86%	3.70%
Wapello County, Iowa	20.60%	11.88%	13.53%
Webster County, Iowa	21.52%	5.84%	8.51%
Winneshiek County, Iowa	0.79%	14.74%	22.65%
Worth County, Iowa	21.68%	14.53%	22.42%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Iowa with 51.1 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 41.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1848 and 2016, Iowa voted Republican 69.76 percent of the time and Democratic 30.23 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Iowa voted Democratic three times and Republican the other two times.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Iowa. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 61 out of 100 state House districts in Iowa with an average margin of victory of 19.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 35 out of 100 state House districts in Iowa with an average margin of victory of 18.8 points. Clinton won four districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.

In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 39 out of 100 state House districts in Iowa with an average margin of victory of 13.3 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 65 out of 100 state House districts in Iowa with an average margin of victory of 24.5 points. Trump won 10 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

2016 presidential results by state House district
District	Obama	Romney	2012 Margin	Clinton	Trump	2016 Margin	Party Control
1	30.96%	67.78%	R+36.8	22.23%	73.81%	R+51.6	R
2	41.86%	56.83%	R+15	27.53%	67.70%	R+40.2	R
3	31.57%	67.31%	R+35.7	20.73%	74.78%	R+54.1	R
4	15.63%	83.55%	R+67.9	12.95%	81.67%	R+68.7	R
5	33.00%	65.90%	R+32.9	22.28%	73.69%	R+51.4	R
6	44.39%	54.40%	R+10	32.54%	62.36%	R+29.8	R
7	46.87%	51.82%	R+5	31.96%	62.86%	R+30.9	R
8	43.04%	55.84%	R+12.8	28.52%	67.11%	R+38.6	R
9	54.26%	44.65%	D+9.6	39.33%	55.29%	R+16	D
10	40.15%	58.39%	R+18.2	25.64%	69.78%	R+44.1	R
11	42.76%	56.17%	R+13.4	30.87%	64.40%	R+33.5	R
12	46.14%	52.95%	R+6.8	30.92%	64.32%	R+33.4	R
13	54.28%	44.37%	D+9.9	42.30%	52.03%	R+9.7	D
14	59.33%	39.34%	D+20	47.69%	47.27%	D+0.4	D
15	57.12%	41.17%	D+16	41.89%	51.48%	R+9.6	D
16	52.01%	46.46%	D+5.5	41.84%	51.76%	R+9.9	R
17	41.10%	57.71%	R+16.6	25.76%	70.01%	R+44.3	R
18	41.98%	56.88%	R+14.9	28.11%	67.52%	R+39.4	R
19	40.80%	57.87%	R+17.1	36.54%	56.73%	R+20.2	R
20	48.77%	49.62%	R+0.9	35.39%	59.04%	R+23.6	R
21	45.01%	53.64%	R+8.6	29.35%	65.17%	R+35.8	R
22	36.78%	62.08%	R+25.3	29.64%	65.50%	R+35.9	R
23	40.72%	57.80%	R+17.1	27.37%	66.81%	R+39.4	R
24	39.86%	58.79%	R+18.9	25.77%	69.86%	R+44.1	R
25	44.34%	54.14%	R+9.8	34.15%	59.72%	R+25.6	R
26	50.18%	48.59%	D+1.6	39.62%	53.52%	R+13.9	D
27	47.15%	51.07%	R+3.9	30.50%	64.42%	R+33.9	R
28	47.30%	51.30%	R+4	31.76%	62.81%	R+31.1	R
29	56.05%	42.50%	D+13.6	40.78%	53.23%	R+12.5	D
30	47.66%	50.85%	R+3.2	38.47%	54.84%	R+16.4	R
31	61.55%	36.86%	D+24.7	49.75%	43.99%	D+5.8	D
32	72.88%	25.37%	D+47.5	63.69%	30.28%	D+33.4	D
33	67.30%	31.37%	D+35.9	59.50%	34.55%	D+25	D
34	68.16%	30.10%	D+38.1	60.44%	33.19%	D+27.2	D
35	77.01%	21.48%	D+55.5	70.40%	23.46%	D+46.9	D
36	65.21%	33.12%	D+32.1	63.13%	29.46%	D+33.7	D
37	43.30%	55.35%	R+12	42.10%	50.50%	R+8.4	R
38	49.33%	49.21%	D+0.1	42.85%	49.84%	R+7	R
39	43.02%	55.76%	R+12.7	43.93%	48.99%	R+5.1	R
40	49.31%	49.53%	R+0.2	50.25%	43.32%	D+6.9	D
41	67.93%	30.50%	D+37.4	69.25%	24.10%	D+45.2	D
42	49.85%	48.83%	D+1	51.15%	42.19%	D+9	R
43	50.58%	48.29%	D+2.3	52.50%	41.03%	D+11.5	R
44	42.52%	56.60%	R+14.1	44.97%	47.76%	R+2.8	R
45	60.66%	36.80%	D+23.9	57.79%	31.85%	D+25.9	D
46	59.66%	37.96%	D+21.7	57.22%	33.12%	D+24.1	D
47	52.11%	46.29%	D+5.8	38.31%	54.96%	R+16.6	R
48	47.95%	50.46%	R+2.5	36.50%	56.98%	R+20.5	R
49	46.50%	51.88%	R+5.4	36.62%	55.49%	R+18.9	R
50	42.94%	55.95%	R+13	30.36%	64.36%	R+34	R
51	55.19%	43.48%	D+11.7	35.67%	58.91%	R+23.2	R
52	56.04%	42.88%	D+13.2	37.76%	56.73%	R+19	D
53	60.98%	37.92%	D+23.1	47.69%	46.65%	D+1	D
54	44.96%	53.94%	R+9	32.11%	62.71%	R+30.6	R
55	55.19%	43.44%	D+11.8	43.51%	50.62%	R+7.1	R
56	52.01%	46.73%	D+5.3	34.91%	59.80%	R+24.9	R
57	49.00%	49.98%	R+1	37.25%	57.49%	R+20.2	R
58	55.60%	43.22%	D+12.4	37.06%	57.82%	R+20.8	R
59	56.29%	42.22%	D+14.1	51.94%	40.87%	D+11.1	D
60	50.15%	48.91%	D+1.2	45.19%	48.75%	R+3.6	R
61	63.73%	35.14%	D+28.6	52.34%	42.07%	D+10.3	D
62	76.37%	22.58%	D+53.8	62.14%	32.64%	D+29.5	D
63	49.95%	48.93%	D+1	39.04%	55.06%	R+16	R
64	57.83%	41.00%	D+16.8	40.27%	53.42%	R+13.1	D
65	66.77%	31.71%	D+35.1	61.58%	31.29%	D+30.3	D
66	57.43%	41.04%	D+16.4	53.11%	39.91%	D+13.2	D
67	49.18%	49.50%	R+0.3	47.22%	45.74%	D+1.5	R
68	54.45%	44.08%	D+10.4	48.20%	44.50%	D+3.7	R
69	65.87%	32.63%	D+33.2	52.73%	40.24%	D+12.5	D
70	63.00%	35.67%	D+27.3	53.85%	39.20%	D+14.7	D
71	56.62%	42.23%	D+14.4	48.02%	46.57%	D+1.5	D
72	50.86%	47.88%	D+3	34.92%	59.56%	R+24.6	R
73	54.19%	44.65%	D+9.5	43.25%	51.15%	R+7.9	R
74	67.17%	31.21%	D+36	69.14%	24.89%	D+44.3	D
75	49.36%	49.39%	R+0	34.09%	60.12%	R+26	R
76	50.61%	47.97%	D+2.6	40.64%	53.90%	R+13.3	R
77	58.46%	40.34%	D+18.1	53.49%	39.62%	D+13.9	D
78	46.21%	51.69%	R+5.5	34.06%	60.08%	R+26	R
79	35.86%	62.79%	R+26.9	25.96%	67.84%	R+41.9	R
80	45.03%	53.56%	R+8.5	27.04%	68.71%	R+41.7	R
81	56.57%	41.86%	D+14.7	39.52%	55.89%	R+16.4	D
82	49.74%	47.90%	D+1.8	36.54%	57.76%	R+21.2	D
83	58.67%	39.72%	D+19	40.42%	53.35%	R+12.9	D
84	46.37%	52.04%	R+5.7	30.59%	63.23%	R+32.6	R
85	71.79%	26.07%	D+45.7	74.26%	19.90%	D+54.4	D
86	72.99%	24.97%	D+48	72.34%	21.06%	D+51.3	D
87	62.60%	36.08%	D+26.5	48.53%	45.49%	D+3	D
88	50.88%	47.86%	D+3	35.94%	58.76%	R+22.8	R
89	63.19%	35.77%	D+27.4	52.47%	40.86%	D+11.6	D
90	73.49%	24.97%	D+48.5	57.98%	34.93%	D+23.1	D
91	57.61%	40.97%	D+16.6	43.65%	49.75%	R+6.1	R
92	53.94%	45.00%	D+8.9	42.25%	51.61%	R+9.4	R
93	56.63%	42.22%	D+14.4	50.96%	42.21%	D+8.7	D
94	45.18%	53.87%	R+8.7	43.91%	50.10%	R+6.2	R
95	52.01%	46.69%	D+5.3	41.86%	51.59%	R+9.7	R
96	51.83%	47.01%	D+4.8	35.42%	58.91%	R+23.5	R
97	50.63%	47.95%	D+2.7	37.14%	56.46%	R+19.3	R
98	65.29%	33.50%	D+31.8	48.47%	45.38%	D+3.1	D
99	59.37%	39.28%	D+20.1	52.61%	41.12%	D+11.5	D
100	62.95%	35.58%	D+27.4	51.37%	42.25%	D+9.1	D
Total	52.23%	46.40%	D+5.8	42.23%	51.72%	R+9.5	-
Source: Daily Kos

Candidate ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for 2nd Congressional District candidates in Iowa in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Iowa, click here.

Filing requirements, 2020
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Iowa	2nd Congressional District	Democratic	1,606	1% of votes cast for the party's candidate for governor in the district in 2018	N/A	N/A	3/13/2020	Source
Iowa	2nd Congressional District	Republican	1,497	1% of votes cast for the party's candidate for governor in the district in 2018	N/A	N/A	3/13/2020	Source
Iowa	2nd Congressional District	Unaffiliated	375	Fixed number	N/A	N/A	3/13/2020	Source

District election history

2018

See also: Iowa's 2nd Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Iowa District 2

Incumbent Dave Loebsack defeated Chris Peters, Mark Strauss, and Daniel Clark in the general election for U.S. House Iowa District 2 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dave Loebsack (D)	54.8	171,446
		Chris Peters (R)	42.6	133,287
		Mark Strauss (L)	2.0	6,181
		Daniel Clark (Independent)	0.6	1,837
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	162

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 312,913 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 2

Incumbent Dave Loebsack advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 2 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dave Loebsack	100.0	42,378

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 42,378
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 2

Chris Peters defeated Ginny Caligiuri in the Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 2 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chris Peters	87.5	18,056
		Ginny Caligiuri (Write-in)	11.6	2,389
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	181

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 20,626
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2016

See also: Iowa's 2nd Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Dave Loebsack (D) defeated Chris Peters (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Neither candidate faced a primary challenger in June.

U.S. House, Iowa District 2 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Dave Loebsack Incumbent	53.7%	198,571
	Republican	Christopher Peters	46.2%	170,933
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	528
Total Votes				370,032
Source: Iowa Secretary of State

2014

See also: Iowa's 2nd Congressional District elections, 2014

The 2nd Congressional District of Iowa held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Dave Loebsack (D) defeated Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) in the general election.

U.S. House, Iowa District 2 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Dave Loebsack Incumbent	52.5%	143,431
	Republican	Mariannette Miller-Meeks	47.4%	129,455
	Write-in	Other	0.2%	443
Total Votes				273,329
Source: Iowa Secretary of State Official Results

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa, 2020
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2020

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

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Iowa's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Joni Ernst (R)

Chuck Grassley (R)

Representatives

District 1

Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R)

District 2

Ashley Hinson (R)

District 3

Zach Nunn (R)

District 4

Randy Feenstra (R)

Republican Party (6)