Iowa’s 1st Congressional District House Race

Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Republicans in competitive Iowa House districts, joined Democrats and a handful of GOP colleagues on Tuesday in voting for a resolution to end U.S. military action against Iran without congressional authorization, reversing earlier votes against similar measures. It was the third such House vote, with a similar margin to prior attempts but a few more Republicans defecting, including retiring Rep. Nancy Mace and Reps. Tom Barrett, Warren Davidson, Brian Fitzpatrick and Thomas Massie. Rep. Ashley Hinson, running for Iowa's open Senate seat, voted against the measure, saying she wants a "decisive and immediate victory" instead.

The reversal comes amid political pressure ahead of the midterms, with the war remaining broadly unpopular and fuel and diesel prices rising as harvest season begins. Both Nunn and Miller-Meeks cited the need to bring troops home and end an open-ended conflict; 18 U.S. service members have died in the war, including two from Iowa. The White House says it has briefed Congress more than 30 times since February. Nunn had recently campaigned with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, prompting a Hatch Act complaint from former national security officials. Both lawmakers face competitive rematches in November, underscoring how the war's unpopularity is shaping battleground House races.

Iowa Senate Democratic nominee Josh Turek, pressed by NBC News on whether illegal immigrants should face deportation, said there should not be immediate deportation and instead backed a pathway to legal status contingent on background checks. He inaccurately cited Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Randy Feenstra as supporters of the Dignity Act; neither cosponsors the bill. The exchange intensifies immigration as a flashpoint in Turek's race against Rep. Ashley Hinson, who has criticized his record on ICE cooperation, immigrant benefits, and a campaign ad featuring sheriffs who limited detainer compliance. Critics call the Dignity Act amnesty; sponsor Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar disputes that characterization, calling it enforcement-first reform.

Iowa's rising cancer rate has emerged as a bipartisan issue in the state's competitive 2026 midterm races for Congress and governor. Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the country, behind only Kentucky, and is one of just three states where rates are climbing, driven by increases in lung, prostate and breast cancers. Candidates from both parties, including Republican Rep. Zach Nunn and Democratic challenger Sarah Trone Garriott, have made the issue central to their campaigns, with voters increasingly linking it to concerns about nitrate contamination in water from agricultural runoff.

Democrats such as Senate candidate Josh Turek and House candidate Christina Bohannan have tied the issue to opposition against Medicaid cuts under President Trump's tax and spending law, warning of coverage losses for Iowans. Republicans, including Rep. Ashley Hinson, have emphasized expanding cancer screening access and conservation funding. Scientists remain divided on whether nitrate-contaminated water is driving the increase, and a state-commissioned study has yet to reach firm conclusions, but polling shows water quality now ranks among voters' top concerns heading into the election.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana told an Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition banquet crowd in Des Moines that the roughly seven-month conflict with Iran is "the genesis" of current inflation, arguing that elevated oil prices have "affected the price of everything." He predicted the war would be "concluded within the next six months," which he said should bring oil prices and inflation down with it. Iowa gas prices have risen sharply over the past year, with diesel hitting a record high in the state.

Kennedy's remarks came as he campaigned for Iowa Republicans ahead of competitive 2026 midterm races, including Rep. Ashley Hinson's bid for the state's open Senate seat. His comments also highlight a growing split within the GOP: some House Republicans, including two Iowa members facing tough reelection races, recently broke with President Trump to support curbing his war powers over the Iran operation. The remarks underscore how the conflict's economic fallout is becoming a flashpoint in midterm campaigns, with both parties seizing on cost-of-living concerns tied to energy prices.

President Trump announced a $15 billion steel plant for Iowa during an Oval Office event Monday, joined by Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Senate nominee Ashley Hinson, both facing competitive November races. Trump touted the project's job creation as affordability remains a top concern for voters, and pledged to hold a midterm rally in the state.

Despite Trump's 2024 win in Iowa, recent Marist polling shows Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek leading Hinson and Democratic House candidate Christina Bohannon slightly ahead of Miller-Meeks. Trump dismissed the polls as "fake." Iowa Republicans have shown some distance from the administration, with Miller-Meeks and Rep. Zach Nunn among seven GOP lawmakers who voted with Democrats to limit Trump's war powers amid the Iran conflict. Hinson skipped a recent Vice President Vance visit to the state, citing a scheduling conflict, underscoring the delicate balance vulnerable Republicans are striking between embracing Trump's economic messaging and managing political risk ahead of the midterms.

An Iowa judge has dismissed Donald Trump's lawsuit against The Des Moines Register and pollster J. Ann Selzer over a 2024 pre-election poll. District Judge Scott J. Beattie ruled that the suit, which accused the newspaper and pollster of violating Iowa's consumer fraud law, sought to stretch state law "beyond their current bounds" and improperly turn constitutionally protected speech into a legal liability. The judge concluded the First Amendment's reach was "too great" for the case to proceed.

Trump filed the suit in December 2024, joined by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and former state Sen. Brad Zaun, alleging the poll—which showed Kamala Harris leading in Iowa days before Trump won the state with 56% of the vote—was fraudulently published to damage Republicans. Selzer and the Register, backed by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, argued poll coverage is protected political speech, not commercial fraud. The ruling adds to a string of Trump lawsuits against media outlets over alleged bias, several of which have ended in settlements.

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) is cosponsoring the bipartisan INSULIN Act with Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), which would cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month for private insurance plans, matching the existing cap for Medicare beneficiaries. Miller-Meeks, who won reelection in 2024 by fewer than 800 votes, faces the same Democratic challenger, Christiana Bohannan, in a closely watched November midterm race where healthcare costs are a central issue.

The Senate version, introduced by Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), cleared committee in July and awaits a full Senate vote. Miller-Meeks is working with House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders to advance a House version, though the bill is unlikely to pass before the midterms. Roughly 40 million Americans have diabetes, and surveys show most insulin-dependent patients pay well above $35 monthly, with many cutting other expenses to afford care.

Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn met for their first Iowa gubernatorial debate at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, roughly a week before early voting opens on Oct. 14 ahead of the 2026 election. The exchange was marked by repeated attacks from Sand, Iowa's current state auditor, who questioned whether Lahn, a regenerative farmer, actually lives full-time in Iowa despite running for the state's top office.

The residency dispute dominated the debate, overshadowing substantive policy discussion between the two candidates. With early voting approaching, the clash signals that questions over Lahn's eligibility and ties to the state could remain a central theme as the race intensifies. The contest is one of several closely watched 2026 gubernatorial races that will test partisan dynamics heading into the broader election cycle.

The Iowa House Ethics Committee voted along party lines to shelve a complaint against Rep. Shannon Lundgren, R-Peosta, effectively ending the inquiry without further action. The complaint, filed by Kaylara Hoadley, alleged Lundgren misused official resources by writing a character statement on Iowa House letterhead to a sentencing judge on behalf of David Lehmann, a regular customer at her family's restaurant who was convicted of lascivious acts with a child. The committee's three Republicans voted to dismiss the complaint with prejudice, while three Democrats sought independent counsel to investigate further, resulting in a deadlock that shelved the request.

Committee chair Rep. Bill Gustoff called Lundgren's judgment "poor" and "improper" but said no evidence showed a violation of Iowa Code. Lundgren denied wrongdoing, calling the complaint politically motivated. A separate complaint from Jennifer Hart alleging a related ethics code violation was unanimously dismissed. Lehmann was convicted in April after a retrial and received probation and sex-offender registration in lieu of prison.

Rebecca Cooke defeated Emily Berge in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary, setting up a third consecutive matchup against Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden. Cooke, who grew up on a dairy farm near Eau Claire and works as a waitress and small-business owner, narrowly lost to Van Orden in 2024 by less than three percentage points after also losing the 2022 primary. She entered this year's primary with backing from the DCCC's "Red to Blue" program, while Berge campaigned as a local alternative skeptical of national party influence. Cooke holds a fundraising edge, having raised about $8.6 million to Van Orden's $7.5 million, though he retains nearly $3 million more cash on hand.

The western Wisconsin district, covering Eau Claire and La Crosse, has trended Republican in presidential races but is rated a toss-up, making it Democrats' top target in the state as they seek to retake the House majority in November. Cooke is campaigning on rural frustration over Trump administration policies, including tariffs that have hurt farm exports, cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and rising fuel and fertilizer costs tied to the Iran conflict, while Van Orden defends his record backing Trump's agenda. The race is part of a broader Wisconsin battleground that includes the 1st District, where nurse Mitchell Berman will challenge GOP Rep. Bryan Steil, and the solid-red 7th District, won by Sean Duffy's son-in-law Michael Alfonso in the Republican primary.