Miller-Meeks loses reelection in battleground Iowa House race

Democrat Christina Bohannan is projected to unseat Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) in the race for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ, flipping a key battleground seat for Democrats.

Bohannan, a University of Iowa law professor and former state lawmaker, defeated the three-term Republican in their third consecutive general election match-up after narrowly losing to Miller-Meeks in 2022 and 2024.

The victory comes two years after Miller-Meeks defeated Bohannan by just 799 votes in 2024, one of the closest House races in history. The results were confirmed after a recount, allowing Miller-Meeks to secure another term in Congress.

Miller-Meeks also won her 2020 election bid to Congress by just six votes, defeating Democrat Rita Hart in what was then Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District.

The southeastern Iowa district, which includes Iowa City, Davenport and Burlington, emerged as one of the most competitive House races in recent election cycles. President Trump, who endorsed Miller-Meeks, carried the district by more than 8 percentage points in 2024.

The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report moved the race from “toss up” to “lean Democrat” in October, citing Miller-Meeks’s unpopularity and growing challenges in the political environment for Republicans as she sought a fourth term.

Both parties poured millions of dollars into the race. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with House Republican leadership, spent $5 million on television and digital advertising. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) joined Miller-Meeks on the campaign trail and has described the district as one of the most consequential battlegrounds.

Bohannan, meanwhile, emerged as a fundraising juggernaut, spending nearly $5 million on television advertising while the Democratic-aligned House Majority PAC planned another $4 million in spending.

Democrats targeted Miller-Meeks over her support for the Trump administration’s tariffs, arguing that the policies had hurt Iowa’s agriculture-heavy economy. Bohannan, who previously served in the Iowa state House, campaigned on lowering costs for working families and protecting access to healthcare. She also criticized Miller-Meeks for supporting sweeping tax and spending legislation.

Bohannan’s victory ends Miller-Meeks’s tenure in Congress and delivers Democrats a closely watched pickup in their effort to win back the House majority.