Meet the candidates running for Iowa's 1st Congressional District in southeast Iowa

Three candidates are competing to represent Iowa's 1st Congressional District, which includes Indianola, Iowa City, Davenport and Keokuk in the southeastern corner of the state.

Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks is seeking re-election to a third term. She is facing a primary challenge from Republican David Pautsch. The winner will face Democrat Christina Bohannan in the general election.

To help voters, the Des Moines Register sent questions to all federal and Des Moines area legislative candidates running for political office this year. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

The primary election is scheduled for June 4 ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.

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Who is US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks?

Age: 68.

Party: Republican.

Current town of residence: Davenport, but my husband and I retained our 50-acre property in Wapello County.

Education: I am a first-generation college student, leaving home at 16 to start at San Antonio JUCO and earned a bachelor of science in nursing degree from Texas Christian University. I later earned my master of science in education from USC and my medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center and then ophthalmology residency at the University of Iowa.

Occupation: Member of Congress, physician, ophthalmologist.

Political experience and civic activities: I was the first woman president of the Iowa Medical Society. I ran for Congress unsuccessfully as a Republican in 2008, 2010 and 2014. In 2010, Gov. Branstad appointed me as the director of Iowa Department of Public Health. I served in his administration for three years. In 2018, I was elected to Iowa Senate District 41, comprised of Wapello, Jefferson, Davis and Van Buren counties. I was elected to Congress in 2020 and 2022. I’ve been a CASA volunteer, chief of medical staff at Ottumwa Regional, Rotary member and practicing Catholic.

Who is David Pautsch?

Age: 70.

Party: Republican.

Current town of residence: Davenport.

Education: Bachelor of arts in marketing/communications from Virginia Tech.

Occupation: Business Owner: Marketing Consulting.

Political experience and civic activities: Founder and executive director of the annual Quad Cities Prayer Breakfast (1995 to present).

Who is Christina Bohannan?

Age: 52.

Party: Democrat

Current town of residence: Iowa City.

Education: Although neither of my parents finished high school, they taught me the value of hard work — I am a first-generation college student with a bachelor of science in environmental engineering and a law degree from the University of Florida.

Occupation: Professor, University of Iowa College of Law

Political experience and civic activities: I have always been a political outsider. I grew up in a small, overlooked rural town and have been a teacher for the past 25 years. But, in 2020, I stood up to run for office for the first time because we needed change. I increased protections for working families, pushed for investment in our public schools, and helped Iowa families and small businesses through the challenges of COVID-19. I’ve worked with both parties to pass legislation cracking down on human trafficking and elder abuse. All people need somebody to have their backs. I will stand up for everyday Iowans.

What would be your top issue should you be elected?

Miller-Meeks: My top priority, should I be reelected, is to continue my work on lowering inflation in food and fuel costs, lowering prescription drug prices, over-the-counter oral contraceptives and to champion policies that bolster our economy and create opportunities for all Iowans. This includes supporting small businesses, promoting job growth, and advocating for initiatives that improve education and healthcare access. Additionally, I'm committed to advancing renewable energy solutions, securing energy independence and protect our environment. I’ll persist in legal immigration reform and border security. We also need a commission to address long term debt.

Pautsch: Stability for families. Everything begins with the family. It's the bedrock of society. So I want to ensure the preeminence of parental rights, free of government forcing woke sexual agendas on students in combination with transgender predation. Raising children is expensive and dramatic reductions of inflation are critical to making family life affordable. Government should allow the free market system to provide the lowest cost private health care possible. Incentivize the presence of the father and mother in the home. Enhance practical educational opportunities. And protect our children from bullies at school by empowering school discipline and accountability.

Bohannan: We badly need action to bring down costs. From groceries to gas to housing, our cost of living is simply too high. I grew up in a trailer where my parents worked hard to make ends meet — my dad as a construction worker before he got sick, and my mom in a daycare. I know firsthand the stress and impact that price increases of just a few cents can place on family budgets over time. I’ll fight to lower costs by going after price gouging corporations that have taken advantage of the pandemic to raise prices and increase their profits.

What is the most important domestic policy you would champion in Congress?

Miller-Meeks: I'm dedicated to lowering prescription drug prices and healthcare access with affordability which preserves choice. I’m committed to expanding our renewable energy sector and securing US energy dominance. Iowa has excelled as a net exporter of renewable energy, leveraging our abundant resources and strategic geography. I aim to demonstrate that clean, renewable energy is achievable nationwide, using Iowa as a model. Transitioning to clean energy can be done without burdensome government regulations. The other big issue I am fighting for is paid family leave. I am part of the bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group — it is so important to be pro-family for the entire family.

Pautsch: Restore law and order. Our current judicial system is corrupted by bribed judges, needless and lengthy delays with prosecution and sentencing, defunding of the police, and failure to enforce the laws in place.

Bohannan: Too many of our rural towns have been ignored and left behind. We need to invest in rural infrastructure that ensures Iowans can live and build businesses that create good jobs in our small towns, improve the quality of our schools and expand access to childcare so that families choose to remain in these communities, and expand housing stock for families and seniors alike to boost affordability and give everyone a safe place to live. Iowa’s rural communities are our strength, and it’s time politicians in Washington treated them like the priority they deserve to be.

What is a specific piece of bipartisan legislation you would push for in Congress?

Miller-Meeks: One recent piece of bipartisan legislation that we were able to introduce recently is the “ON SHORE Act of 2024” — it is a bill to create manufacturing jobs. This legislation will greatly help Iowans and will strengthen our supply chains by giving communities the tools that they need to attract manufacturing jobs, companies, and facilities. This program not only empowers regions to attract investment and create jobs in Iowa but also ensures our nation's strategic interests and economic security are safeguarded. I also have several bipartisan bills on PBM reform that would save the federal government money and lower patients costs of prescription drugs.

Pautsch: Enhanced measures to protect our children and grandchildren from drugs, sexual abuse and bullies at school.

Bohannan: We need to expand opportunity for Iowans who do not wish to go to college by greatly increasing career and technical education programs, apprenticeship programs, and other job training certifications. We have a massive shortage of skilled labor, with too few plumbers, electricians, pipefitters, trained factory workers, HVAC technicians, and numerous other fields which provide good jobs on which you can support a family without having to take on a mountain of debt for college. And our economy badly needs more skilled workers in these areas so we can support Iowa businesses with the employees they need.

What specific steps, if any, should Congress take to secure the border and improve immigration policy?

Miller-Meeks: The Republican-led house has taken positive action, but President Biden needs to be held accountable for disastrous and radical actions. Biden and the Democrat's actions are dangerous and divisive. Securing our border and improving immigration policy are crucial. Congress should invest in border security measures like physical barriers and technology like we passed with HR2. I’ve also co-led several immigration fixes such as the Afghan Adjustment Act and America’s Children Act.

Pautsch: Biden has intentionally created this invasion, and nothing short of removing him and his corrupt administration will solve this horrific national security crisis. With a courageous Congress and a brave president, the border can easily be sealed, terrorist cells can be immediately identified and neutralized, the sex trafficking and drug cartels can by destroyed, and compassionate deportation of illegal invaders can begin. All immigration should be frozen (except in special compassionate cases) until the deportation is complete.

Bohannan: We must secure the border. This current Congress had a golden opportunity to pass the toughest bipartisan border security bill in a generation that was backed by the Border Patrol. Yet Rep. Miller-Meeks chose to play partisan political games and refused to support it. We hear year after year from politicians in Washington that they support border security and want to fix our broken immigration system, but they refuse to take any action. I’ll work with anyone to put more Border Patrol agents on the ground, expand inspection equipment to stop fentanyl trafficking, and increase processing capacity.

After the fall of Roe v. Wade, America is seeing a wide variety of abortion laws across states. Should Congress create a federal policy outlining abortion restrictions that are uniform across the country? If so, what should that look like?

Miller-Meeks: Throughout my tenure in Congress and the Iowa Senate, I've consistently upheld a staunchly pro-life stance with exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is endangered. I believe the decision is best left to the states. However, given that in 2022, all House Democrats, but one, voted for radical abortion-on-demand until the time of birth, I signed onto a bill limiting abortions after 15 weeks — when scientific evidence suggests the unborn child can feel pain. This proposal would not supersede states that have stricter restrictions but would prohibit the extreme radical position of the Democrats abortion up to and beyond birth.

Pautsch: Common sense tells us that protecting life is everyone's job, on both a state and federal level. The task would be easier if the federal government established a National Adoption Care Network (NACN) where non-governmental organizations were funded to identify pregnant mothers and provide non-judgmental aid for these mothers who may be in a financial and emotional bind, unable to keep and care for their unborn child. Instead of 900,000 children being aborted each year, NACN could match these UNWANTED babies with the 2 millions couples WANTING to adopt them. Currently only 115,000 children are adopted each year.

Bohannan: No politician — whether in Washington or Des Moines — should be able to tell women what they can do with their own bodies. Those decisions should be made by women and their families in consultation with their doctor. Yet Mariannette Miller-Meeks backed a complete nationwide abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or situations in which the life of the mother is at risk. Her ban would even end IVF fertility treatments nationwide. That simply can’t happen. We must restore the rights, protections, and freedoms that Roe v. Wade guaranteed Iowa women so they can make their own healthcare decisions.

Should Congress take steps to protect Americans’ access to in-vitro fertilization?

Miller-Meeks: My youngest sister struggled with infertility and I’m fully supportive of IVF. By the grace of God, she has two children with some assistance and a third quite unexpected three years after the birth of twins. There is nothing more pro-life than bringing another life into the world. There has been no bill voted upon that prohibits IVF. No one, myself included, has sponsored, signed onto or advanced a bill in Congress limiting or prohibiting IVF. Yet we have put forth resolutions for our support for IVF. And we'll continue to work on making sure people understand and are supported when it comes to IVF. But legislation may be desirable to remove any confusion or doubt.

Pautsch: Congress should establish some ethical and moral standards for the practice of IVF to prevent over-production of embryonic babies that will not be used and killed. Here again the adoption option is a clear path for those unable to conceive, even with IVF, and who could carry and raise these unwanted embryonic babies.

Bohannan: Yes. IVF fertility treatment gives so many Iowans the chance to have children and is an essential part of the decision of whether, when, and how people are able to start a family. I myself have tried IVF, as have thousands of Iowa women desperately praying for a family. Despite this, Mariannette Miller-Meeks co-sponsored a measure that would end IVF fertility treatments nationwide, a horrific outcome. We need to protect IVF for families and providers alike.

Iowans are struggling with rising costs and inflation. What can Congress do to fix it?

Miller-Meeks: Inflation is a huge problem — causing significant hardship for Iowa families, yet Democrats have failed to act. President Biden's policies have led to soaring gas prices and food prices, record high interest rates and driven up costs across the board. Democrats have left us with a stagnant economy devoid of solutions. To tackle this issue, we must unleash American energy, trim unnecessary government spending, support domestic manufacturing, grow the economy and prioritize American innovation. The regulatory burden this administration has imposed is reflected in lower wages not keeping pace with inflation and slower growth.

Pautsch: Very simply, Congress should radically slash government spending and eliminate whole departments and agencies from the government. We are on a path to economic destruction because of the unwillingness of the government to control spending. It causes inflation, stagflation and, eventually, it will cause a catastrophic national bankruptcy.

Bohannan: We must take on corporations who have been caught price gouging Iowans to increase their profits. They have too much control of Washington politicians and are not being held accountable. My opponent Mariannette Miller-Meeks has taken more than $150,000 from the oil and gas industry and voted against a bill to stop them from price gouging. She’s taken nearly $200,000 from the drug industry and voted against allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices and against capping insulin costs at $35 a month for seniors. It doesn’t have to be that way. Congress can do its part to protect customers.

What policies would you advocate to include in the next Farm Bill?

Miller-Meeks: I’ve joined numerous meetings and roundtables with farmers to make sure I understand the issues they are facing and the importance of the Farm Bill. I was able to sponsor a bill protecting Iowa farmland from foreign investors. Additionally, I’m working to strengthen crop insurance, conservation programs, and building upon existing energy programs to support renewable energy production, all while securing funding and support for biochar research at Iowa State University. Finally, I am working to expand rural development with rural broadband projects as well as supporting and enabling access to E-15 year-round here in Iowa and Nationwide.

Pautsch: The agricultural portion ought to include more funding for objective review of bogus environmental studies that encourage the misguided notion that carbon excesses are causing global warming. These lies have the potential to destroy farming. And the bill should include more protections for farmers from radical environmental regulations regarding water use and CO2 pipeline land grabs. THE NON-FARMING SIDE, which covers over 82% of the Farm Bill should place more emphasis on work requirements for qualified participants since work is the pathway out of poverty.

Bohannan: The Farm Bill has to support family farmers rather than corporate agricultural giants. Iowa has lost 30,000 family farms because giant companies and their lobbyists are crowding family farmers out. The shift from community-oriented family farms to out-of-state corporate ownership seeking only to extract as much profit from Iowa as they can has been devastating. The Farm Bill must ensure family farmers are supported with fair crop insurance rates that protect against extreme weather, programs that support next-generation and first-time farmers, and investments in agricultural R&D to boost farm productivity in sustainable ways that keep local communities healthy.

What should be Congress' priority when addressing the federal budget — cutting spending or directing money toward programs and services?

Miller-Meeks: My priority in addressing the federal budget deficit and debt would be to advocate policies that grow the economy while fighting for fiscal responsibility in prioritizing spending, ensuring that vital programs and services receive adequate funding. This means carefully scrutinizing government spending to identify areas where we can reduce waste and inefficiency, while also prioritizing investments that support Iowa's economy, infrastructure, and the well-being of our communities.

Pautsch: Clearly it should be cutting spending. We cannot afford more programs and services. The federal government should return to being the servant of the states and not their masters. This was the original intent of the founders of our nation, and this austerity is the only way we can return to financial solvency and economic security. The state of Iowa has proven it can be done.

Bohannan: We must reduce the federal deficit and make our spending more responsible. But this does not need to be a choice between strengthening Iowa and cutting funding — we can do both. We need to strengthen, not cut essential programs like Social Security and Medicare, public education and investments in our infrastructure. And we can balance our budget by reducing wasteful spending and ensuring the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share in taxes. We can both grow our economy and strengthen our communities while also getting our budget in order.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet the candidates in Iowa's 1st Congressional District