DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Incumbent Republican Zach Nunn fought off a strong challenge from Democrat Lanon Baccam Tuesday as Iowa Republicans sought to hold onto all four of the state’s congressional seats.
Nunn narrowly defeated Baccam in Iowa’s 3rd District, which includes much of the Des Moines metro area. Republican incumbents Ashley Hinson in the 2nd District and Randy Feenstra in the 4th District also won reelection, with both winning convincingly.
By early Wednesday, the 1st District rematch between incumbent Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrat Christina Bohannan remained too early to call.
Like other House races, abortion was a key issue in the 3rd District. Baccam said he would vote to restore national abortion rights that ended when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Nunn said that although he opposes abortion rights and has voted for severe abortion restrictions in Iowa, he doesn’t support a nationwide abortion ban.
Both candidates promised to support efforts to make Congress less dysfunctional and more focused on solving problems. Nunn also highlighted the need to reduce illegal border crossings, and Baccam called for improving the economy and creating more middle class jobs.
Both Nunn and Baccam have military backgrounds, as Baccam served in the Iowa National Guard and deployed to Afghanistan. Nunn served as an Air Force pilot and had three deployments to the Middle East. He was promoted to an Air Force colonel in June.
Hinson defeated Democrat Sarah Corkery in the 2nd District. Hinson, a former news anchor for KCRG-TV, said her top issue is strengthening the country’s southern border.
Feenstra won election to a third term in the sprawling 4th District, made up of 36 of Iowa’s 99 counties, defeating Democrat Ryan Melton. Republicans hold a huge edge in registered voters in the 4th District and typically win general elections by wide margins.
In the 1st district, Miller-Meeks is seeking her third U.S. House term as she faces the same Democrat she beat in 2022. In that race, Miller-Meeks topped Bohannan by about 7 percentage points — a far greater spread than her six vote margin in 2020 over Democrat Rita Hart.
In her campaign, Bohannan, a University of Iowa law professor and former legislator, emphasized her support of abortion rights at a time with Iowa Republicans have changed the law to outlaw abortions in most circumstances. She also called for reducing costs for a range of goods and services, including groceries, gas and housing.
Miller-Meeks, a former ophthalmologist, opposes abortion rights and supported a bill that sought a national abortion ban after 15 weeks that would have allowed states to impose even stricter limits. She also has said she wants to help reduce inflation and improve the economy, and she supports lowering the price of prescription drugs and over-the-counter oral contraceptives.
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