Democrat Nominee in Iowa Swing District Thinks Third Time Will Be the Charm - But There's a Problem

It's the kind of thing that makes most Americans see red when they think of politicians. They assure voters how hard they are going to work for them if they just vote for them and get them to the state house or Washington, D.C. But after they get elected, something happens, and for so many, their very existence becomes all about nothing but ambition and power, and little else.

Even in politics, patriotism anchors debate. Iowa Democrat Christina Bohannan said patriotism is “sensitive and controversial” while discussing the Pledge of Allegiance and school recitation. https://t.co/V4mdNW64Lq pic.twitter.com/XchZNOhbYA
— Drew Grimaldi (@Grimillionaire) August 10, 2026

Former Democrat state Rep. Christina Bohannan is currently running for Congress in Iowa's 1st Congressional District against Republican incumbent Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. The district includes cities like Davenport and Iowa City, and, according to the Cook Political Report, the race is a "toss-up." This is Bohannan's third time running for the seat. The first time she ran was during her only term in Iowa's House of Representatives. But what Bohannan apparently did not realize was that while she was making that first run in Iowa's CD1, she also had to show up for her day job.

In 2022, Bohannan skipped 348 of 773 floor votes, which comes out to roughly 45 percent of all votes. Bohannan declared her intention to run a third time back in June of 2025, but by October, she was on the campaign trail making statements like this: "At a time when so much is uncertain, it’s more important than ever for leaders to show up and talk directly with Iowans." Wait what?

Bohannan stated in a 2021 interview that she planned to spend "a lot of time on legislative work during the 2022 session." Seems about right since that was what she was elected to do. She added that the rest of her time would be spent working on her congressional campaign. Only that's not what happened. Some of the votes that Bohannan was absent for involved bills regarding protection for sexual abuse victims, volunteer firefighters and first responders, the dairy industry, and agricultural programs, as well as emergency 911 service and juvenile justice reform.

🚨NEW

Iowa Democrat Christina Bohannan said it’s “sensitive and controversial” to love America.

Bohannan has also called Iowans “backwater” and “backwards.” pic.twitter.com/hcUPKk0RUF
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 10, 2026

But the best part, maybe not for Christina Bohannan's taxpaying constituents, but for Bohannan herself, was the fact that she continued to get paid while not making it to the statehouse to vote. In 2022, Iowa legislators earned an annual salary of $25,000, plus $175 a day per diem for up to 100 days, which totaled $17,500.

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But maybe the reason Bohannan keeps losing to Rep. Miller-Meeks is that old "tried and true" Democrat campaign strategy where you insult at least half of the voters. She stated in a 2021 interview that Iowa may be perceived as "backwater" for restricting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training at public schools and universities and biological men playing in women's sports.

Bohannan is also the latest Democrat in a long list of those who portray themselves as champions for "hard-working" and "middle-class" Americans and who supposedly know what it's like "to still struggle to put food on the table." All from the comfort of either her Sarasota, Florida condo valued between $500,001 and $1 million, or her $1.55 million Iowa City home.

Democrats like Christina Bohannan have plenty of problems this election cycle. If they aren't completely over-the-top Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidates, they have a total inability to be authentic to voters. It's pretty simple: if you are going to collect a paycheck, show up, do your job, and maybe don't insult the voters. Iowans will no doubt have that figured out by November.

🚨 UNEARTHED

Christina Bohannan — running for Congress in Iowa — calls Iowa a "backwards state that doesn’t understand there are things like systemic racism and sexism." pic.twitter.com/EimJ8za7lR
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 23, 2026

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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