Two-way Democratic and Republican primaries will determine whether southeast Iowa gets a rematch in what could once again be one of the nation’s closest congressional races.
Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks faces a second challenge from Republican businessman David Pautsch, who failed to oust her in 2024 but came within 12 percentage points despite low name ID and fundraising.
And Democrat Christina Bohannan, a former state lawmaker and University of Iowa law professor, is trying a third time to unseat Miller-Meeks. She first faces a primary challenge from UI Health Care worker Travis Terrell for their party’s nomination.
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.
Iowa’s primary election is June 2.
Click below to learn more about the candidates and where they stand on key issues:
| Bios | Top issue | Cost of living | Immigration | Health care access | Tariffs |
Who is Christina Bohannan?
Who is Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks?
Who is David Pautsch?
Who is Travis Terrell?
What would be your top issue if elected?
Bohannan (D): COSTS: I would repeal unnecessary tariffs, stop corporate price gouging and bring down the cost of gas, groceries and housing to keep more money in your pocket. HEALTH CARE: I would restore Medicaid, fully extend the ACA to lower premiums, and expand Medicare to cover dental, vision and hearing. I’ll take on drug companies to cap insulin at $35 a month for everyone and allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices on drugs. I’ll fight for rural hospitals. CORRUPTION: I would ban congressional stock trading, institute term limits and age caps and end politicians’ personal use of taxpayer dollars.
Miller-Meeks (R): My top priority is breaking through Washington’s dysfunction to deliver economic relief, safer communities and lower health care costs for all Americans. As a doctor, I’m trained to solve problems, not talk in circles like the political establishment. I’ve taken them on to lower prescription drug costs and eliminate taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security for most seniors. I will always protect your tax dollars by rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, securing the border, and backing law enforcement, so Iowa never becomes like Illinois, Minnesota or California.
Pautsch (R): Eliminating the federal income tax with fiscal responsibility. By slashing waste, fraud and abuse in the $7 trillion federal budget — potentially up to 50% — we can replace the $2.6 trillion in income tax revenue without raising other taxes. This will be achieved by restoring fiscal soundness to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for deserving recipients; returning to the gold standard to end dollar devaluation; and keeping $2.6 trillion in the economy to drive strong growth and sustainable revenues. This is real tax relief, paired with fiscal discipline and monetary stability.
Terrell (D): My top priority is lowering the cost of living for working people, starting with universal health care. No one should go broke just to stay alive. I’ve seen firsthand how high costs force families to choose between medication and basic needs. We need a system that guarantees care for everyone. Alongside that, I’ll fight for higher wages and stronger worker protections so people can actually get ahead, not just survive.
How can Congress help Iowans struggling with high costs?
Miller-Meeks (R): After four years of record high inflation under Biden and Harris, it’s time to focus on what actually works: lowering costs and growing paychecks. That starts with cutting wasteful Washington spending, because we cannot keep printing money and expect prices to come down. At the same time, we have to take on the big insurance companies driving up health care costs; make it easier for families to build and buy homes, including stopping Wall Street from buying up single-family housing; and unleash American energy dominance to bring down costs across the board.
Pautsch (R): Eliminating the federal income tax would return thousands to Iowa families, boosting take home pay and easing burdens. Congress should encourage states to replace regressive property taxes that hit homeowners, seniors and working families hardest. Through incentives like funding adjustments or reform tied block grants, states can shift to fairer, consumption based or income neutral taxes. Together, these changes offer real relief while supporting growth and fiscal responsibility.
Terrell (D): Congress can lower costs by guaranteeing universal health care so families aren’t crushed by medical bills, allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices and capping out-of-pocket costs. We also need to raise wages, strengthen worker protections, and invest in housing and infrastructure to bring down everyday expenses. Iowans aren’t struggling because they’re doing something wrong, they’re being squeezed by a system that puts profits over people.
Bohannan (D): I believe that if you work hard, you should get ahead. We need real leadership for Iowa that is not bought and sold by corporations, billionaires and special interests. I’ll take on corporate price gouging that is causing everyday costs to skyrocket, as well as the private equity firms that are buying up Iowa properties and making housing and farmland more expensive. I’ll end the reckless tariffs that are wreaking havoc on household budgets, and overturn the largest billionaire tax giveaway in American history. I’ll fight for higher wages and stronger protections for organized labor.
How do you rate President Trump’s handling of immigration, and what should Congress’ role be in setting immigration policy?
Pautsch (R): President Trump has done a tremendous job of enforcing existing immigration laws after the Biden administration permitted over 20 million illegal immigrants to enter. Our country is founded on laws, which produce order. We cannot tolerate the lawless practices of the left. Congress does need to streamline legal immigration pathways for genuine contributors, while ensuring terrorists, criminals and non-assimilators leave. Immigration without assimilation is insurrection. The oath to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution is not a formality — it is the heart of a secure, unified America.
Terrell (D): I don’t support how Donald Trump has handled immigration. Fear-based policies and political stunts haven’t fixed a broken system. We need real reform. Congress must lead by creating a fair, functional system that fixes legal pathways and treats people with dignity. That also means holding employers accountable for exploitation and addressing the root causes that drive people to come here in the first place.
Bohannan (D): Washington politicians have been kicking the can down the road and refusing to do their job to put us on a sustainable path that protects our borders and solves our immigration crisis. I believe in comprehensive immigration reform that fixes our broken immigration system and creates a lawful and orderly process for immigrants. I believe in national sovereignty and our need to protect our own borders. I also believe that immigration enforcement officers should be held to the same standards of professionalism, transparency and accountability as other law enforcement officers.
Miller-Meeks (R): A nation without borders is not a nation. Under former President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, we saw over 10 million illegal crossings, a complete breakdown of law and order, and dangerous drugs like fentanyl flooding into our communities. We’ve made progress securing the border, but the job is not finished, and we cannot afford to go backward. Congress must continue to fully support Customs and Border Protection, enforce our immigration laws, and stop the trafficking of people and deadly drugs into our country. We must also focus on commonsense, legal immigration reforms. Seasonal farm workers is a good place to start.
What steps should Congress take to make health care more affordable and accessible?
Terrell (D): Congress should pass Medicare for All to guarantee universal health care so everyone is covered and no one goes broke for getting care. This would eliminate premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs while allowing full negotiation of drug prices. We also need to invest in rural hospitals and address provider shortages so care is truly accessible. Health care should be a right, not a privilege.
Bohannan (D): Congress should repeal the Medicaid cuts and fully fund our rural hospitals, which have had to cut services or close entirely these past months because of Miller-Meeks’ votes to cut funding. I believe we should extend the (enhanced) ACA premium credits to keep the cost of health care low. Also, Medicare should expand to include dental, hearing and vision benefits, and it should be able to negotiate on more drug costs. I will take on Big Pharma and the insurance industry, which have controlled Miller-Meeks’ votes in Congress in exchange for campaign contributions in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Miller-Meeks (R): Health care costs are too high, we need to lower them for ALL Americans. As a physician, I’ve seen firsthand how rising premiums, high out-of-pocket costs and skyrocketing prescription drug prices put real strain on families. It’s not doctors or patients driving these costs, it’s the big insurance companies and middlemen like pharmacy benefit managers that are gaming the system and driving prices higher. We need to increase competition, reduce bureaucratic barriers and put patients, not corporations, at the center of our health care system.
Pautsch (R): The Affordable Care Act should be repealed because it is neither affordable nor caring, benefiting mainly insurers and drug companies. We need to aggressively emphasize preventive health care — healthy eating, supplements, stress reduction, rest, exercise, blood health and forgiveness. Also, expand insurance competition and medical co-ops, allow insurance sales across state lines, cut federal mandates to lower premiums, strengthen Health Savings Accounts, boost price transparency, give states more control through waivers, promote private sector solutions and eliminate single-payer systems.
Have President Trump’s tariffs helped or hurt Iowans? What changes would you push for in Congress to shape the White House tariff and agriculture policy?
Bohannan (D): These reckless tariffs are wreaking havoc on Iowa’s families, small businesses and farmers. The cost of everything, from food to fuel to building materials, has been increasing — and despite the harm these tariffs do to working families, Miller-Meeks has voted five times to defend them. The tariffs must be repealed. For our farmers, the price of everything from seed to fertilizer to diesel is skyrocketing, and on the back end, our trade relationships have been damaged and valuable markets are being lost. We need to invest in our farmers and empower them to be stewards of their land.
Miller-Meeks (R): For Iowa farmers, the most important thing is certainty. Agriculture depends on stable markets and reliable access to trading partners. When there’s uncertainty, it hits our farmers first and hardest. That’s why my focus is on expanding market access, strengthening trade relationships, and ensuring our farmers have the stability they need to compete and succeed. We should be building on strong trade agreements, opening new markets for Iowa products, and making sure agriculture is always a priority in any trade policy. Congress must also pass year-round E-15 and get the Farm Bill done.
Pautsch (R): Tariffs are a key tool to confront unfair trade, especially by China. Short-term pain supports long-term gains for U.S. farmers and manufacturers. Iowa farmers have faced challenges, but relief payments and new trade deals have helped offset losses. Targeted tariffs and new trade agreements can open markets for Iowa crops, livestock and biofuels. I’ll push for a robust Farm Bill that supports crop insurance, rural infrastructure and ethanol. Reducing regulations and curbing fertilizer monopolies would significantly improve farm profitability.
Terrell (D): Donald Trump’s approach to tariffs has hurt many Iowans, especially farmers. Tariffs don’t have to be a bad thing, but his trade wars triggered retaliatory tariffs that shut Iowa farmers out of key markets and raised costs. In Congress, I’d push for a smarter strategy that expands market access, invests in domestic production and brings stability so farmers and workers aren’t left paying the price.
Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X at @marissajpayne.
Read much more about all the primary candidates at: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/news/elections/.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet the 4 candidates running for US House in Iowa’s 1st District
Reporting by Marissa Payne, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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