Democrat Lindsay James has clinched her party’s nomination for Iowa’s open 2nd Congressional District, the Associated Press projects. The race has not been called on the Republican side, with Trump-endorsed Joe Mitchell currently leading in the polls.
James, a state representative from Dubuque, defeated Clint Twedt-Ball and Kathy Dolter in the Democratic primary Tuesday, June 2, according to unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office.
James led with 64% of the vote, followed by Twedt-Ball with 20% and Dolter with 15%, with 16.5% of precincts reporting. The Associated Press called the race at 9:05 p.m. Tuesday.
James has yet to declare victory.
The northeast Iowa seat has recently leaned Republican but is drawing a fresh look without incumbent U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson on the ballot. The District 2 seat opened up after Hinson launched a campaign for U.S. Senate rather than seek reelection to Congress.
Her exit set off contested primaries in both parties, with Mitchell emerging as the Donald Trump-backed Republican frontrunner while Democrats jostled in a much closer race for the nomination.
Cook Political Report has shifted the race from “Solid R” to “Likely R,” saying Democrats “have a better shot” at competing now that Hinson is running for another position.
James has centered her campaign on affordability and corporate influence in politics. She has advocated for Medicare drug negotiations, expanding the child tax credit, increasing housing supply and reversing Medicaid cuts.
Twedt-Ball and Dolter did not immediately concede Tuesday night.
The 2nd District stretches across 22 counties in northeast Iowa and includes Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque and Mason City. It was reshaped during Iowa’s 2021 redistricting process following the 2020 Census.
As of May, Republicans held a voter registration advantage in the district, with about 161,810 active registered Republicans compared with roughly 131,913 Democrats, according to Iowa Secretary of State data. Roughly 156,751 voters are registered with no party affiliation.
Nick El Hajj is a reporter at the Register. He can be reached at nelhajj@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @nick_el_hajj.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: James clinches Dem nomination for Ashley Hinson’s 2nd District seat
Reporting by Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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