Marianette Miller-Meeks
State Senator Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa will have a fourth chance to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Miller-Meeks got 48% of the vote and defeated four challengers to win the GOP Primary in the second congressional district.
“We all have one single, common goal and that is we want to turn the second district into Republican hands,” Miller-Meeks said during an online news conference tonight.
Democrat Dave Loebsack of Iowa City has held a seat in congress for the past 14 years. Miller-Meeks has run against Loebsack three times before, but Loebsack is not seeking reelection. Former state Senator Rita Hart of Wheatland knew since March that she would be the Democratic nominee in the second district. She had no opposition in the primary.
“I’m running a campaign that’s about listening to the voters, to see what makes a difference to them,” Hart said during an interview with Radio Iowa, “what issues are important to them.”
Hart said affordable and accessible health care and rural economic development are the top issues for voters “nd the things that it’s going to take to help people be successful here, high speed internet and keeping our rural hospitals going.”
Miller-Meeks said a competitive GOP Primary has her primed for the General Election.
“We’re delighted to have the name recognition within the district that we have,” Miller-Meeks said.
Miller-Meeks, who is an eye doctor, is a former director of the Iowa Department of Public Health. Her closest competitor in the GOP Primary was Bobby Schilling of Le Claire, a former Illinois congressman.