Two Iowa congressional candidates are ending their campaigns, but still plan to run for office in 2026.
In September, Republican Shannon Lundgren of Peosta announced she would seek the seat currently held by Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, who’s running for the U.S. Senate. Lundgren said she is an “original Trump supporter” because she endorsed Trump in 2015 and she had pledged to be unwavering in backing Trump’s agenda in congress.
Lundgren has been a state legislator since 2017 and says she’s made “the difficult, but clear decision” to seek another term in the Iowa House instead. Two other Republicans are running in Iowa’s second congressional district. Joe Mitchell of Clear Lake is a former state legislator. Charlie McClintock of Alburnett is a current member of the Iowa Senate. Former Congressman Rod Blum of Dubuque withdraw his bid to return to the House last fall.
In Iowa’s first congressional district, Muscatine attorney Taylor Wettach, a Democrat, has ended his U.S. House campaign and is now running for State Auditor. Wettach said Republicans have tried to “muzzle” current State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat who’s running for governor. Wettach said if elected, he’ll work to strengthen the state auditor’s independent oversight of tax dollars. His exit from the first district congressional race means Christina Bohannan of Iowa City and
Travis Terrell of Tiffin are the Democrats running for the chance to face Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks in November.