Inside Iowa Politics: The new candidate who could mean a ‘three-peat’

DES M0INES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — Christina Bohannan, the University of Iowa law professor who this week declared her Democratic campaign for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, could bring the possibility that voters could choose between the same two candidates on the general election ballot for a third straight election.

Bohannan would first have to win what is now a three-person Democratic primary next June. Bob Krause, a veterans’ advocate from Burlington, and Travis Terrell, a health care worker from Tiffin, already declared their campaigns for the nomination.

U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, the Republican from Ottumwa and Davenport who was first elected in 2022, has not publicly declared her re-election for 2026.

David Pautsch, a Davenport businessman, announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination.

If Miller-Meeks won her party’s nomination again in 2026 and Bohannan earned the Democratic nomination, the two candidates could meet for the third straight election.

About the author: Midwest native Dave Price is Gray Television’s Iowa Political Director for nine stations that broadcast in the state and has been covering local, state and national politics from Iowa since 2001.

Dave produces and hosts “Inside Iowa Politics,” a weekly, in-depth show focused on interviews with top leaders on politics, issues, challenges and solutions that impact the state.

He has written two books about the Iowa Caucuses (“Caucus Chaos” and “Caucus Chaos Trump”). Email him at dave.price@gray.tv. Follow him on X (Twitter): @idaveprice Meta/Facebook: DavePriceNews Instagram: idaveprice and LinkedIn: Dave Price.

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