����vlog

Several of Iowa’s congressional races are expected to be competitive in 2026 — but incumbent Republicans kept their fundraising leads in most races, according to the latest Federal Election Commission reports.Video above: Iowa political ad spending tops $3 million in 2025, outpacing previous off year levelsU.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn, Republicans representing Iowa’s 1st and 3rd districts respectively, are top targets for Democrats aiming to flip the U.S. House in the upcoming election. But FEC filings covering the money spent and raised by candidates from April 1 through June 30 found Miller-Meeks pulled ahead of her potential Democratic challengers — and ahead of fellow Iowa Republicans in fundraising for the second quarter, raising $1.3 million.Miller-Meeks ended the period with more than $2.05 million cash on hand. In a statement on the fundraising totals, the GOP representative said she was “proud that so many Iowans are stepping up to support our America First fight” by supporting her reelection campaign while Democrats have highlighted her seat as a potential swing district in 2026. The Iowa Republican won reelection in 2024 by less than 800 votes in her race against Democrat Christina Bohannan, who is running again in 2026.“In 2024, Democrats outspent me by millions and still lost, Miller-Meeks said. “That’s because Iowans know I’m fighting for them, not for D.C. elites. We’re building the strongest campaign this district has ever seen, and with over $2 million in the bank, we’ll have the resources to fight back, tell the truth, and keep Iowa red.”Bohannan raised roughly $812,000 in the same period, having raised nearly $927,000 total this election cycle. She thanked her supporters in a news release for supporting her “grassroots campaign” against Miller-Meeks.“Mariannette Miller-Meeks is beholden to Washington special interests: big drug companies, big oil companies, and big insurance companies,” Bohannan said. “She takes their money–over $4 million from the special interests–and votes their way. Our support comes from hardworking Iowans because they know I’ll fight for them and always put Iowa first.”There are three Democrats competing to become the 1st District Democratic nominee — Travis Terrell, a University of Iowa Health Care employee, and Bob Krause, a former state lawmaker, did not file FEC reports as of Wednesday, and Taylor Wettach, a former attorney, entered the race after the second quarter reporting period.David Pautsch, a Republican running in the primary against Miller-Meeks, raised $9,250 in the reporting period.In Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, Nunn raised more than $803,352 through his campaign committee. Nunn is ending the quarter with nearly $1.3 million in cash reserves. The incumbent 3rd District representative also reported raising an additional $320,000 through his campaign joint fundraising committee and $15,000 through his leadership Political Action Committee, ending the second quarter with more than $1.1 million total raised.“I’m deeply grateful to everyone who rallied behind our campaign and chipped in their hard-earned dollars to build upon our mission to keep Iowa’s voice strong in Washington and deliver real results,” Nunn said in a statement. “Together, we’re standing up for lower taxes, safer communities, and a more prosperous future for every Iowa family. I’m ready to keep fighting for commonsense, bipartisan solutions and deliver for Iowa.”Nunn has pulled ahead of fundraising compared to his Democratic challengers, with state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, reporting raising $520,800 and Iowa House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst at $251,045 in the same period.Trone Garriott had celebrated her fundraising haul in a message earlier in July, saying in a news release that the more than $520,000 raised since her campaign launch in May is the most money raised by a Democratic challenger in the 3rd District during their first quarter in the race.“I’m deeply grateful for the support pouring in from across IA-03,” Trone Garriott said in a statement. “I’ve spent my career bringing people together — across faiths, across parties, and across communities — to deliver real results for Iowa families. As a mom, a minister, and a state senator, I know how to listen and how to lead. Iowans are ready for leaders who care more about solving problems than scoring points, and that’s exactly what this campaign is all about.”While no Democrats had yet entered the race against U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson before the reporting period ended, the 2nd District Republican raised $853,757 in the most recent FEC reporting period, and ended the period with more than $2.8 million cash on hand. Democrat Kevin Techau, former Iowa commissioner of public safety, was running for the seat but suspended his campaign in June because of a lack of funding. He raised $142,340 in the second quarter, according to FEC reports.On Tuesday, Democrat Kathy Dolter, former dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College, entered the race to take on Hinson. Iowa Rep. Lindsay James, D-Dubuque, also said she is considering running for the seat.U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, a longtime conservative stronghold, raised less money than the other GOP incumbents in Iowa at just less than $290,000. However, Feenstra may not be running a reelection campaign for the U.S. House — he has an “exploratory” committee launched for Iowa governor, announced after Gov. Kim Reynolds said she will not seek reelection in 2026.Other Republicans have entered the race to fill Feenstra’s position, including Iowa House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl and farmer Kyle Larsen, who entered the race after the FEC reporting period and Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan, who had not submitted an FEC report as of Wednesday.Democrats Ashley WolfTornabane and Stephanie Steiner also announced their campaign after the second quarter reporting period ended. Democrat Ryan Melton, who ran unsuccessfully against Feenstra in 2022 and 2024, had announced a campaign for the 4th District earlier in the year but suspended his campaign in June. He had raised $13,525 in the second quarter period, according to FEC reports.Ernst pulls ahead of competitors in fundraisingU.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, Iowa’s incumbent Republican junior senator, also outraised both her Republican and Democratic competitors in the second quarter — despite questions remaining about whether she will run for another term.Ernst has not formally announced a run for reelection. She has hired a campaign manager and announced she will hold her annual “Roast and Ride” fundraiser in October, but has faced significant criticism in recent months over her statement, “well, we all are going to die,” when responding at a town hall to a person criticizing Medicaid cuts. Some Republicans have also criticized Ernst for her pushback on Trump nominee Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, though she ultimately voted to confirm him to the position.Though Ernst has not officially stated whether she plans to run for reelection in 2026, Politico reported that some in Washington, D.C. are concerned that she will retire after her current term. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporter that he is “doing everything I can to encourage her to run for reelection.”In the most recent FEC reports, Ernst raised nearly $723,000 in the second quarter. This was behind the $1.1 million she raised during the first reporting period of 2025, from Jan. 1 and March 31, and less than she raised during the second quarter during her 2020 reelection campaign of $1.1 million.Some of the Democrats aiming to challenge Ernst raised nearly as much as her during the most recent reporting period. Leading the pack is Democrat Nathan Sage, the executive director of Knoxville Chamber of Commerce who announced his campaign in April. He raised roughly $709,000 from April 1 through June 30. He thanked supporters in a social media post for the support.“That number is mind-boggling,” Sage wrote. “But it proves that this is a people-powered movement, and we’re just getting started.”State Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, reported raising more than $656,000 since he announced his campaign in June. Andy Suchorski, an advisor for Wahls’ campaign, highlighted in a memo to supporters that Wahls’ fundraising “outpaces every single one of his opponents,” highlighting that he raised $400,000 in the first 24 hours after launching his campaign.State Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City, has raised over $175,000 in the reporting period. Scholten, who also launched his campaign in June, thanked supporters in a statement and pledged “to be the candidate that leaves no town or community behind as we fix our broken GoFundMe health care system, broken JBS food system, and Dollar General economy that is leaving working class Iowans behind.”“I’m confident we will have the resources, and I know we have the hustle and Iowa work ethic to win this primary and beat Joni Ernst,” Scholten said. “We believe this election will come down to picking a candidate who can lead the party in all regions of the state and credibly mount the most formidable challenge to Sen. Ernst who has abandoned working class Americans. We believe substance, authenticity, and hard work will be the currency that matters most to Iowans.”Jim Carlin, a Republican challenging Ernst from the right, reported raising nearly $86,000. Libertarian Thomas Laehn raised $2,684 in the same period.Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.