Two Republican candidates enter wide-open race for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District
With the race for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District now wide open, more candidates are jumping in.
With the race for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District now wide open, more candidates are jumping in.
With the race for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District now wide open, more candidates are jumping in.
The battle for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District is officially underway.
The northeast Iowa district, which covers Cedar Rapids, Mason City and Dubuque, was thrown wide open after Hinson announced she would run for the U.S. Senate instead of seeking reelection. With no incumbent on the ballot, Republicans see a rare opportunity in a district that’s been reliably red but could now be competitive.
“It’s an open seat, right?” said state Sen. Charlie McClintock, who launched his campaign last Thursday. “As a general rule, Republicans support other Republicans. We don't primary. So, when the seat became open with Ashley moving forward to the Senate, then this was my one opportunity.”
McClintock, a longtime public safety official who retired from the Cedar Rapids Police Department this summer, says his priorities mirror his work at the statehouse: housing, education, and the economy. He argues those three issues are the foundation for keeping young people in Iowa.
“Congress is made up of 435 people that literally represent 350 million people,” McClintock said. “And, this is no joke, right? We need to pick the best possible candidate to move forward to represent Iowa. And I think I’m that candidate.”
On Monday, McClintock got his first Republican challenger. Former state lawmaker and real estate developer Joe Mitchell officially launched his campaign, leaning on his experience as one of Iowa’s youngest-ever legislators and as a former Trump administration official.
“I’m running for Congress because too many Iowans have been left behind by a broken political system that works for insiders and lobbyists, not for us,” Mitchell said in a statement. “I’ll work with President Trump to end reckless spending, secure our borders, protect our farmers, and build an economy where hard work pays again.”
Mitchell, who lives in Clear Lake, also founded Run GenZ, a nonprofit that recruits young conservatives to run for state and local office across the country.
Other Republicans are considering campaigns.
Former Iowa Congressman Rob Blum posted a picture of himself next to President Donald Trump on Facebook, writing that "supporters from across Iowa’s Second District" have reached out "to encourage me to run again for Congress."
"The outpouring of support has been humbling - it was the honor of my lifetime to represent our district for four years, standing squarely with President Trump and backing his America First agenda. Stay tuned!" Blum added.
Republican State Rep. Shannon Lundgren said she's "still seriously considering a congressional run."
"I have been busy talking to people across the 2nd District," Lundgren said in a statement to vlog. "We are receiving a lot of encouragement and a positive response. My family and I hope to make an announcement within the next few weeks."
Democrats, meanwhile, see an opening of their own. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has put Iowa’s 2nd District on its target list for 2026 — a sign the party is willing to pour resources into a seat they haven’t flipped in years.
In response to Mitchell's entrance into the race, DCCC spokesperson Katie Smith said, "we going to flip this seat because Iowans are ready for someone who takes on business-as-usual to lower families’ costs and put their communities first.”
Four Democrats are already running: Kathy Dolter, Lindsay James, Don Primus, and Clint Twedt-Ball.
“If you had an incumbent running in this race, nationally Democrats probably wouldn’t be that interested,” said Democratic strategist Jeff Link. “But now that it’s open, anything can happen."
Link says the dynamics will make for another potentially competitive U.S. House race in Iowa.
“I think that second district seat is probably the third most likely to flip from Republican to Democrat, but with an open seat again, you just don’t know,” Link said. “We’ll sort out the Democratic primary. We’ll find out who the Republican nominee is by next June, and then we’ll have a really good contest up there.”
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