WATCH: Christina Bohannan’s 2026 bid and Congress’ biggest toss-up district (PT 1) – Cornhole Champions #29

By Amie Rivers

June 18, 2025

Christina Bohannan just announced her campaign for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, setting up a potential third consecutive matchup with US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in America’s most competitive House race. After losing by just 799 votes in 2024 following a district-wide recount, Bohannan is back for another shot at flipping this crucial swing seat.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker take stock of why this margins of this district continue to be so tight.

Also on this episode… Which hands are up in Iowa’s race for governor… Iowa Republicans are in revolt over Reynolds’ CO2 pipeline bill veto… Iowa AG Bird going after law enforcement in Winneshiek…

Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line with music by Avery Mossman and show art by Desirée Tapia. We are a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.

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*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:00 – Cold Open – Diner Debate
07:42 – Breaking News – Christina Bohannan Announces Congressional Campaign
08:00 – Iowa’s 1st District Analysis – Miller-Meeks’ Narrow Victory Margins
08:30 – Trump vs. Miller-Meeks Vote Gap – 34,000 Vote Enthusiasm Difference
09:30 – Trump Loyalty Test – Republican Primary Challenges and Endorsements
11:46 – Christina Bohannan Background – Constitutional Law Professor’s Political Rise
13:00 – Third Time’s the Charm – Historical Context for Repeat Candidates
13:18 – Name Recognition Strategy
14:00 – Closing the Gap – From 20,000 to 800 Vote Margins in Two Years
15:00 – Campaign Experience Value – Building Local Political Infrastructure
16:00 – House Control Stakes – Why This Iowa Race Matters Nationally

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Amie Rivers

Amie Rivers is Starting Line's community editor, labor reporter and newsletter snarker-in-chief. Previously, she was an award-winning journalist at the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier; now, she very much enjoys making TikToks and memes. Send all story tips and pet photos to [email protected] and sign up for our newsletter here.

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CATEGORIES: LOCAL VIDEO

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