Three Democratic women won their elections to the US House of Representatives in Iowa last week, for the first time in Iowa’s history. They flipped three Republican-held congressional seats which aided the shift of control in the House to the Democratic Party—and they won their seats despite facing derogatory nicknames and attacks from their political opponents.
Until now, no more than two Democratic women have ever held US House seats simultaneously in Iowa, which happened in 2018.
The victories by former state Rep. Christina Bohannan, state Rep. Lindsay James, and state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott secured three of the state’s four US House seats.
The trio posed for a photo together during the new member orientation in DC. It was shared to Trone Garriott’s X account on Nov. 8 with the caption, “From IA to the House of Representatives.”
“It is so exciting to imagine serving and leading with this exceptional group of humans,” James said in an interview with KGLO. “I am so honored.”
Nasty names
After the June primaries, Republican National Committee spokesman Zach Kraft called Trone Garriott the “Wicked Witch of Woke” and Bohannan the “Queen of DEI” in an interview with The Daily Signal.
Emily Tuttle, the deputy communications director of the NRCC, took to X to echo the same sentiment.
“The real question: Are Sarah Trone Garriott & @BohannanIowa actually running for Iowa’s “DEI Queen,” Tuttle posted.
Later in the race, the Congressional Leadership Fund ran TV ads in Iowa’s 3rd District calling Trone Garriott “kooky and dangerous.” Iowa Fact Check, an independent source reviewer deemed the claim as an unsupported character smear.
Historic turnout
Voters looked past those attacks and broke the state record for midterm election voter turnout for the first time in over three decades.
In Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, Bohannan defeated Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in their third matchup. Bohannan had lost to Miller-Meeks by just 799 votes in 2024.
James won the open seat previously held by Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson, who ran for the US Senate and lost to Democrat Josh Turek.
In the 3rd Congressional District, Trone Garriott unseated incumbent Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, whose spokesman had previously accused her of defending “witchcraft” and lecturing Iowans. Rep. Nunn called her “crazy” on his X account.
The candidates centered their successful campaigns on lowering everyday costs, defending reproductive rights, and protecting access to public education and healthcare.
The newly elected congresswomen will take office when the next legislative session convenes in January. Once sworn in on Capitol Hill, they will join the new Democratic House majority.
