With Election Day now just a matter of days away, all eyes are on Iowa’s many competitive races that could help determine the balance of power in both DC and Des Moines. The state’s 1st Congressional District face-off between Republican incumbent US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan is among the most closely watched House races.
The race is tight, according to polling, but is predicted to “lean Democrat” according to the Cook Political Report and voters in the district will be considering both Bohannan’s proposals as well as Miller-Meeks’ voting record from her five years served in Congress.
The Republican lawmaker has cast key votes on national security, federal spending, healthcare, and more. Listed below are some of the votes she has made that have directly impacted Iowans.
Miller-Meeks on the Iran War
Overseas military engagements most directly impact Iowa families with deployed service members. As international conflicts expand, Iowans face heightened concerns over troop safety, federal defense expenditures, and national security priorities.
Rep. Miller-Meeks has consistently supported federal defense authorization bills and military spending packages related to foreign wars. She voted in favor of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 8070) in 2024. When it comes to US involvement in foreign affairs, she has voted against several bipartisan War Powers Resolutions that sought to limit military measures. She has more recently stated that she does not want “another Vietnam War” in Iran, using the opportunity to mention her brother’s service in the military. However, critics argue her votes against War Powers limits contradict her stated desire to avoid prolonged foreign conflicts.
Big Beautiful Bill
Iowa households and small businesses face persistent cost-of-living pressures, with rising farm input costs and inflation straining family budgets across the 1st district. Rep. Miller-Meeks voted in favor of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” tax and spending package, which permanently extended Tax Cuts and Jobs Act income tax rates, and eliminated federal income taxes on tips and overtime pay. It also added work requirements for non-disabled Medicaid recipients.
While Miller-Meeks promotes these measures as vital cost-of-living relief for working families, recent debate exchanges point out that the tax breaks on tips and overtime expire after two years, while tax cuts for high earners have been made permanent.
Abortion rights
Following recent state-level legal shifts and a severe maternal healthcare shortage, reproductive healthcare is a major concern for Iowans. Access to care, birth control, and fertility treatments remain central issues across rural and urban communities in the state.
Rep. Miller-Meeks co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act (H.R. 1011) and supported the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 26). She also voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act (H.R. 3755), which sought to establish a federal right to abortion access. Throughout her tenure, Miller-Meeks has publicly stated she supports exceptions for rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother. Critics have pointed out the contradiction between her public support for rape and incest exceptions and her co-sponsorship of the Life at Conception Act, which contained no explicit exceptions for those circumstances.
Economy
High interest rates and inflation continue to squeeze Iowa farmers, small business owners, and rural workers struggling to keep up with daily life expenses.
Miller-Meeks voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act (H.R. 2811) to cut back mandatory federal spending and tie debt ceiling increases to government expenditure caps. She also voted to approve the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 7148) to maintain federal operating capabilities while limiting discretionary agency budgets. While Miller-Meeks frequently campaigns on a platform of strict fiscal restraint and curbing government waste, she has also voted for trillion-dollar spending and appropriations packages.
Immigration
Iowa’s agricultural, meatpacking, and manufacturing industries depend heavily on workforce availability, making border security policy and employment verification central to the state’s economy.
Miller-Meeks voted for the Secure the Border Act (H.R. 2), supporting provisions to resume physical border wall construction, tighten asylum eligibility standards, and mandate the use of E-Verify nationwide for employers. She further supported funding included in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (H.R. 7147) to increase border staffing. This bill also expanded operational funding for ICE, including detention capacity, interior enforcement, and personnel staffing. While Miller-Meeks consistently argues that strict enforcement of E-Verify protects American workers, agricultural leaders have voiced concerns that mandatory employer verification without broader visa reforms threatens Iowa’s labor force.
Miller-Meeks’ opponent: Christina Bohannan
Bohannan, a former state representative and law professor, provides a contrasting legislative record and policy reform.
During her time in the Iowa House of Representatives, Bohannan opposed strict state-level abortion limitation, pledging to support codifying Roe v. Wade into federal statute if given the opportunity.
Economically she advocated for targeted tax relief for middle-class families rather than corporate tax breaks.
On immigration, Bohannan emphasizes securing the border and enforcing existing laws. She frequently points to her support for bipartisan border security solutions as an example of that. Bohannan also advocated for comprehensive immigration reform and expanded legal visa pathways to address Iowa’s agricultural labor shortages. Regarding foreign policy, Bohannan criticized Miller-Meeks’ support of prolonged military engagement in Iran and the depletion of defense resources it has caused.
