Republican Joe Mitchell and Democrat Lindsay James met twice on stage in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District this month, just weeks ahead of the midterm election—once on Iowa PBS’s “Iowa Press” and once in a debate hosted by Iowa’s News Now.
Both debates were heavy on questions concerning the cost of living, tariffs, and the Iran war. Three exchanges between the candidates stood out.
Has Mitchell taken corporate PAC money before?
Mitchell has pitched himself as the only Republican in the country refusing corporate PAC money.
At the News Now debate, James said her opponent voted against capping insulin costs for kids as a state lawmaker and then received a Pfizer PAC check.
Mitchell didn’t dispute it. “Lindsay is right. I did take corporate PAC money in the legislature,” he said. He added that the experience taught him why he wouldn’t take it in Congress.
What is the data center dispute about?
James told News Now viewers that Mitchell received $100,000 for consulting work with a PR firm tied to data centers. The Lever first reported on Mitchell’s work for KAOH Media, a public relations firm that “helps AI developers navigate public opinion, regulatory hurdles, and community concerns.”
Mitchell called that a lie and said he hasn’t worked for the firm in several years.
The firm confirmed to Iowa Starting Line that Mitchell worked for it as recently as 2024 saying in a statement: “Joe was engaged with KAOH Media working on a wind project in Henry County, Iowa and his work was specifically focused on that particular wind project during the majority of 2024.” KAOH disputed that he worked on projects related to data centers.
On policy, the two largely agree. Both oppose tax incentives for data centers, and Mitchell said he would co-sponsor a bill like Sen. Bernie Moreno’s to bar federal incentives.
Does Iowa’s cancer rate have anything to do with agriculture?
Iowa has one of the nation’s highest and fastest-rising cancer rates, and moderators asked both candidates about the link to water quality.
Asked whether the issue connects to agriculture, Mitchell said he doesn’t think the answer is known yet.
“There’s no study that I’ve seen that has directly pointed that out,” he said. He called for more research and said the problem isn’t caused by farmers. He said the answer is incentives for practices like cover crops and lower input costs.
James said 300,000 Iowans drink from unregulated private wells. She called for more research funding and a water quality monitoring system, and she criticized large corporations like Bayer for asking to be shielded from liability if people get sick from their products.
Pressed on whether conservation practices should become mandatory, James did not give a direct answer. She said the state should boost subsidies for practices like wetlands, prairies, waterways and setbacks, because corn subsidies currently outweigh them.
Where did they agree?
Both said they would support a temporary suspension of the gas tax, and both backed term limits.
Mitchell also agreed with James that government officials shouldn’t be allowed to bet on prediction markets tied to government outcomes.
Election Day is Nov. 3. Early voting is ongoing.
