US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks staves off David Pautsch in 1st District GOP primary

U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks has fended off Republican primary challenger David Pautsch, setting up a rematch with Democrat Christina Bohannan this November.

The Associated Press called the race for Miller-Meeks at 10 p.m. Tuesday With 99% of the vote counted, Miller-Meeks led Pautsch, 56% to 44%.

Miller-Meeks, 68, is an ophthalmologist and former state senator. She was first elected to Congress in 2020 and represents Iowa's 1st Congressional District, which covers 20 counties in southeast Iowa, including Iowa City, Davenport and Keokuk.

She said her priorities for a third term in Congress include bringing down costs for Iowans, including lowering prescription drug prices. She also highlighted immigration, government spending and national debt as important issues to tackle.

In a statement, Miller-Meeks said she was honored to win the nomination and looked forward to campaigning around the district ahead of the November general election.

"I share Iowans’ priorities for the next Congress: securing our southern border, getting inflation and the cost of living under control, tackling the mounting national debt, making sure we have strong K-12 education, and addressing escalating conflicts around the world," she said.

Pautsch, 70, is a businessman and founder of the Quad Cities Prayer Breakfast. He ran against Miller-Meeks from the right, accusing her of not being conservative enough on abortion, immigration and the national debt.

In a phone call Wednesday, Pautsch said the election results show "people are hungry for Republican red meat." He said he doesn't intend to vote for Miller-Meeks in November and believes Iowa's all-Republican congressional delegation needs to be replaced because they don't stand for conservative values.

Miller-Meeks quickly turned her attention to her Democratic opponent in the general election: former state Rep. Christina Bohannan.

"My opponent and her radical leftist agenda will continue to drive costs, keep our borders open, prioritize social politics instead of quality education for our kids and continue rampant government spending, which has led to crippling high prices and interest rates while simultaneously increasing our national debt," Miller-Meeks said in the statement.

Bohannan, 52, was uncontested for her party's nomination. She previously ran against Miller-Meeks in 2022, when she lost by about seven percentage points.

Iowa Democrats issued a statement mocking Miller-Meeks for "nearly losing her primary" and touted Bohannan's ability to run a stronger race this year.

National Democrats have placed the race on their list of 33 Republican-held or open districts they hope to flip.

“I’m overwhelmed by the support we've received since launching this campaign," Bohannan said in a statement. "Iowans are fired up, plain and simple. Mariannette Miller-Meeks puts Washington politicians and special interests before us, from trying to ban abortion nationwide with no exceptions to accepting hundreds of thousands from Big Pharma then voting against lowering prescription drug costs."

Bohannan said her top issue is lowering costs for Iowans, including groceries, gas and prescription drugs. She also hopes to make abortion a major issue in the race.

"I grew up in a working family," Bohannan said in the statement. "I know how tough it is to make ends meet. I will always fight for Iowans and work to lower costs, revitalize our rural communities, and protect reproductive freedom."

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mariannette Miller-Meeks beats David Pautsch in Iowa GOP primary