JOHNSTON, Iowa – Iowa Press hosted a debate on Monday evening between candidates in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District: incumbent U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, and her challenger State Rep. Christina Bohannan, D-Iowa City. Kay Henderson of Radio Iowa moderated the debate. Clay Masters of Iowa Public Radio and Stephen Gruber-Miller of The Des Moines Register joined her to ask questions of the candidates.
Miller-Meeks, 67, is serving her first term in Congress. Before serving in Congress, she represented Iowa Senate District 41 in the Iowa Senate from 2019 to 2021. Miller-Meeks also served as the director of the Iowa Department of Public Health from 2011-2014. She is an ophthalmologist who lives in Ottumwa. Miller-Meeks enlisted at the age of 18 in the United States Army and served for 24 years retiring as a lieutenant colonel.
Bohannan, 51, served one term representing Iowa House District 85 in the Iowa House of Representatives. Originally from Florida, Bohannan moved to Iowa City to teach at the University of Iowa College of Law in 2000 where she has also served as president of the faculty senate. Bohannan also served as an environmental engineer for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
The newly drawn Iowa 1st Congressional District is located in southeastern Iowa and includes Cedar, Clinton, Des Moines, Henry, Iowa, Jasper, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Louisa, Lee, Mahaska, Marion, Muscatine, Scott, Van Buren, Washington, and Warren counties.
Watch the debate above or here.
