It’s time for another episode of “Fun with Campaign Finance.” OK, calm down.
This week we’re digging into numbers crunched by Open Secrets for the 1st Congressional District race between Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrat Christina Bohannan.
It’s a rematch. In 2022 Miller-Meeks beat Bohannan by more than 20,000 votes, 53.4% to 46.6 percent. It wasn’t close, which is probably why this fall’s contest is seen as a Republican hold according to the people who do predictions.
It’s an old-fashioned Southeast Iowa cage match. OK, maybe not.
At this point, the big number contest is largely even. Bohannon has raised roughly $3.4 million. That’s more than she raised in all of 2022. Both candidates have more than $2 million left in the bank.
Miller-Meeks has raised less this time than in 2022. She’s also raised about $3.4 million compared to $4.5 million in 2022. There’s plenty of time for more money to flow into both campaigns.
Bohannan hasn’t received much support from Democratic groups. But the money train may be just around the bend.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved time for nearly $1 million in ads in Cedar Rapids and Davenport. The House Majority PAC has reserved $350,000 worth of ads in the 1st District.
So the party has pledged to do far more for Bohannan than in 2022.
Otheerwise, if this is a contest that turns on the support of retired voters, it could be close.
Open Secrets sorts individual donations by “industry.” And the top industry for both candidates is “retired,” with $480,000 contributed to Miller-Meeks and $548,000 for Bohannan.
Maybe it will turn on who wins Iowa City Zip code 52240. It’s the top Zip code for donations to Miller-Meeks, at $45,000. But she’s no match for Bohannan, who has raised nearly $122,000 in 52240. Bohannan has also raised considerable dollars in Iowa City ZIP codes 52245 and 52246.
Did I mention, in 2022, Johnson County was the only county Bohannan won? Shocking.
Bohanan has raised more money in the 1st District, $709,000, than Miller-Meeks, just north of 299,000. But both have raised roughly 70% of their campaign dollars outside the district. Bohannan raised $1.8 million outside the district while Miller-Meeks has raised just more than $1.5 million at this point.
Overall, Bohannan has raised nearly half of her money out-of-state, while Miller-Meeks’ out-of-state donations make up nearly 69% of her haul.
Miller-Meeks raised $944,000 from business PACs. And in general, the Republican has raised far more PAC money, $1.4 million to Bohannan’s $291,000. Ah, the perks of incumbency.
Among the top donors to the candidates, Bohannan raised $144,000 from donors affiliated with the University of Iowa. Not surprising, considering she taught at its School of Law.
Another Bohannan donor, kicking in $19,800 is VRSim Inc. Bohannon visited the company’s virtual reality training center for nurses in 2022 in Pella. She must have made a good impression.
Miller-Meeks’ largest donor is New York Cancer and Blood Specialists, who gave to the Republican ophthalmologist from Iowa. The specialists treat patients and conduct research aimed at better cancer treatments.
Impressive. But the doctors have a mixed record picking candidates.
Dr. Jeff Vacirca, a cancer doctor with the specialists, donated nearly $50,000 to George Santos, according to reporting by Newsday. Santos made up his resume, fudged his finances and hoodwinked donors. Santos had to leave the House in disgrace.
But meeting Santos convinced Vacirca he was the real deal. Along with the president of the New York Cancer and Blood Specialists, they nearly $100,000 to Santos’ campaign.
“I have to say, one of the best con men I’ve ever met. It’s embarrassing to admit being taken in by someone like him,” Vacirca told Newsday.
Fortunately, Miller-Meeks has no similar problems.
Beyond the money, abortion rights has dominated the campaign in recent weeks, Bohannan has sought to tie Miller-Meeks to the strict, six-week ban in Iowa.
Miller-Meeks was not serving in the Legislature when the original so-called “Heartbeat Bill,” was approved in 2018, nor was she there for the second time around in 2023.
But after the Iowa Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that abortion is a fundamental constitutional right, Miller-Meeks voted for a state constitutional amendment declaring Iowa’s constitution coveys no fundamental abortion right.
Miller-Meeks was a co-sponsor of the Life Begins at Conception Act, which would ban abortions without exceptions for a medical emergency, incest or rape. She has not signed onto the latest version, for some reason. Miller-Meeks says she favors exceptions.
Unlike Miller-Meaks’ run for Congress in 2022, the abortion issue is more real and urgent in Iowa. A six-week ban is in place, halting the vast majority of abortions. Health care professionals argue the vague exemptions will still put some women in danger of severe health implications carrying a non-viable fetus to term.
“If you are tired of politics as usual, if you are tired of politicians who put you down, count you out and leave you behind, if you are tired of being an outsider, join us because I am running to put us first and together, we can put Iowa first,” Bohannan said on the State Fair soapbox, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
She criticized Miller-Meeks for voting against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which brought projects to the district.
“How can you vote against fixing the damn roads?” Bohannon asked, perhaps following the damn lead of Democratic vice-presidential hopeful Tim Walz.
Bohannan appears to be a better, more forceful candidate this time around. Her message is sure to please those Iowa City ZIP codes. But is it enough?
(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com
www.thegazette.com
This week we’re digging into numbers crunched by Open Secrets for the 1st Congressional District race between Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrat Christina Bohannan.
It’s a rematch. In 2022 Miller-Meeks beat Bohannan by more than 20,000 votes, 53.4% to 46.6 percent. It wasn’t close, which is probably why this fall’s contest is seen as a Republican hold according to the people who do predictions.
It’s an old-fashioned Southeast Iowa cage match. OK, maybe not.
At this point, the big number contest is largely even. Bohannon has raised roughly $3.4 million. That’s more than she raised in all of 2022. Both candidates have more than $2 million left in the bank.
Miller-Meeks has raised less this time than in 2022. She’s also raised about $3.4 million compared to $4.5 million in 2022. There’s plenty of time for more money to flow into both campaigns.
Bohannan hasn’t received much support from Democratic groups. But the money train may be just around the bend.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved time for nearly $1 million in ads in Cedar Rapids and Davenport. The House Majority PAC has reserved $350,000 worth of ads in the 1st District.
So the party has pledged to do far more for Bohannan than in 2022.
Otheerwise, if this is a contest that turns on the support of retired voters, it could be close.
Open Secrets sorts individual donations by “industry.” And the top industry for both candidates is “retired,” with $480,000 contributed to Miller-Meeks and $548,000 for Bohannan.
Maybe it will turn on who wins Iowa City Zip code 52240. It’s the top Zip code for donations to Miller-Meeks, at $45,000. But she’s no match for Bohannan, who has raised nearly $122,000 in 52240. Bohannan has also raised considerable dollars in Iowa City ZIP codes 52245 and 52246.
Did I mention, in 2022, Johnson County was the only county Bohannan won? Shocking.
Bohanan has raised more money in the 1st District, $709,000, than Miller-Meeks, just north of 299,000. But both have raised roughly 70% of their campaign dollars outside the district. Bohannan raised $1.8 million outside the district while Miller-Meeks has raised just more than $1.5 million at this point.
Overall, Bohannan has raised nearly half of her money out-of-state, while Miller-Meeks’ out-of-state donations make up nearly 69% of her haul.
Miller-Meeks raised $944,000 from business PACs. And in general, the Republican has raised far more PAC money, $1.4 million to Bohannan’s $291,000. Ah, the perks of incumbency.
Among the top donors to the candidates, Bohannan raised $144,000 from donors affiliated with the University of Iowa. Not surprising, considering she taught at its School of Law.
Another Bohannan donor, kicking in $19,800 is VRSim Inc. Bohannon visited the company’s virtual reality training center for nurses in 2022 in Pella. She must have made a good impression.
Miller-Meeks’ largest donor is New York Cancer and Blood Specialists, who gave to the Republican ophthalmologist from Iowa. The specialists treat patients and conduct research aimed at better cancer treatments.
Impressive. But the doctors have a mixed record picking candidates.
Dr. Jeff Vacirca, a cancer doctor with the specialists, donated nearly $50,000 to George Santos, according to reporting by Newsday. Santos made up his resume, fudged his finances and hoodwinked donors. Santos had to leave the House in disgrace.
But meeting Santos convinced Vacirca he was the real deal. Along with the president of the New York Cancer and Blood Specialists, they nearly $100,000 to Santos’ campaign.
“I have to say, one of the best con men I’ve ever met. It’s embarrassing to admit being taken in by someone like him,” Vacirca told Newsday.
Fortunately, Miller-Meeks has no similar problems.
Beyond the money, abortion rights has dominated the campaign in recent weeks, Bohannan has sought to tie Miller-Meeks to the strict, six-week ban in Iowa.
Miller-Meeks was not serving in the Legislature when the original so-called “Heartbeat Bill,” was approved in 2018, nor was she there for the second time around in 2023.
But after the Iowa Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that abortion is a fundamental constitutional right, Miller-Meeks voted for a state constitutional amendment declaring Iowa’s constitution coveys no fundamental abortion right.
Miller-Meeks was a co-sponsor of the Life Begins at Conception Act, which would ban abortions without exceptions for a medical emergency, incest or rape. She has not signed onto the latest version, for some reason. Miller-Meeks says she favors exceptions.
Unlike Miller-Meaks’ run for Congress in 2022, the abortion issue is more real and urgent in Iowa. A six-week ban is in place, halting the vast majority of abortions. Health care professionals argue the vague exemptions will still put some women in danger of severe health implications carrying a non-viable fetus to term.
“If you are tired of politics as usual, if you are tired of politicians who put you down, count you out and leave you behind, if you are tired of being an outsider, join us because I am running to put us first and together, we can put Iowa first,” Bohannan said on the State Fair soapbox, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
She criticized Miller-Meeks for voting against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which brought projects to the district.
“How can you vote against fixing the damn roads?” Bohannon asked, perhaps following the damn lead of Democratic vice-presidential hopeful Tim Walz.
Bohannan appears to be a better, more forceful candidate this time around. Her message is sure to please those Iowa City ZIP codes. But is it enough?
(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com
Opinion: Follow the money in the 2nd District campaign for Congress
Christina Bohannan, Democratic candidate for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, kicks off her campaign Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023, at the UFCW …
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