Incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R), Christina Bohannan (D), and Michael Bridgford (Independent) are running in the general election for Iowa's 1st Congressional District on November 3, 2026.
Reuters' David Morgan said, "Miller-Meeks is one of the most vulnerable House Republicans at a time when high prices for gasoline and other consumer products and an unpopular war against Iran have sent President Donald Trump's approval ratings lower, even among Republicans." Miller-Meeks defeated Bohannan 53.4%–46.6% in 2022 and 50.0%–49.8% in 2024. That year, Donald Trump (R) defeated Kamala Harris (D) 53.5%–45.0% in the 1st District. As of July 2026, major election forecasters rated the general election Toss-up.
Miller-Meeks was elected to the House in 2020 after serving two years representing the 41st District in the Iowa Senate. She is a U.S. Air Force veteran and doctor. In a Facebook post, Miller-Meeks said, "The left didn't think a mom and grandmother would keep boys out of girls' sports. The big insurance companies didn't think a small-town doctor would take them on to lower your costs. China didn't think anyone would stop them from buying Iowa farmland. They were wrong, and I'm just getting started."
Bohannan is a law professor at the University of Iowa. She served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2021 to 2023. Her campaign website said, "In 2024, thousands of Iowans who voted for President Trump also voted for me. Iowans of all parties trust me because of our shared love of country, our mutual disillusionment with the political establishment, and our common belief that good government is about ensuring freedom and opportunity for all, not just the privileged few."
As of June 30, 2026, Miller-Meeks had raised $7.21 million and Bohannan had raised $7.05 million.
The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 120th Congress. All 435 U.S. House districts are up for election.
Currently, Republicans have a 219-212 majority with four vacancies in the chamber.