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There’s a Republican Primary in Iowa’s first congressional district

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May 7th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Republicans challenging Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the June’s G-O-P Primary says the Republican-led congress is failing the country. David Pautsch of Davenport says Americans are enraged and ticked off by what’s happening in the U-S House. “Half of the Republican contingency and more are a bunch of RINOs,” he said. “You can’t get anything done with them.”

During a speech at the Iowa G-O-P’s state convention, Pautsch did not directly accuse Miller-Meeks of being a “Republican In Name Only” but he criticized a couple of the bills she’s supported. “I understand that we want to keep the Republican majority in congress, but there’s coming a time when you’re just going to have to decide that the majority is less important than the message,” Pautsch said, “that principle is more important than power.” Pautsch called on Republicans in congress to do something to reverse President Biden’s immigration policies.

“Use the power of the purse to back Biden into a corner and say: ‘You’re not going to get away with this. You are not going to continue violating your constitutional oath. He needed to be arrested!” Pautsch said, to cheers from Iowa GOP convention delegates. Miller-Meeks spoke to delegates seconds later. “Iowa district one is the only district on a generic ballot that would vote for a Democrat over a Republican,” Miller-Meeks said. “But in a head-to-head, name-to-name poll, I beat my Democratic opponent by 10 points.”

Miller-Meeks is seeking reelection to a third term in the U-S House. She ran three unsuccessful races for congress before winning in 2020 by just six votes. “I spent over a decade of my treasure, my talent and my time to flip this district,” Miller said, “and if you think I’m going to let it go back into Democratic hands you must believe…Biden when he says he’s not going to raise taxes.”

On Friday, Governor Kim Reynolds and Attorney General Brenna Bird endorsed Miller-Meeks. The speaker of the U-S House was in Iowa last month to headline a Miller-Meeks fundraiser.