(Radio Iowa) – Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Davenport has cleared a Republican Primary challenge in Iowa’s first congressional district and will be on the November ballot as she seeks a third term in the U-S House. Miller-Meeks finished 12 points ahead of David Pautsch, a Republican businessman from Davenport.

“The work that we have done has been solid work, solid effort in making sure that we address the needs and issues of people and that feel they have been listened to and that someone is working to solve their problems and issues,” Miller-Meeks says, “and to make their lives better.” Miller-Meeks says having Trump at the top of the Iowa ticket gives Republicans tail-winds — and Biden will be a drag on Democrats.

“The economy is struggling,” Miller-Meeks says. “We’ve got two wars abroad with Iran looking to become even more aggressive and China looking to be more aggressive they see a weak president and a weak response.” Democrats have again nominating Christina Bohannon of Iowa City in the first congressional district. Bohannon, who lost to Miller-Meeks by about seven points in 2022, says the political environment in 2024 is different.

“People are really fed up with what’s been happening here both at the state level and the federal level,” Bohannon says. “At the federal level, we see nothing but dysfunction.” Bohannon says Miller-Meeks is out of step with voters on the abortion issue. “It’s why people are so fired up to knock doors and donate to this campaign because they know she is too extreme for Iowa on this issue,” Bohannon says.

Republicans have a voter registration edge in the first congressional district of just over 17,000.