Democrats are struggling to find Iowans to challenge the state’s one-term incumbent Republicans after suffering major losses in the last election cycle.
In Iowa’s Second Congressional District, Democrats lost by the slimmest margin in almost 40 years. A difference of six votes brought Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) to the halls of Congress.
Hart, at the time, tried to overturn the election with the help of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and the Democrat-run Congress. Hart withdrew her challenge amid an onslaught of opposition.
“So far, no Democrat has stepped up to run,” the Associated Press reports. Many expected Hart to declare her candidacy and seek a rematch with Miller-Meeks in the second district.
National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Spokesman Mike Berg told Breitbart News, “Democrats are having recruitment problems because nobody wants to defend their toxic agenda of higher taxes, higher prices, and higher crime.”
The AP reports the “hesitancy to jump into a district now as competitive as they come is one measure of Democrats’ fatigue in a state viewed for decades as a true battleground.” The report added, the Democrats in Iowa have seen their party receding over the years, which ultimately hurt their chances of winning in the long run.
In Iowa’s First Congressional District, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) has not seen a rush of challengers as well. The report also added, “there’s no rush of Democrats angling” for Hinson. In the last election, Hinson beat the one-term Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-IA).
A former Iowa Democratic state senator, Rich Taylor, told the AP, “I kind of think we’re past the point of no return,” referring to the Democrats’ hopes in winning races. Taylor had added, “I believe that the people of southeast Iowa will wake up. But I don’t think it’s going to make a difference for the next 20 years.”
Iowa’s congressional delegation currently has three Republicans and one Democrat.
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