Iowa Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks fended off a conservative Republican primary challenger on Tuesday, setting up what is expected to be a close race against the Democratic nominee this fall.
Miller-Meeks defeated David Pauci, an advertising executive, former Army tuba player and father of a Gold Star recipient, for the Republican nomination in the 1st Congressional District.
Miller-Meeks was first elected to Congress in 2020 by just six votes, but widened that margin in 2022.
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Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa speaks during a hearing of the House Veterans Affairs Committee’s Health Subcommittee on February 15, 2024. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
She had a significant financial advantage over her opponent, raising about $1.9 million in the final stages of her primary campaign, compared with just over $6,000 for Mr. Pauch.
She touted endorsements from Gov. Kim Reynolds and Attorney General Brenna Byrd, while Pauch also garnered support from Trump allies including former Gov. Mike Huckabee and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.
By mid-May, Miller-Meeks had spent about $1.4 million on the election, nearly 50 times what Pauch had spent.
Both women appealed to conservatives during the primary, with Miller-Meeks calling herself a “proven conservative” while Pauch accused her of “voting against you and Republican policies more than 40% of the time.”
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According to the Des Moines Register, Pauch criticized Miller-Meeks for not being tough enough on abortion, immigration and the national debt, and he also accused Miller-Meeks of being a Republican in name only, or RINO.
She also criticized him for voting to certify President Biden’s presidential election. Miller-Meeks dismissed the criticism as par for the course in a typical primary election, pointing to the A+ rating he received from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and his vote to pass the House Border Security bill in 2023.
Businessman David Pauch and former President Trump (David Pauch, US Congressional candidate)
“I think the most important thing to understand about primaries is that on the Republican side, your primary opponent goes to the right and on the Democratic side, your primary opponent goes to the left,” she told the Register, “and it’s up to you to explain why you vote that way.”
Miller-Meeks will now face off in the Democratic primary against former state Rep. Christina Bohannan, who is unopposed.
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Miller-Meeks defeated Bohannan 53% to 47% in the 2022 general election. The 1st District overall went to former President Trump in the 2020 election, beating President Biden by about 3%.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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