Democrat Lindsay James wins Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District seat, AP projects

Democrat Lindsay James has been elected by Iowa voters to Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District seat, the Associated Press has projected.

James has flipped the seat, previously held by Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson but left vacant due to her U.S. Senate campaign, from Republican to Democrat. She received 50% the vote in unofficial results, followed by Republican Joe Mitchell with 46%, Libertarian Rick Stewart with 3% and independent candidate Dave Bushaw with 2%. At the time the race was called, 98% of votes had been counted.

James currently represents Iowa House District 71 and serves as a Presbyterian pastor. She supported in her campaign removing money from politics and lowering costs for Americans, from healthcare and  housing to everyday purchases.

James said in an emailed statement she is “honored” that voters “put their faith” in her to serve them in Congress, and her campaign has always been about fighting for those in her community and all of Iowa.

“I’m excited to get to work and fight for affordable healthcare, groceries, gas, and ensuring that every Iowan can build the life that they deserve. I’m so grateful for my family, staff, supporters, and volunteers who helped us achieve this incredible win,” James said in her statement. “My public service is guided by the parable of the Good Samaritan. When Martin Luther King Jr spoke about this parable, he said we do not simply have the responsibility to care for the wounded stranger on the side of the road. We have the moral responsibility to fix the road. Let’s go fix the road.”

Mitchell, owner of real estate development company J. Mitchell Real Estate, LLC, previously represented Iowa’s 84th House District from 2019-2023, and served as Great Plains regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. His campaign priorities included lowering taxes, eliminating unnecessary government spending and fighting for Iowa industries like family farms and ethanol.