Democrat Lindsay James announces 2nd Congressional District bid

State Rep. Lindsay James announced Tuesday she is running for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District seat, joining two other Democrats in the race to challenge U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson in 2026.

James, a Presbyterian pastor who is serving her fourth term as a state lawmaker, had said in July she was considering a run. In an interview Tuesday with the Iowa Capital Dispatch, she said in the past month, she has spent time talking with Iowans in the northeast Iowa congressional district about which issues matter most to them. She said she came to the decision to run in part, because of her “faith commitment that compels me to stop and lend a helping hand” in working to better Iowans’ lives.

“I am running because too many hardworking Iowans are being forced to make impossible choices in their lives,” James said. “Choices like, ‘Do I pay child care costs, or say, for a house? Do I pay my utility bill or buy my child a new winter coat?’ Washington, D.C., works for billionaires and lobbyists. It is not working for everyday families, and they need to hear the truth from us here in Iowa.”

Many of the policies coming out of Washington that Hinson supported — like the budget reconciliation bill that made cuts to Medicaid and SNAP — are policies that will make costs rise for average Iowans, James said, both threatening rural hospital access and potentially causing electricity and fuel costs to rise.

The Dubuque Democrat said Hinson, first elected in 2020, has “lost her way” since being elected to Congress.

“She has just become a talking head in Washington, D.C., and she is no longer listening to Iowans,” James said. “ … Her vote record is staggeringly devastating.”

In addition to the budget reconciliation bill, James said Hinson has supported President Donald Trump’s “reckless, sweeping tariffs that are raising costs and threatening Iowa’s egg industry,” has voted against capping the cost of insulin, and has not taken action to address the loss of more than 2,000 jobs in the district.

Republican advocates said James is fighting a losing battle in taking on Hinson.

“Lindsay James is extreme, out of step, and totally unelectable,” Emily Tuttle, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee said in a statement. “She’ll only help drive the clown car in this Democrat primary further off the rails, while Ashley Hinson delivers for Iowans.”

The Republican incumbent won reelection with 57.1% of the vote in 2024 against Democratic challenger Sarah Corkery, who garnered 41.6%. While political forecasters including the Cook Political Report have highlighted Iowa’s 1st and 3rd Congressional District races as potentially competitive in the 2026 midterms, Iowa’s 2nd District has not received the same attention.

But before Hinson won her first term in office, northeast Iowa was represented by former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer, a Democrat who won in 2018. James said she believes the district can flip in the upcoming election as voters reflect on the struggles their communities face with struggling schools, job losses and higher economic pressures.

“I’m excited because people are really hungry for change,” James said. “And people are able to see through her perfectly polished politician act, right? Iowans are smart, and they can see that the decisions that she’s making (have) not resulted in their lives becoming any better.”

If elected, James said she would focus on issues like making housing, child care and health care affordable and accessible, as well as supporting public schools.

Two other Democrats have announced campaigns for the Democratic nomination: Clint Twedt-Ball, the founder of the nonprofit Matthew 25 and Kathy Dolter, the former dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College and a retired Army nurse. James said her work fighting for Iowans in the state Legislature, as well as her “moral compass,” will make her the best contender in the race.

“What I am passionate about doing is calling out Hinson for all of the ways in which she (served) special interests and billionaires in Washington, D.C.,” James said. “She has forgotten about us and left us behind, and people want someone who isn’t going to be blown about by political winds.”