CLINTON COUNTY, Iowa — Democrat Rita Hart will not seek election in 2022 for Iowa's newly formed first congressional district, which will cover Davenport, Bettendorf and Clinton.
The former state senator and congressional and lieutenant governor candidate made the announcement Monday, Nov. 1.
In an election that started in November of 2020 and wasn't finalized until March of this year, Hart lost to current congresswoman and Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks by just six votes.
Under newly drawn lines though in 2022, Miller-Meeks would be drawn out of the district that covers southeast Iowa, having to go up against current Democratic congresswoman Cindy Axne of West Des Moines, unless she moves to the east.
A spokesman for Hart sent News 8 this statement Monday in relation Miller-Meeks and Democratic congressional candidate Christina Bohannan, who announced she was running for Congress in August of this year.
"Christina Bohannon is a brilliant public servant whose Iowa common-sense is desperately needed in Washington, and I look forward to doing everything I can to make sure she is elected to serve our communities in the new first congressional district," Hart said. "It will be interesting to see whether Mariannette Miller-Meeks chooses to run in a district in which she does not live."
