DES MOINES — Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District race, which includes a vast swath of Northern Iowa, is now set to feature three candidates on the November 3, 2026, ballot, with Democrat Lindsay James, Republican Joe Mitchell and No Party candidate Dave Bushaw competing for an open seat in Congress.
The race is drawing attention across northeast Iowa because the seat is open. Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who currently represents the district, is running for the U.S. Senate rather than seeking another term in the House.
The 2nd District covers 22 counties in northeast Iowa and includes Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque, Mason City, Decorah, Charles City, Osage and other communities across the region. The district has been held by Republicans in recent years, but Democrats are expected to target the open seat as part of their effort to cut into Iowa’s all-Republican congressional delegation.
Bushaw’s campaign announced Wednesday that state election officials accepted his Affidavit of Candidacy and ballot access signatures, qualifying him to appear on the ballot as a No Party candidate. His campaign said he submitted 2,615 qualifying signatures, above the 1,726 required.
Congressional candidates seeking ballot access outside the major-party nomination process are also required to collect a minimum number of signatures from at least half of the counties in the district. Bushaw’s campaign said it exceeded the county-level requirement in all 22 counties, including strong totals in Black Hawk, Dubuque and Fayette counties.
Bushaw (pictured at top), of Fayette County, is running as an independent voice for working-class Iowans and has sharply criticized both major parties. His campaign described his ballot access effort as a grassroots push built without a party machine or major funding for paid signature collection.
“We set out with a goal to answer a question: can a Working Class Poor candidate, with no party machine to harvest ballot access signatures, and no major funding to hire signature harvesters, build the necessary grassroots infrastructure and meet minimum requirements to qualify for the ballot?” Bushaw said. “We have an answer today, and that answer is a resounding: YES.”
Bushaw was born and raised in West Union. His background includes work as a folk and labor musician, community organizer, farmer and former Midwest operations lead for United Today, Stronger Tomorrow. He also previously worked as a rural field organizer for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign.
His campaign message has focused on working-class voters, rural communities, health care costs, workers’ rights and frustration with the two-party system.
“I’m from rural Iowa, born and raised,” Bushaw said. “I know how it feels to be left out of big decisions, especially when it comes to decisions made in Washington.”
James, the Democratic nominee, is a state representative from Dubuque and a Presbyterian minister. She has served in the Iowa House since 2019 and represents House District 71, which includes part of Dubuque County.
James won the Democratic nomination after a contested primary against Clint Twedt-Ball and Kathy Dolter. Her campaign has focused on affordability, health care, housing, child care, economic justice and rural communities.
During the primary campaign, James said many voters are frustrated with Congress and want leaders who will focus on everyday concerns rather than Washington politics.
“People are exhausted by politics in our state,” James told Iowa Public Radio during the primary campaign. “People are absolutely dissatisfied with the U.S. Congress. Congress is not doing the job that we sent them there to do.”
James has emphasized her background as a mother, minister and state lawmaker. She has called for protecting health care access, lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 55, expanding affordable housing and improving child care access in rural areas.
Mitchell, the Republican nominee, is a former Iowa House member and Clear Lake Republican, having recently re-located to the lake community. He served two terms in the Iowa House, where he was elected at age 21, making him one of the youngest lawmakers in state history.
Mitchell won the Republican nomination after a contested primary against state Sen. Charlie McClintock. He was endorsed by President Donald Trump during the primary and has campaigned as a conservative Republican aligned with the broader Trump movement.
Mitchell’s background includes work as a homebuilder, service in the Iowa Legislature and federal government experience in the Trump administration. His campaign says he served as a regional director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and as chief of staff at the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
His campaign has focused on economic issues, rural growth, manufacturing, trade jobs, border security, government reform and reducing the influence of special interests in Washington.
“Iowans want a fighter in Congress; they want somebody to stand up to special interests,” Mitchell told Iowa Public Radio during the primary campaign.
The three candidates offer voters sharply different paths.
James is running as a Democrat with a focus on affordability, health care and economic fairness. Mitchell is running as a Republican with a focus on conservative policy, rural economic growth and Trump-aligned government reform. Bushaw is running outside the two-party system, arguing that working-class Iowans need an independent candidate who is not tied to either major party.
The campaign is likely to test several major political questions in northeast Iowa: whether Republicans can hold an open seat without Hinson on the ballot, whether Democrats can compete in a district that includes several large population centers, and whether an independent working-class campaign can draw meaningful support from voters frustrated with both parties.
Bushaw said his campaign will continue through the summer and fall with parades, county fairs, door-knocking, events, volunteer training and fundraising.
“What we’re building right here in Iowa is a roadmap for the Working Class all across this country to fight back against a corrupt two party system,” Bushaw said.
The winner of the November election will represent Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives – see map below.