Rita Hart

Last updated

On May 14, 2019, Hart announced her candidacy for Iowa's 2nd congressional district in the 2020 election. [9] She was unopposed in the June 2 Democratic primary election, and the next day released a list of 20 Republicans who supported her campaign, [10] one of a number of Democrats making similar announcements during the 2020 United States elections. [11] She faced Republican state senator Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the November general election. [12]

The 2020 election for Iowa's 2nd congressional district was the closest federal election in the U.S. that year, [13] and possibly the closest congressional election in recent memory. [14] On November 30, following a recount, the Iowa Board of Canvass voted 5-0 to certify Miller-Meeks as the winner by six votes (196,964 to 196,958). [14] [15] [16] Hart challenged the results through a petition with the House Administration Committee under the 1969 Federal Contested Elections Act, which sets forth procedures for contesting state election results. Under the Constitution, each chamber of Congress is "the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members." [17] [18]

Hart's petition contends that the House should count certain ballots that were not included in the recount. [17] In her petition she contended, without evidence, that 22 legally cast votes were not counted; had they been counted, she would have won the race by nine votes. [19] [20] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi provisionally seated Miller-Meeks on January 3, 2021, pending adjudication of Hart's petition. [19] [21]

In response to a letter containing questions from House Administration Committee Chair Zoe Lofgren, Hart and her attorney Marc Elias wrote, "Where necessary to effectuate the will of the voters of the Second Congressional District, the Committee should therefore exercise its discretion to depart from Iowa law, and adopt counting rules that 'disenfranchise the smallest possible number of voters.'" [22] Republicans have sharply criticized Pelosi's decision to review the race in the House Administration Committee, calling it an attempt to steal the election. It has also been criticized by some Democrats, who argue it is hypocritical to overturn a certified state election after criticizing Republican attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. [23]

Personal life

Hart and her husband, Paul, have five children. They reside in Wheatland, Iowa. [4]

Electoral history

2012

Rita Hart
RitaHartIowa.jpeg
Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party
Assumed office
January 29, 2023
2012 Iowa Senate 49th district election [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Rita Hart 17,305 54.6%
Republican Andrew Naeve14,39845.4%
Democratic gain from Republican

2014

2014 Iowa Senate 49th district election [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Rita Hart (incumbent) 11,690 52%
Republican Brian Schmidt10,80848%
Democratic hold

2020

Iowa's 2nd congressional district, 2020
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks 196,864 49.910
Democratic Rita Hart196,85849.908
Total votes394,439 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iowa's 1st congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Iowa

Iowa's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers its southeastern part, bordering the states of Illinois and Missouri, and the Mississippi River. The district includes the cities of Davenport, Iowa City, Burlington, and Indianola. Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks is the current U.S. representative. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+3, it is one of the least Republican districts in Iowa, a state with an all-Republican congressional delegation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrian Smith (politician)</span> American politician (born 1970)

Adrian Michael Smith is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Nebraska's 3rd congressional district since 2007. A member of the Republican Party, he represented the 48th district in the Nebraska Legislature from 1999 to 2007. Smith is the dean of Nebraska's congressional delegation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Loebsack</span> American politician (born 1952)

David Wayne Loebsack is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Iowa's 2nd congressional district from 2007 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he also is an emeritus professor of political science at Cornell College, where he had taught since 1982. On April 12, 2019, Loebsack announced he would not seek reelection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iowa Senate</span> State of Iowa legislative body

The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly, United States. There are 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state of Iowa with populations of approximately 60,927 per constituency, as of the 2010 United States census. Each Senate district is composed of two House districts. The Senate meets at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.

The Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa</span>

The Iowa United States House of Representatives election in 2008 was held on November 4, 2008 and determined who would hold Iowa's seats in the United States House of Representatives during 2009-10. Each of the five incumbents was up for election, and each won re-election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa</span>

The 2010 House elections in Iowa occurred on November 2, 2010 and elected the members of the State of Iowa's delegation to the United States House of Representatives. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected served in the 112th Congress from January 3, 2011 until January 3, 2013. Iowa has five seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa</span>

The 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, to elect the four U.S. representatives from the state of Iowa, one from each of the state's four congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including Governor of Iowa and United States Senate. Primary elections were held on June 4, 2014. As no candidate won more than 35% of the vote in the 3rd district Republican primary, that nomination was decided at a party convention on June 21.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abby Finkenauer</span> American politician (born 1988)

Abby Lea Finkenauer is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative from Iowa's 1st congressional district from 2019 to 2021. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Iowa gubernatorial election</span>

The 2018 Iowa gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018. Incumbent Republican Governor Kim Reynolds ran for election to a full term, facing Democratic businessman Fred Hubbell, Libertarian Jake Porter, and independent candidate Gary Siegwarth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariannette Miller-Meeks</span> American physician & politician (born 1955)

Mariannette Jane Miller-Meeks is an American physician and politician serving as a U.S. representative since 2021, representing Iowa's 1st congressional district. Her district, numbered as the 2nd district in her first term, includes most of Iowa's southeastern quadrant, including Davenport, Bettendorf, Burlington, and Iowa City. A member of the Republican Party, Miller-Meeks served as Iowa state senator for the 41st district from 2019 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa</span>

The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the four U.S. representatives from the state of Iowa, one from each of the state's four congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States Senate election in Iowa</span>

The 2022 United States Senate election in Iowa was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Iowa. Incumbent Republican Senator Chuck Grassley faced Democratic nominee Michael Franken.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Hinson</span> American politician & journalist (born 1983)

Ashley Elizabeth Hinson is an American politician and journalist serving as the U.S. representative for Iowa's 2nd congressional district. She has served in the House since 2021, representing a northeastern district including Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Dubuque.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa</span>

The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the four U.S. representatives from the State of Iowa, one from each of the state's four congressional districts. The elections coincided with the other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. These were the first congressional elections held in Iowa after the 2020 redistricting cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Iowa gubernatorial election</span>

The 2022 Iowa gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Iowa. Incumbent Republican Governor Kim Reynolds won re-election to a second full term in a landslide, defeating Democratic nominee Deidre DeJear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrian Dickey</span> American politician

Adrian Jeremy Dickey is an American politician and a senator for the state of Iowa for District 44.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Bohannan</span> American politician, legal scholar and engineer

Christina Bohannan is an American politician, law professor, and former engineer who served as the Iowa State Representative for the 85th district from 2021 to 2023. Elected in 2020, she succeeded Vicki Lensing. Bohannan was the Democratic nominee for Iowa's 1st congressional district in 2022, losing to incumbent Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Nunn</span> American politician (born 1979)

Zachary Martin Nunn is an American politician and United States Air Force officer who has served as the U.S. representative for Iowa's 3rd congressional district since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he was a member of the Iowa Senate for the 15th district from 2019 to 2023 and the Iowa House of Representatives for the 30th district from 2015 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa</span>

The 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the four U.S. representatives from the State of Iowa, one from all four of the state's congressional districts. The elections will coincide with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primary elections are scheduled for June 4, 2024.

References

  1. ↑ "Democrats Reviewing Whether To Overturn A Certified Iowa U.S. House Election". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  2. ↑ Schultz, Marisa (2021-03-31). "Dem Rita Hart backs down in Iowa election challenge to Miller-Meeks amid mounting GOP pressure". Fox News. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  3. 1 2 3 "State Senator". Archived from the original on 2015-02-16. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  4. 1 2 "State Senator". www.legis.iowa.gov. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  5. ↑ Meyer, Elizabeth (2020-07-23). "Former Teacher Rita Hart: Let Local Schools Make Reopening Decisions". Iowa Starting Line. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  6. ↑ Tibbetts, Ed. "Longtime Wheatland educator seeks District 49 seat". The Quad-City Times. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  7. ↑ "Fred Hubbell names Sen. Rita Hart as running mate on Democratic ticket for governor". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2018-06-26.
  8. ↑ Kevin Hardy, Iowa Democrats stunned, confused after Fred Hubbell loses, but others make big gains, The Des Moines Register (November 7, 2018).
  9. ↑ "Rita Hart throws hat in race for U.S. Rep. Loebsack's seat". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  10. ↑ Hayden, Sarah. "Democrat Rita Hart earns Republican endorsements", Quad-City Times , June 7, 2020.
  11. ↑ Bowman, Bridget. "Showcasing GOP support isn't just for the Democratic convention: Biden wants to build a broad coalition, and so do down-ballot Democrats", Roll Call , August 21, 2020.
  12. ↑ Hayden, Sarah. "Miller-Meeks defeats Schilling in GOP primary for 2nd Congressional District", Quad-City Times, June 11, 2020.
  13. ↑ Zachary Oren Smith & Brianne Pfannenstiel, Iowa certifies Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks won Iowa's 2nd Congressional District seat — by 6 votes, Des Moines Register (November 30, 2020)
  14. 1 2 Ryan J. Foley, Iowa board certifies 6-vote Republican win in US House race, Associated Press (November 30, 2020).
  15. ↑ Smith, Zachary Oren. "Republican candidate leads congressional race in Iowa by 6 votes, recount finds". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  16. ↑ "Board of Canvass certifies Miller-Meeks' 6-vote win in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District". KCCI. 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  17. 1 2 Bridget Bowman & Herb Jackson, Iowa Democrat Rita Hart to appeal 2nd District results to House, Roll Call (December 2, 2020).
  18. ↑ Zachary Oren Smith, Democrat Rita Hart alleges 22 ballots improperly uncounted, asks Congress to investigate, Iowa City Press-Citizen (December 22, 2020).
  19. 1 2 Brianne Pfannenstiel and Ian Richardson (January 3, 2021). "Iowa Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks provisionally seated in 117th Congress as new session begins". Des Moines Register.
  20. ↑ Rogers, Alex; Raju, Manu (March 18, 2021). "House Democrats weigh ejecting GOP winner of contested Iowa race, dismissing comparisons to Trump's efforts to overturn election". CNN. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Pelosi to seat Republican in contested Iowa race". Politico. December 30, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  22. ↑ "CONTESTANT'S INITIAL BRIEF IN RESPONSE TO CHAIRPERSON LOFGREN'S LETTER OF MARCH 10, 2021" (PDF).
  23. ↑ Annie Grayer (22 March 2021). "House Democrats face backlash on both sides for investigating Iowa House race won by a Republican - CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  24. ↑ 2012 General Election Canvass Summary Iowa Secretary of State
  25. ↑ 2014 General Election Canvass Summary Iowa Secretary of State
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
2018 		Succeeded by
Eric Van Lancker
Iowa Senate
Preceded by Member of the Iowa Senate
from the 49th district
2013–2019		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.