Photo by Julie Fleming

Rita Hart, a Democratic candidate for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, in the last three months brought in her largest fundraising haul since launching her campaign in May.

Hart’s campaign announced today she raised more than $330,000 in the fourth and final fundraising quarter of 2019, bringing her year-end total to more than $840,000.

“Now more than ever, people want someone who will lean in and listen to them, not those loud and powerful interests that keep us from getting things done,” said Hart, in a statement. “Whether lowering the cost of health care, supporting our ag economy to create jobs in rural Iowa, or improving educational opportunities at all stages of life, we have to listen to the voices that really matter, and then care enough to actually get things done.”

In cash-on-hand, the campaign is sitting on more than $640,000.

Candidates’ final Q4 tallies haven’t been made public yet through the Federal Election Commission and aren’t required to until the end of January, but in Q3, Hart led the pack among those vying to replace outgoing Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack.

Republican Bobby Schilling raised $54,505 during his first quarter in the race. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican state senator from Ottumwa, declared her candidacy in October, so Q4 will be the public’s first chance to assess her fundraising.

Hart appears to be running in an uncontested primary.

Iowa City engineer Newman Abuissa told Starting Line in an interview over the summer that he intended to run for the 2nd District seat, and he was recently called a “congressional hopeful” when he spoke to the Cedar Rapids Gazette. However, it does not appear that Abuissa has filed any candidacy paperwork or fundraising report with the FEC.

The 2nd District spans 24 counties in southeast and eastern Iowa. Loebsack has represented the district, which includes Burlington, Iowa City and Davenport, since 2007. The congressman said last April he would not seek an eighth term.

Though Loebsack has consistently fended off difficult challenges in the past to keep the seat Democratic, Donald Trump carried the blue-collar district by four points in 2016.

By Elizabeth Meyer

Posted 1/6/2020