Barely two days after Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, was gearing up for a challenge in the House to her election and certification from Iowa's 2nd District, Democrat runner-up Rita Hart unexpectedly announced she was ending her fight to prove she actually was the winner of one of the closest House races in U.S. history.
But Hart, who lost to Miller-Meeks by 6 votes out of more than 395,000 cast, may re-emerge as a candidate for Congress in 2022 — in the neighboring 1st District against conservative Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa.
"Reapportionment may put Hart and Miller-Meeks in different districts," former Polk County Des Moines GOP Chairman Kim Schmett told Newsmax. "Hart lives on the northeast edge of the current district, while Miller-Meeks is more south centrally located in Ottumwa."
Noting that new district lines might put Hart in Hinson's district, Schmett observed that "this would be another tough race for her. Hinson is a good campaigner who is actively raising money and preparing for a possible Senate race whenever [7-term Republican Sen. Chuck] Grassley decides not to run."
Two years before her loss to Miller-Meeks, former state legislator Hart was the losing Democrat nominee for lieutenant governor.
"She's now a double loser after two very demanding campaigns," Schmett said. "She was highly criticized for skipping Iowa court review of the election results [in Iowa-2], which did not play well with Iowa voters from both parties."
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