U.S. House race · November 3, 2026
U.S. Representative, Iowa District 2
Represents the district in the U.S. House of Representatives, which writes federal laws, approves the federal budget and taxes, and oversees the executive branch.
2-year term. Open seat: no incumbent is running. Open seat: Rep. Ashley Hinson is running for U.S. Senate. The district covers northeast Iowa, including Linn, Black Hawk, Dubuque, Cerro Gordo and Poweshiek counties and the cities of Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque, Mason City and Grinnell. Dave Bushaw appears on the ballot as a no-party candidate.
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by last name.
Dave Bushaw
Farmland owner and community organizerDave Bushaw is a northeast Iowa farmland owner, labor organizer and folk musician from West Union running as an independent. His campaign focuses on workers' rights, universal health care, government accountability and rural priorities.
Lindsay James
State Representative, Iowa House District 71Lindsay James is a Presbyterian minister and Dubuque state representative who has served in the Iowa House since 2019. Her campaign focuses on the cost of living, health care, farm policy and reducing the influence of money in politics.
Joe Mitchell
Real estate developer; former HUD regional administrator and former state representativeJoe Mitchell is a Clear Lake housing developer and former Iowa state representative who served in federal housing posts in the Trump administration. His campaign focuses on immigration enforcement, lowering costs, congressional term limits and a stock trading ban, and agriculture.
Rick Stewart
Businessman; founder of Frontier Cooperative HerbsRick Stewart is a Cedar Rapids businessman who founded Frontier Cooperative Herbs and has run for several offices as a Libertarian, including U.S. Senate in 2020. He describes himself as a lifelong advocate of individual liberty.
Compare on the issues
Summaries of each candidate's stated positions. See each profile for sources and details.
| Issue | Dave Bushaw No Party | Lindsay James Democratic | Joe Mitchell Republican | Rick Stewart Libertarian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Care | Supports Medicare for All, replacing premiums, copays and deductibles with a payroll tax. | Says no one should face bankruptcy over a medical emergency and has said health care cuts in the 2025 reconciliation law (H.R. 1) harm Iowans. | Says he wants to lower costs and expand consumer choice "while preserving key protections from the ACA," with drug prices comparable to other developed countries. | No public position found yet |
| Immigration | Opposes raids on farmworkers and supports a path to citizenship for undocumented workers without criminal records. | Supports border security and a "meaningful pathway for those who want to be here legally." | Supports securing the border, deporting immigrants in the country illegally who have committed crimes, and a temporary ban on H-1B visas; said at a debate he would also restrict legal immigration. | No public position found yet |
| Agriculture | No public position found yet | Says she would work to reverse tariffs she says have hurt farmers, and supports passing a Farm Bill with year-round E15. | Supports the Trump administration's tariffs as a response to countries he says took advantage of the U.S., a Farm Bill with year-round E15, and boosting domestic fertilizer production. | No public position found yet |
| Education | No public position found yet | Opposes Iowa's private school voucher program and says public schools are underfunded. | Supports a focus on reading, writing, math and critical thinking, parental control over children's education, and accountability for colleges' use of taxpayer dollars. | No public position found yet |
| Foreign Policy | No public position found yet | Says it is time to end the war in Iran. | Says Iran must not have a nuclear weapon and declined to back a resolution demanding an immediate end to the war, while saying Congress should rein in executive war powers. | No public position found yet |
| Public Safety | Supports decriminalizing marijuana nationwide and expunging nonviolent marijuana convictions. | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | Calls for ending the drug war (campaign website from his earlier run for governor). |
| Economy & Jobs | Supports penalties for labor-law violations, ending right-to-work laws and extending union protections to farmworkers. | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | No public position found yet |
| Elections & Democracy | Supports banning stock trading by members of Congress, making Election Day a federal holiday, national citizen referendums and enlarging the House. | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | No public position found yet |
| Guns | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | Says he supports gun rights, writing "I own, I shoot, I carry" (campaign website from his earlier run for governor). |
| Housing | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | Opposes the use of eminent domain for private gain (campaign website from his earlier run for governor). |