Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks was reelected to represent Iowa’s 1st Congressional District late Tuesday. Miller-Meeks ran against Democratic state Rep. Christina Bohannan.

As of 12:30 a.m., Miller-Meeks was leading Bohannon by 20,000 votes, with 18 of the 20 counties in the district reporting.

Alongside her family, campaign staff, and supporters, Miller-Meeks watched the results roll in at Rhythm Casino in Davenport. 

“I’m very humbled and honored to serve the people of Southeast Iowa. I will work tirelessly on their behalf,” Miller-Meeks said. 

Miller-Meeks thanked Bohannan for her competition but said she wasn’t running against a person and rather a machine. 

“I was running against a machine whose policies have created immense and tremendous suffering for all Iowans, and all Americans,” Miller-Meeks said.

Bohannan hosted the Democratic watch party alongside the Democratic candidates for the Johnson County Board of Supervisors at Big Grove Brewery in Iowa City.

“It means a lot to me personally, but it also means a lot to people in this state. It means a lot to our country,” Bohannan said. “And I think about this a lot because we knew coming into this was going to be a difficult election cycle.”

Hours before the results were finalized, Bohannan was at the University of Iowa campus talking with students and Iowa City residents. 

“We have, I think, really shown that this is a very clear contrast between me and my opponent. I think our views are very, very different,” Bohannan said hours before results were finalized to The Daily Iowan. “I think that it’s clear that I’m fighting for everyday Iowans, and I think that she’s kind of falling in line with her more extreme party.” 

Once sworn into office, Miller-Meeks said on Tuesday that she will prioritize tackling inflation. 

She fundraised $4,448,352 and Bohannan raised $2,930,968 during their campaigns. 

Miller-Meeks ran on the platform of making prescription drug prices affordable to Iowans, limiting access to abortion, and protecting Iowan’s gun rights. 

Before running, Miller-Meeks was an Iowa State Senator representing Senate District 41. She was appointed by former Gov. Terry Branstad in 2010 and served as the Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health until 2014. 

Bettendorf, Iowa resident Alain Pfaff said he voted for Miller-Meeks because she is hardworking. Pfaff, who is originally from France and has been living in Iowa for thirteen years, said he has stayed in Iowa because it’s a great place to live. 

Joellen Spersslage, a long-time Republican voter from Bettendorf, said she supports Miller-Meeks because she is committed to her goals. During the campaign months, Spersslage has followed Republican candidates across the state. 

“You have to get out every single vote counts. Last time Mariannette won by just a small margin, but it took every voter to get out there to make that happen,” Spersslage said. 

Miller-Meeks said she will advocate for all Iowans regardless of who they voted.

She said she is looking to be on the energy committee and commerce committee. On the campaign trail, Miller-Meeks advocated for the need for renewable energy in Iowa and across the country. 

Alejandro Rojas contributed to this report.