Iowa City Democrat and 1st Congressional District candidate Christina Bohannan rallied University of Iowa students on reproductive rights and abortion access during an event at the Iowa Memorial Union on Friday.
Bohannan called on students to turn out for the November election in a tightening race for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District seat. Bohannan emphasized how close the race was in 2020, in which her opponent U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, won by just six votes.
Bohannan, speaking to a room of roughly 50 UI students, emphasized how close the race has become in recent weeks. The race is currently rated as a tossup by several elections forecasters and a September Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll found that Democrats are favored in the district by 3 points — well within the poll’s margin of error.
“Friends, there has never been a time when each and every individual vote mattered more than it does now,” Bohannan said. “So, we have an opportunity to make real change here in this district, turn some things around in Iowa, and also change the course of our future of this country.”
The rally comes as reproductive rights are the top issue for voters. A September 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that 51 percent of voters feel abortion is an important issue when considering who to vote for in the 2024 election.
Bohannan has sought to define her campaign on abortion after Iowa passed a near-total abortion ban in 2023 and the law went into effect after a prolonged court battle in July of this year.
A recent Iowa poll also found that nearly two-thirds of Iowans feel abortion should be legal in most cases.
Bohannan has continuously drawn a contrast with her opponent on the issue, casting Miller-Meeks as a pro-life legislator. Miller-Meeks has signed onto national abortion ban legislation that would set a federal abortion ban at 15 weeks and allow more restrictive bans.
“The fundamental difference between my opponent and me is that she thinks politicians should be the ones to tell women what to do with their bodies,” Bohannan said. “I believe that women should make those decisions for themselves.”
Bohannan said she would restore federal protections for abortion if elected to Congress.
Emma Bork, a third-year University of Iowa student, said that Bohannan’s stance on abortion is important for her as a voter.
“As a young woman, it’s terrifying and I feel like there’s a lack of education on the matter and a lot of opinions that are really terrifying to somebody who would potentially experience making that decision one day,” Bork said. “I feel like it’s really important to vote for her and I don’t agree with many of her opponent’s stances.”
Roxy Ekberg contributed to this report.