KALONA — All three Iowa Democrats running for the nomination for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District seat pitched their platform at an Iowa Democratic Regional Hall of Fame event on Sunday.
The three hopefuls are fighting for the Democratic nomination in what is expected to be a competitive race in the 2026 midterms, with National Democrats targeting the district and national election forecasters ranking the race as a toss-up.
Iowa City Democrat and previous 1st District Democratic nominee Christina Bohannan, Muscatine Democrat Taylor Wettach, and Tiffin Democrat Travis Terrell spoke on health care reform and the Israel-Hamas war.
The candidates will face off against each other in a June 2, 2026, primary election.
Medicare for all, repealing Medicaid cuts
Bohannan said she is committed to reversing cuts to Medicaid funding enacted by the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which is expected to cut nearly $1 trillion in spending on the medical assistance program.
The bill would also let expanded Affordable Care Act tax credits expire, which is expected to increase premiums by hundreds of dollars a month.
Bohannan said health care affordability is at the center of why she chose to run.
“This is a problem across the board, and our health insurance system is broken; there is no question about it,” Bohannan said on Sunday. “So many people don’t have access to help. The costs are too high.”
Wettach said he would push to recognize health care as a human right and ensure everyone can access care through a public health system.
“We need public health care in our country,” Wettach said on Sunday. “Why can’t we afford that in the most powerful, richest country in the world? If other countries can afford that, we should be able to provide public health care for everyone as part of the human rights we should be guaranteed to everyone.”
Terrell said he would support the Medicare for All Act proposed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, in April, if elected to Congress.
Terrell said he supports Medicare for All because at 17 years old, he shattered his heel and was told they could either do surgery or a cast and hope it heals right. He decided to do the cast since his family didn’t have insurance, and has walked with a limp ever since.
“We do have to get rid of the beautiful bill first — but that’s not enough,” Terrell said. “We can’t say health care is a human right unless we are going to guarantee it to every single person in this country from the moment they are born, so families like mine don’t have to make those tough choices that no child should have to make for their single mother.”
The resolution of the Israel-Hamas war
The candidates also discussed what they would do if the Israel-Hamas war was not resolved by the time they got into office.
The discussion comes as President Donald Trump is working to resolve the Israel-Hamas war and reach a resolution to the more than two-year conflict.
Wettach said Iowans need leaders who will ensure, no matter their background, Israelis and Palestinians are treated “with the respect and dignity that they deserve.”
“[The deal is] not actually caring for a lot of folks out there — they’re just trying to push it through,” Wettach said. “We need a real deal that’s actually going to be a deal that people in Israel and Gaza can take, comply with, and understand, which is actually going to support them.”
Terrell said he doesn’t believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going to stop his military campaign unless the U.S. makes him stop.
“If we do get that peace, we have to be the ones who guarantee it lasts,” Terrell said. “We cannot give Israel any funding if they go back into Gaza. Israel will get no support from the United States when I’m in Congress if they continue killing women and children.”
Bohannan said she would support finding a resolution that sends in humanitarian aid as soon as possible.
“I hope [President Trump] will continue to push hard for a real deal that both sides can come to the table on to end the violence here,” Bohannan said. “Because, you know, I really, really want to see that humanitarian aid flowing immediately when it happens.”