Taxpayers in Iowa could lose up to $20,000 to a Democrat-backed recount in the 1st Congressional District — despite local officials privately feeling that incumbent Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ lead is “unassailable.”
When the recount began last week, 69-year-old Miller-Meeks had a lead of 801 votes. Since then, his lead against Democrat Christina Bohannon, 53, who requested a recount after her second projected defeat to the Iowa Republican, has fallen to just 798 votes. According to the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office,
“It was ridiculous. In fact, I think it was very disrespectful to the taxpayers and the auditors’ offices,” Lee County Auditor Dennis Fraze told The Post. “I know it wouldn’t have any different outcome. This is very foolish.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee, the official campaign arm of the House GOP, estimated that as of Monday night, the total cost of the recount was about $18,441 and estimated the cost could rise to $20,000 by Wednesday based on labor costs to recount the votes. Will go. ,
By law, Frase’s team, as well as the other 19 counties, are required to proceed with the recount despite overwhelming odds that it will not change the outcome.
Under Iowa state law, a candidate may request a recount under any threshold. However, when the race margin is 1% or less, the requesting candidate will not have to post a bond, the Secretary of State’s office told The Post.
“This is a delay tactic to frustrate the will of the people. “A recount would not meaningfully change the outcome of this race because it is mathematically impossible to overcome the congresswoman’s lead,” Miller-Meeks’ team told The Post.
“Marionette had the opportunity to win the support of a majority of voters and we are confident that Marionette Miller-Meeks will be re-elected to a third term.”
This race has one of the closest results of House competitions in the country. it has already been called DecisionDeskHQAlthough not by associated Press Who is waiting for recount.
bohannan is refuse to accept Whereas dramatic changes are expected in the recount.
Former Iowa State Representative. She put up a stronger fight than last time against Miller-Meeks in 2022, when she fell 46.6% to 53.3%.
“This is another attempt by DC Democrats to thwart or delay the will of Iowa voters. This margin of victory is insurmountable. Miller-Meeks’ attorney, Alan Ostergren, said Bohannon is unnecessarily spending taxpayer money.
The Post contacted Bohannon’s campaign for comment.
According to his team, after the 2022 loss, Bohannon refused to call Miller-Meeks and accept the defeat.
“Christina Bohannon refuses to accept that she has lost twice because Iowa voters have once again rejected her extremism,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told The Post.
“Elect Denier Bohannon needs to finally concede and stop having Iowa taxpayers’ hard-earned money spent on his fraudulent recount.”
Historically, recounts barely move the needle. For example, in 2020, Miller-Meeks had a lead of 47 votes against Democratic nominee Rita Hart, which dropped to just six ballots after a recount.
During the homestretch of a close race, Miller-Meeks was troubled by ads from Save Western Culture PAC, which registered with the Federal Election Commission in mid-October as hiding its donors.
Save Western Culture PAC put up flyers claiming so “Marionette (sic) Miller-Meeks believes our tax dollars should be sent to the Islamic State.”
The phrase was exactly the same as that of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), a US-designated terrorist group.
“They are so corrupt and so desperate that they will stoop to any low,” Miller-Meeks told The Post at the time. “It’s the same kind of strategy that desperate people use when they’re losing.”
To date, it is still not entirely clear in FEC filings where the PAC got its funding, although the group generally intervened in tight House and Senate races and to promote third-party liberal candidates. Beaten Republican candidates on the right.
Bohannon has said, “All Iowans should be assured that at the conclusion of this transparent, precinct-level recount process, every valid vote will be counted and accurately reported.”
Other Democrats have also been reluctant to admit defeat in the 2024 race.
For example, outgoing Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) also had to concede defeat to newly elected Senator Dave McCormick (D-Pa.) as recently as last Thursday. Costing taxpayers nearly $1 million In an effort to recount.
At the time, McCormick was ahead by about 16,000 votes, with nearly 7 million ballots counted.
(TagstoTranslate)Politics(T)US News(T)2024 Presidential Election(T)Democrats(T)Elections(T)Iowa(T)US House of Representatives
