Mariannette Miller-Meeks

Mariannette Jane Miller-Meeks (née: Miller; born September 6, 1955) is an American physician and politician who has served as a U.S. representative from Iowa since 2021. Her district, numbered the 2nd from 2021 to 2023 and the 1st since 2023, includes most of Iowa's southeastern quadrant, including Davenport, Bettendorf, Burlington, and Iowa City. Previously, Miller-Meeks served as in the Iowa Senate from 2019 to 2021. She is a member of the Republican Party.

Miller-Meeks ran three unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. House in 2008, 2010, and 2014. She ran again for the seat in 2020, winning by six votes (a margin of 0.002%). She was reelected in 2022 by a margin of nearly 7%, and was reelected in 2024 by a 0.29% margin after winning a closer-than-expected Republican primary.

She is a member of the moderate Republican Governance Group.

Early life and education Mariannette Jane Miller-Meeks was born in Herlong, California, on September 6, 1955.

A first-generation college student, Miller-Meeks earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Texas Christian University in 1976, a Master of Science in education from the University of Southern California in 1980, and a Doctor of Medicine from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1986.

Career before politics Miller-Meeks joined active duty in the United States Army in 1976, serving until 1982. Starting in 1983, she became a member of the United States Army Reserve and retired in 2000. She served as the first female president of the Iowa Medical Society. and worked as a representative from Iowa to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Iowa State Senate When Mark Chelgren announced he was not running for reelection, Miller-Meeks ran for Iowa Senate, District 41 in 2018, defeating Democratic nominee Mary Stewart. Miller-Meeks served in the Iowa Senate from 2019 to 2020. She won the June 2 Republican primary election, defeating former Illinois Congressman Bobby Schilling.

Miller-Meeks faced the Democratic nominee, former state Senator Rita Hart, in the November general election. After Loebsack announced his retirement, journalists and election forecasters labeled the 2nd congressional district a swing district.

The initial count in the election showed Miller-Meeks with a 47 vote victory. Hart asked for a recount which shrunk the lead to just 6 votes, which was certified by the State Canvassing Board. The Iowa Board of Canvass certified the result.

Hart contested the certified result through a petition with the Committee on House Administration under the 1969 Federal Contested Elections Act, which sets forth procedures for contesting state election results in the House under the Constitution. In her petition, Hart contended that 22 legally cast votes were not counted. Had they been counted, per her petition, she would have won the race by nine votes.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi provisionally seated Miller-Meeks on January 3, 2021, pending adjudication of Hart's petition. The Committee on House Administration reviewed Hart's petition, and Pelosi claimed the House had the authority to expel Miller-Meeks, but on March 31, Hart withdrew her challenge.

2022

After redistricting, Miller-Meeks' district was renumbered as the 1st district, effective with the 2022 elections. Miller-Meeks defeated Democratic state Representative Christina Bohannan in the November 2022 general election by 53% to 47%.

2024

In 2024, Miller-Meeks again faced off against Christina Bohannan. The race was extremely close, with Miller-Meeks ahead by 801 votes after the initial count. A recount confirmed that Miller-Meeks had been elected to a third term by 799 votes.

2026

Miller-Meeks raised over $1 million in the first quarter of 2025. This was the most money raised by any U.S. House incumbent during this time period. In the 2026 election, Miller-Meeks faced a primary challenge from David Pautsch, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination in Iowa's 1st District in 2024. Pautsch ran to the right of Miller-Meeks.

On June 17, 2025, Christina Bohannan announced that she would run for a third time.

Miller-Meeks defeated Pautsch for the second time in the June Republican primary and will face Democratic nominee Christian Bohannan for a third consecutive general election in November.

Tenure Miller-Meeks with Senator Joni Ernst visiting troops in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility. Miller-Meeks, along with all other Senate and House Republicans, voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

On May 19, 2021, Miller-Meeks was among 35 Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the January 6 commission meant to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol.

Following the November 2024 elections, Miller-Meeks ran in the internal House Republican Conference elections for secretary (the sixth-highest ranking post in the conference), but was defeated by Erin Houchin of Indiana.

In April 2025, Miller-Meeks urged lawmakers to act to extend a tax break that benefits small businesses. The Qualified Business Income deduction allows small business owners to deduct up to 20% of their income. It is slated to expire on December 31, 2025.

Infrastructure In 2020, Miller-Meeks said that an infrastructure bill would be her main priority, suggesting a fuel tax increase to pay for it.

Immigration On July 21, 2021, Miller-Meeks and Deborah Ross co-sponsored the America's CHILDREN Act. The bill would prevent the children of long-term visa holders who came to the U.S. legally with their parents from having their visas expire the day they turn 21. If they have maintained legal status in the U.S. for 10 years and graduated from an institution of higher education, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency. In March 2026, Miller-Meeks gave her condolences to families of American soldiers killed in the Iran war, and attended their dignified transfer events.

Miller-Meeks said in March 2026 that the war should "remain focused and limited", since Americans "rightfully do not want another forever war". In the first half of 2026, she voted three times against war powers resolutions that would have limited the war until congressional consent had been obtained, stating that it would "hamstring operations while pilots are in the air". In April 2026, Miller-Meeks said she would "look very carefully" at proposed spending cuts to fund the Iran war.

Committee assignments For the 118th Congress (2020–2023): Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Minerals Subcommittee on Health Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health (Chair) Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic

Caucus memberships Conservative Climate Caucus (chair) Pandemic Preparedness Caucus (co-chair) Congressional Diabetes Caucus Pro-Life Caucus Republican Governance Group She is a Roman Catholic. In a 2024 election debate, Miller-Meeks defended questions about her residency, saying she had been honest when she said she would not sell her Wapello County property, saying "In Iowa, land is valuable and we hold onto it, so I have a property there." She said she divides her time between an apartment in Washington, D.C., an apartment in Davenport, and her property in Ottumwa. In November 2024, an absentee and special precinct board in Scott County accepted Miller-Meeks' ballot cast in the 2024 election, rejecting the residency challenge.

Miller-Meeks organized a physician recruitment and retention organization to help bring physicians to southeast Iowa and has served as a court-appointed special advocate volunteer for children.

2020

2022

2024