Could Iowa Recount Cost Republicans Control of House?

A Democratic House candidate is calling for a recount in her Iowa district after losing to her Republican opponent by around 800 votes.
Christina Bohannan said that a recount in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District was expected because of the narrow margin, raising questions over the potential impact on the GOP’s narrow majority in the House.
Despite the potential recount, Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who has held the seat since 2021, announced her candidacy for a senior leadership role as GOP Conference Secretary in the House on Tuesday.
As of Thursday afternoon, all 20 counties in the district had reported their results, giving Bohannan 49.79 percent of the vote against Miller-Meeks’ 49.98 percent.
“To be absolutely certain that every voter is heard, the Bohannan campaign will request a recount in all 20 counties across the district, as permitted by Iowa law,” Bohannan for Congress campaign manager Jindalae Suh said in a statement to Newsweek.
“We have full trust in this process and will accept the results regardless of the outcome. All Iowans should feel confident that at the conclusion of this transparent, precinct-level recount process, every lawful vote will be counted and reported accurately.”
Miller-Meeks’ office told Newsweek that a recount would just waste taxpayer money.
“Just as Democrats are trying to steal a senate seat in Pennsylvania, Bohannan and the Democrats remain election deniers in this race as well,” a spokesperson for Miller-Meeks said.
“This is a delaying tactic to thwart the will of the people. A recount won’t meaningfully change the outcome of this race as the congresswoman’s lead is mathematically impossible to overcome.”
Newsweek reached out to Iowa’s Secretary of State via email for comment on Thursday.
At the time of writing, the seat had not yet been officially declared by the Associated Press. The GOP was sitting on 218 declared seats, the number needed for a ruling majority. Democrats had secured 209 seats at last count, with nine still to be decided.
Another close undeclared seat—California’s 45th District—showed incumbent Republican Representative Michelle Steel at 50.1 percent against Democrat Derek Tran’s 49.9 percent.
The Republican Party’s grip on the House is not yet certain, with President-elect Donald Trump selecting a number of representatives for future cabinet roles, prompting House Speaker Mike Johnson to ask for “some relief” to keep the majority.
“It’s a great problem to have,” Johnson told Fox News on Thursday. “We have an embarrassment of riches in the House Republican Congress. Lots of talented people who are very attuned to the America First agenda, and they can serve the country well in other capacities.
“But I’ve told President Trump, enough already, give me some relief. I have to maintain this majority. And he understands that, of course, we’ve been talking about it almost hourly every day,” he said, adding that the Republicans “will have a majority.”
Trump’s cabinet nominations have included three GOP representatives, with others declaring their interest.
Among those announced are Florida’s Mike Waltz, picked as national security adviser, and New York’s Elise Stefanik, nominated as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Florida Representative Matt Gaetz was nominated Wednesday as the next attorney general, resigning from Congress immediately after the announcement despite requiring Senate confirmation for the role.
At least three other representatives have suggested they would be open to cabinet roles, including North Carolina’s Virginia Foxx and Florida’s Byron Donalds for secretary of Education. Kentucky’s Thomas Massie has hinted that he is open to becoming the secretary of Agriculture.
Should these candidates be selected, special elections must be held to replace their House seats. However, all those mentioned won seats by around a 30 percent margin, meaning a significant shift in voting patterns would be needed for Republicans to lose the majority.