GOP congressional candidate Mariannette Miller-Meeks is maintaining a six-point lead over her Democrat challenger Tina Hart after a recount in Iowa’s second district.
A state canvassing board will meet Monday to certify the election results of the race where more than 394,400 votes were cast, which would certify Miller-Meeks as the winner.
Just a few weeks ago, Hart requested a full recount in the 24 counties that comprise Iowa’s 2nd district.
Hart’s campaign manager, Zach Meunier, did not say if the Hart campaign would file a legal challenge against the election results, given that it is the closest house election in the nation.
“When we began this recount Rita Hart was down by 47 votes,” Meunier told the Iowa City Press-Citizen. “As more ballots have been counted, the margin has narrowed dramatically and is now down to a mere 6 votes — making this the closest Congressional race in recent history, and one of the very closest in the last hundred years.”
Meunier also accused the Miller-Meeks campaign of voter suppression, adding that, “We will closely review what the county and state boards do on Monday with an eye toward making sure all Iowa voices are fully and fairly heard.”
Miller-Meeks said in a statement that while the race was “extraordinarily close,” she looked forward to her certification as the winner of the election.
“While the race is extraordinarily close, I am proud to have won this contest and look forward to being certified as the winner by the state’s Executive Council on Monday,” Miller-Meeks said in a statement on Saturday. “It is the honor of a lifetime to be elected to serve the people of eastern and southern Iowa.”
Miller-Meeks and Hart ran to replace Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA), who is retiring from congress after seven terms.
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