Former Iowa State Rep. Christina Bohannan Missed Nearly Half of Votes While Campaigning

Former Democratic state Representative Christina Bohannan missed nearly half of her voting obligations in the Iowa House of Representatives during her last year in office, as she campaigned for a congressional seat. Official records show that in 2022, Bohannan was absent for 348 out of 773 floor votes, accounting for approximately 45% of the total votes.

Bohannan is a candidate for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District in a hotly contested race. The Cook Political Report classifies this race as a ‘toss up’ with Republicans aiming to retain their narrow control in the House of Representatives.

Among the votes she missed were those on crucial legislation, including measures for sexual abuse victim protection, support for volunteer firefighters and first responders, dairy industry and agricultural programs, emergency services, and juvenile justice reform.

Liberal Christina Bohannan says leaders should ‘show up’ and then is a no-show herself, said Emily Tuttle, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. Missing half your job while collecting your taxpayer-funded paycheck isn’t leadership worthy of a promotion. It’s the kind of performance that would get you fired anywhere else.

Bohannan’s absences contradict her past statements. On October 6, 2025, she posted online about the importance of leaders showing up and engaging with voters. This came after she participated in a candidate forum representing five counties in Iowa.

In a 2021 interview, Bohannan expressed her intention to split her time between legislative duties in 2022 and her congressional campaign. She served one term in the Iowa House from 2021 to 2023 before announcing her congressional run.

Bohannan is challenging incumbent Republican Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks for a third time after previous unsuccessful attempts. Despite remaining on the state’s payroll, earning a $25,000 salary plus per diem, during her campaign period, her past comments have drawn criticism. Bohannan warned that Iowa might be perceived negatively due to limits on diversity training in schools and restrictions on transgender athletes.

Further scrutiny arose from reports that Bohannan owned a Florida condo valued between $500,001 and $1 million and a $1.55 million home in Iowa City, all while campaigning as a middle-class advocate.