State Rep. Shannon Lundgren is now in the race for the Iowa's 2nd District seat in the U.S. House, where she seeks to work alongside the president in carrying out his America First agenda.
To her, that would mean deporting people in the U.S. without legal status, protecting Social Security and Medicare and ending discussions about gender identity — something she calls "woke gender ideology."
Lundgren currently chairs the House Commerce Committee in the Iowa Statehouse and is serving her fourth term representing District 65 in northeast Iowa. She also owns a bar and grill in Peosta, which is one reason she said she would be a strong advocate for small businesses in Washington, D.C.
“As a lifelong resident of northeast Iowa, I know the struggles, the hopes and dreams of our neighbors,” Lundgren said in a statement. “In Congress, I’ll be the backbone of our American economy. And I will continue my work to cut waste, fraud and abuse to ensure working Americans keep more of their hard-earned paycheck.”
As a lawmaker, she supported "Back the Blue" laws, making rioting a felony offense, bolstering Iowa’s border protection laws and removing gender identity as a protected class from the Iowa Civil Rights Act.
“[My husband] and I are excited to earn support across northeast Iowa,” Lundgren said. “We will keep this seat red and fight, fight, fight alongside President Trump to put Iowa and America first.”
The 2nd District covers northeast Iowa, including Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Dubuque.
“I am running because I love Iowa, and I love America and I believe my community and my country needs me to fight for common sense, conservative values — lower tax regulations, deporting illegal immigrants and ensuring biological men aren’t competing in our daughters’ sports or trying to use their restrooms,” Lundgren said in a video her campaign posted to Facebook.
She said she was one of the President Donald Trump’s earliest supporters in Iowa.
“I proudly supported President Trump in August of 2015 because I knew our country needed his strong leadership to get us back on track after decades of establishment politicians forgetting about working families and rural America,” Lundgren said.
She also said she caucused for Trump nearly a decade later in 2024.
“I proudly stood with him early again,” Lundgren said. “Now, I’m stepping up to serve Iowans in Congress because Trump needs that type of unwavering, loyal conservative [fighter].”
Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who currently represents the district, is running for the U.S. Senate, leaving her House seat open in 2026. Hinson is hoping to fill the seat vacated by Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, who said she is retiring from Congress to spend time with her family.
Lundgren joins state Sen. Charlie McClintock, former federal housing administrator Joe Mitchell and former U.S. Rep. Rod Blum in seeking the GOP's nomination. Democrats Kathy Dolter, Clint Twedt-Ball and state Rep. Lindsay James, are also running for the seat.
It’s a packed race in a district the Cook Political Report recently changed from expectedly voting “Solid R” to “Likely R." The shift was made after Hinson announced her Senate bid.
