Iowa State Representative Shannon Lundgren (R), who identifies herself as an “America First Wife, Mom and Grandma,” announced Monday that she is suspending her campaign for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, the seat currently held by Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA). Note: Hinson, with the endorsement of President Donald Trump, is running to replace retiring Republican incumbent Senator Joni Ernst.
In her announcement, Lundgren, who is serving her fifth term in the Iowa legislature, said she plans instead to run for reelection to the Iowa House.
After a lot of reflection with my family, I am suspending my campaign for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. We are so grateful to our supporters, volunteers, and every Iowan who joined this journey.
My full statement is below. I remain dedicated to serving HD65 and fighting for…
— Shannon Lundgren (@DbqRepLundgren) January 26, 2026
With Lundgren out of the race, that leaves fellow Republican State Rep. Charlie McClintock and former State Rep. Joe Mitchell running in the GOP primary scheduled for June 2.
Mitchell, 28, has received endorsements from MAGA-aligned Reps. Brandon Gill (TX), Jim Jordan (OH), and Anna Paulina Luna (FL), and organizations including Turning Point, which according to Mitchell “was very instrumental in getting me in this race.”
As seen below on Lindell TV, Mitchell said he met Charlie Kirk at an event in 2019 (“I was a huge Charlie Kirk fan”) and that Kirk told him, “Joe, we gotta get more young people like you to run for office.”
Spoke w/ @VanessaBNews about our campaign this morning and some key endorsements we have received so far on the campaign trail. pic.twitter.com/BImQEgcscU
— Joe Mitchell (@joemitchelliowa) January 15, 2026
Democrats running for Hinson’s seat include Iowa State Rep. Lindsay James. It will be a challenge for any Democrat to win in a district that voted for Trump three times, but some Iowa Democrats are optimistic after Democrat Catelin Drey flipped a state Senate seat in a special election in November which broke a GOP supermajority in the Iowa Senate.