Former Democratic state representative Christina Bohannan, who is now running for Congress in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, faced criticism for missing nearly half of her votes during her final year in Iowa’s House of Representatives. Records indicate that in 2022, Bohannan was absent for 348 out of 773 floor votes, amounting to approximately 45% of all votes.
Bohannan’s missed votes included significant bills on topics such as sexual abuse protections, support for volunteer firefighters and first responders, dairy industry regulations, agricultural programs, emergency 911 services, and juvenile justice reform. She campaigned for a congressional seat in the battleground district during this period.
Emily Tuttle, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, criticized Bohannan, stating, “Liberal Christina Bohannan says leaders should ‘show up’ and then is a no-show herself.” Tuttle emphasized that missing a substantial portion of legislative work while still drawing a taxpayer-funded paycheck does not demonstrate leadership worthy of advancement.
Bohannan herself made comments about the importance of leaders showing up. In a past post, she highlighted the need for leaders to engage directly with Iowans during uncertain times. Additionally, in a 2021 interview, she expressed her intention to dedicate significant time to legislative work during the 2022 session.
Bohannan previously served one term in the Iowa House from 2021 to 2023 before beginning her campaign for Congress. She is challenging Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, for a third time. Previously, Bohannan lost to Miller-Meeks by about seven points in 2022 and a narrow margin of roughly 800 votes following a 2024 recount. Despite her campaigning, Bohannan remained on Iowa’s legislative payroll, with a $25,000 annual salary and a daily per diem totaling $17,500 for up to 100 days.
Aside from attendance issues, Bohannan faced scrutiny for comments about diversity training limitations in Iowa schools and transgender athlete restrictions, which she warned could make Iowa appear “backwards.” Reports also highlighted Bohannan and her husband’s ownership of significant properties, including a Florida condo valued between $500,001 and $1 million and a $1.55 million home in Iowa City. She campaigned as a middle-class advocate yet faced critique over her messaging.
Fox News Digital reached out to Bohannan’s campaign for comment on the situation. Kiera McDonald, a production assistant for Fox News Digital, contributed to this report.