Iowa's 1st Congressional District: Young Democrat takes aim at Freedom Caucus member
Iowa and politics go hand-in-hand, so it’s not a surprise that the race between Republican Rep. Rod Blum and Democratic State Rep. Abby Finkenauer for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District -- which voted for Barack Obama twice, but Trump in 2016 -- is gaining national attention.
Blum, a former software company entrepreneur, is a two-term congressman and a member of the House Freedom Caucus. A supporter of the president, he ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
Finkenauer, a two-term state representative, beat out three other Democratic challengers by a wide margin in the primary. She’s also picked up a number of big endorsements from NARAL Pro-Choice America and EMILY’s List, and could be another example of the "pink wave" sweeping the midterms.
A battle of the vice presidents is setting up as well with Pence visiting the district earlier this month to campaign for Blum and former Vice President Joe Biden having endorsed Finkenauer, who served as the volunteer coordinator in Iowa for his 2008 presidential campaign.
Blum has challenged Finkenauer to a series of 12 debates. In a statement to ABC News, Finkenauer said she "looks forward to debating the important issues at stake in this election" and "intend[s] to spend the coming weeks establishing a debate schedule that ... gives voters the opportunity to hear from both candidates."
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18 For 18’ is ABC News’ powerhouse political coverage of the 2018 midterm elections. To stay up to date, visit ABCNews.com, the ABC News app, and follow our midterm elections alerts.
