Cedar Rapids Cleric Aims for Second District Seat in Congress
Democrats Kathryn Dolter and Clint Twedt-Ball Vie for Iowa's Second Congressional District Seat
Two Democrats, Kathryn Dolter and Clint Twedt-Ball, have announced their campaigns for Iowa's Second Congressional District seat in the 2026 election.
Kathryn Dolter is a 67-year-old retired Army nurse and former dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College. She changed her voter registration from no-party to Democrat earlier this year and has since started to raise money for her campaign.
Dolter is a veteran advocate for health care reform. Her platform emphasizes improving the health care system to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates, making childrearing less financially burdensome, and opposing federal cuts to programs like SNAP, research, and immunization. She criticizes current federal policies she associates with the incumbent Republican, Ashley Hinson, as harmful to health, safety, and economic welfare. Dolter advocates for policies that support women’s health care, child care, and a broader social safety net to improve Americans' quality of life.
Clint Twedt-Ball, a pastor from Cedar Rapids, is 54 years old. He co-founded the nonprofit "Matthew 25" in Cedar Rapids nearly two decades ago. Twedt-Ball positions himself as a pragmatic problem-solver, appealing to Republicans and Democrats alike by emphasizing common sense solutions over partisan promises. He criticizes recent Republican policies for failing to deliver on economic improvements such as lower grocery prices and ending wars. His platform is grounded in addressing practical concerns and rejecting scapegoating, aiming to unify voters with effective problem-solving.
If elected, Twedt-Ball plans to work towards preserving Medicaid and Social Security, while Dolter's stance on these issues remains unknown.
Currently, Democrat Kevin Techau has suspended his campaign, and state Rep. Lindsay James is considering whether to run, but Dolter and Twedt-Ball are the main confirmed Democratic candidates so far. If successful, Dolter intends to focus on finding ways to promote economic development in small towns, while Twedt-Ball plans to find ways to promote economic development and address affordability issues in northeastern Iowa using his experience with the nonprofit sector.
The race for Iowa's Second Congressional District seat is heating up, with Dolter and Twedt-Ball offering unique perspectives and platforms. As the election approaches, voters will have the opportunity to learn more about these candidates and make informed decisions.
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- The local radio station KMCH in Marshalltown, Iowa, might feature news about the community's candidates for the Second Congressional District seat, such as Kathryn Dolter and Clint Twedt-Ball, as their campaigns gain momentum.
- Kathryn Dolter, a retired Army nurse and former dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College, is aligned with policy-and-legislation that emphasizes a broader social safety net and prioritizing health care reform to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates.
- Clint Twedt-Ball, co-founder of the non-profit "Matthew 25" in Cedar Rapids and a local pastor, seeks to position himself as a pragmatic problem-solver for northeastern Iowa, focusing on affordability issues and promoting economic development using his experience in the non-profit sector.
- As the 2026 election for Iowa's Second Congressional District seat approaches, listeners of political-oriented radio stations and readers of general news media platforms might discover varying perspectives on specific policy issues, such as the preservation of Medicaid and Social Security, from candidates like Kathryn Dolter and Clint Twedt-Ball.
