MOLINE, Ill. — Millions of dollars from a Democratic super PAC are going towards the race for Iowa's first Congressional district.
According to Politico, it's funding ads in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities for Christina Bohannan. She's running against incumbent Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) for the second time. That money is going to TV ads.
Robin Johnson is a political science professor at Monmouth, and the host of a local NPR politics podcast. He said these ads have some impact, but they're not the only factor in this race.
While Bohannan lost the race in 2022, Johnson said there are a few things different about this time around.
"I think the main difference this time is that this race is going to take place in a presidential election year, where the turnout is going to be a lot higher than it was in 2022," Johnson said. "I think what happened was after President Biden dropped out of the presidential race this year, and Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in, there’s been a lot more excitement and energy on the Democratic side."
He said higher voter turnout benefits down-ballot candidates like Bohannan.
Bohannan also got a boost in ad money. Politico reported the House Majority PAC took out $2.3 million in ads. Johnson said that's because Democrats would only need to flip five seats to secure a majority in the U.S. House.
"The bottom line is that there’s just not that many competitive districts in our country," Johnson said. "Due to gerrymandering, due to the polarization and partisanship we have, and so there’s not that many districts to choose from, that Democrats feel like this one is worth investing more in."
He said funding is based on internal polling by the Democratic Party. The increased funding signals more confidence in Bohannan, but the race will likely draw Republican dollars, too.
"It's going to be like an arms race where the Democratic Congressional Committee will put money in, then the Republicans will respond," Johnson said. "They're not going to leave [Miller-Meeks] underfunded."
But more money doesn't guarantee a win. Johnson said Miller-Meeks is more experienced than Bohannan.
"I anticipate this race will be close coming up, but we'll see how it goes and whether the added investment at this point can make a difference," Johnson said.
He said the majority of that ad spending will go to TV commercials. They're the most expensive and traditionally the most effective. Both candidates are also advertising on YouTube.