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Iowa Certifies GOP Win in US House Race12/01 06:09
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Iowa officials on Monday certified a Republican
candidate as the winner by six votes of an open seat in the U.S. House, in what
is shaping up to be the closest congressional election in decades.
Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks finished ahead of Democrat Rita Hart in
Iowa's 2nd Congressional District after a recount saw her 47-vote lead steadily
dwindle to single digits.
The state Board of Canvass voted 5-0 Monday afternoon to certify
Miller-Meeks as the winner over Hart by a count of 196,964 to 196,958.
The board, which includes Gov. Kim Reynolds and four other state elected
officials, also certified President Donald Trump as the winner of the state's
six electoral votes. The board is made up of three Republicans and two
Democrats.
If it withstands expected legal challenges, Miller-Meeks' margin of victory
would amount to the closest U.S. House race since 1984 and the tightest in Iowa
since 1916.
"That race alone reinforces that every vote counts and can make a
difference," said Secretary of State Paul Pate, Iowa's commissioner of
elections and a canvass board member.
Hart's campaign has signaled that it will likely take legal action to
challenge the outcome, and must do so within two days of the certification
under Iowa law. Such a filing would trigger the formation of a contest court
consisting of Iowa Chief Justice Susan Christensen and four district judges who
will be appointed.
The tribunal would have the discretion to set rules that are "necessary for
the protection of the rights of each party and speedy trial of the case." Hart
could be required to post a bond that would cover the costs if the contest
isn't successful.
The panel would be expected to move quickly and rule on which candidate is
entitled to hold the office by Dec. 8.
If the court ruled in favor of Miller-Meeks, Hart could file a final appeal
with the Democratic-controlled U.S. House, which has the power to judge its
members' elections and has intervened in the past on rare occasions.
Miller-Meeks declared victory after Saturday's recount in Clinton County,
the last in the district, cut her lead from eight votes to six.
"While the race is extraordinarily close, I am proud to have won this
contest and look forward to being certified as the winner," she said. "It is
the honor of a lifetime to be elected to serve the people of eastern and
southern Iowa. Iowans are tenacious, optimistic and hardworking, and I will
take those same attributes to Washington, D.C., on their behalf."
Miller-Meeks, a state senator from Ottumwa, is making her fourth run for
Congress. She lost her three previous runs for the seat in 2008, 2010 and 2014
to Democrat Dave Loebsack, whose retirement after seven terms created the
vacancy.
Hart's campaign manager Zach Meunier said after Monday's certification that
the recount was designed to count ballots that had already been tallied and
that "additional legal ballots may have yet to be counted."
"Over the next few days, we will outline our next steps in this process to
ensure that all Iowans' voices are heard," he said.
If Miller-Meeks prevails, her victory would limit the size of the Democratic
majority in the House, which stands at 222-206 with seven races still
undecided, according to race calls by The Associated Press.
If Hart appeals the results to the five-judge panel, the AP will not call
the race until after the panel issues a ruling.
The state's certification came after the 24 counties in the district
approved the results of their recounts, which collectively added 143 votes for
Hart and 102 votes for Miller-Meeks.
The most dramatic swing came in the district's most populous, Scott County,
where Hart netted 26 votes. Scott County Supervisors on Monday certified that
change, while saying they were troubled that the recount board tallied 131 more
absentee ballots than an earlier post-election canvass.
County officials said they were baffled by the source of the discrepancy,
which could be from the discovery of uncounted ballots, a machine counting
error or a mistaken double count. County Attorney Mike Walton said the board
had no choice but to certify the recount board's work.
"It's not perfect," he said. "There are questions that one side or another
may want answered through a contest."
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