(Ottumwa, IA) Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks plans to announce that she will toss her hat in the ring once again as a Republican candidate in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. Miller-Meeks stepped down from her post as director of the Iowa Department of Health in January. Governor Terry Branstad told the Des Moines Register that she resigned because she intended to run for Congress.
Miller-Meeks, an ophthalmologist from Ottumwa, ran for Congress in 2008 and 2010 before being appointed by Branstad to the Iowa Department of Health. She won the Republican nomination and lost to incumbent Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) both times.
Miller-Meeks will be officially announcing her campaign for Congress as a Republican in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. She will be touring various locations across the district on Wednesday, Feb. 26, and Thursday, Feb. 27, listening to Iowans’ concerns and talking about solutions to the challenges our country faces like rising healthcare costs and government accountability.
“Washington is a dysfunctional mess and it’s time to send someone there who has real world experience bringing people together to solve problems,” Miller-Meeks said in a released statement. “The Affordable Care Act has been anything but affordable and is jeopardizing our quality and access to healthcare. I see firsthand how this law is hurting our citizens and we need to send a doctor to Washington to fix it.”
“Working with Governor Branstad the past three years has given me an opportunity to see what can be accomplished when we put Iowans first and partisanship aside for the greater good. Together we were able to improve the quality of life for the people of this state. I want to bring that problem-solving, common-sense Iowa attitude to Congress. Let’s put Iowa in Washington,” she added.
In addition to working as an eye doctor and as Director of the Iowa Department of Heath Miller-Meeks also served 24 years in the United States Army as both a nurse and physician. She was also the first woman on faculty at the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and the first female president of the Iowa Medical Society. She and her husband, Curt have two grown children, Jonathon and Taylor.
Miller-Meeks will have a statistical hurdle to overcome as Smart Politics pointed out that three times isn’t always a charm:
In fact, of the more than 660 contests for the chamber in Iowa history, 92 have featured a major party candidate making his or her second, third, or even fourth attempt to win their first ever congressional seat, or about one such candidate out of every seven races.
Of these 92 bids, however, just 17 were successful, or 18.5 percent.
Iowa’s Democratic and Republican parties have both frequently recycled challengers over the last quarter-century, with 10 such candidates since 1988.
None, however, were successful.
Miller-Meeks must first win a primary against State Representative Mark Lofgren (R-Muscatine).
Full Schedule Annoucement Tour:
Burlington
Candidate availability 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.; speak at 7:45 a.m.
Ivy Bake Shoppe
309 S. Gear Avenue
West Burlington, IA 52655
Mount Pleasant
Candidate meet/greet with patrons at 9:15 a.m.
HyVee (kitchen/diner area)
1700 E. Washington Street
Mount Pleasant IA 52641
Radio Interview with Theresa Rose of KILJ Radio (1130 AM & 105.5 FM) 9:45 a.m.
2411 Radio Drive
Mount Pleasant, IA 52641
Fairfield
Candidate meet/greet with patrons at 10:30 a.m.
Revelations Cafe
112 N. Main Street
Fairfield, IA 52556
Ottumwa
Candidate availability 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; speak at 11:45 a.m.
VFW
702 W. Main Street
Ottumwa, IA 52501
Pella
2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Walk the square
Washington
Radio Interview with Sally Hart of KCII Radio (1380 AM & 106.1 FM)
Iowa City
Candidate available 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.; speak at 5:45 p.m.
Iowa City Cancer Treatment Center
3010 Northgate Drive
Iowa City, IA 52245
Thursday – Feb. 27
Bettendorf
Candidate available 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.; speak at 7:45 a.m.
Happy Joe’s
2430 Spruce Hills Drive
Bettendorf, IA 52722
Muscatine
Candidate meet/greet with patrons at 9:15 a.m.
Elly’s Tea & Coffee
208 W. Second Street #8
Muscatine, IA 52761
Tipton
Walk the square — 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Newton
Candidate available 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.; speak at 12:45 p.m.
Uncle Nancy’s Coffee Shop
114 N. Second Avenue West
Newton, Iowa 50208
Oskaloosa
Candidate meet/greet with patrons at 2:30 p.m.
Smokey Row Coffee
109 S. Market Street
Oskaloosa, IA 52577
West Des Moines
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) – Central Iowa Summit
Attending 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sheraton Inn
1800 50th Street
West Des Moines, IA 50266
Pella
Marion County Central Committee Meeting 7:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
Highpoint Apartments
340 E. 13th Street
Pella, IA 50219
Oskaloosa
Mahaska County Central Committee Meeting 8:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
Mahaska County Courthouse
106 S. First Street
Oskaloosa, IA 52577