Democrat Rita Hart has filed papers with the House challenging her six-vote loss in Iowa to Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks.
According to Roll Call, Hart filed a “notice of contest” with the House on Tuesday.
Iowa officials had certified the results in the open 2nd Congressional District contest on Nov. 30. The results showed Miller-Meeks with a six-vote lead after a recount.
But in her filing with the House, Hart maintained there were 22 ballots her campaign described as “legally cast but unlawfully excluded” from the recount.
Roll Call noted that if those ballots were counted, Hart would win by nine votes.
“As I have said from the beginning of this entire process, nothing is more important than ensuring every Iowan has their vote counted,” Hart said. “Everyone has acknowledged that there are uncounted votes left and after reviewing those ballots and making sure they are counted, it will be clear that I have won this election."
In a Tuesday tweet, Miller-Meeks said: “This election has been decided by Iowans. That decision should not be thrown into Washington’s hyper-partisan atmosphere. It is shameful that Rita Hart does not have faith in Iowans, and does not respect the decision of Iowa voters.”
Miller-Meeks, 65, is a physician, U.S. Army Reserve colonel, and state senator. Hart, a former state senator, was a 2018 lieutenant governor nominee.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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