Iowa — 2nd District

A Democrat from Boone is joining the crowded primary for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District as incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson runs for U.S. Senate.

Guy Morgan, 33, is a hotel manager and first-time candidate who recently launched his campaign.

"The number one issue for me is the environment," he said. "Especially here in Iowa we have a really, really bad problem with water quality."

He said companies that cause environmental spills and other damage should face steeper consequences for their actions.

"I would like to see real punishments for the businesses that decide to prioritize profits over the safety of their communities and the safety of the environment," he said. "Not just financial — I would like to see actual time served for deciding to destroy the environment."

Morgan said he would also like to see the government do more to strengthen unions, including allowing federal public sector union workers to strike, which he said would give them greater bargaining power.

"In my mind there’s only really two ways that someone who’s not in a great financial position can increase their financial position," he said. "Those methods are education and unions."

He said he became motivated to run after his father died of COVID-19 after believing misinformation that the disease wasn't deadly.

"I decided I could no longer sit back, that I could no longer allow this insane right-wing Republicanism to keep destroying the world that I know," he said.

He named other Republican policies he opposes, including "ICE kidnapping people," Republicans' "big bad bill" which he said "is destroying medical coverage," as well as tariffs and the Department of Government Efficiency, which he said are harming the economy and the government.

"It’s wild to me that every day there’s something more and more and more extreme going on," he said. "And I just see it as more and more reason why I need to run, why it’s important, why they need people in Congress that are willing to stand up and fight for their constituents, that are willing to fight for their morals."

The 2nd Congressional District covers 22 counties in northeast Iowa, including the cities of Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo and Mason City.

Although Morgan does not live in the district, he said he has family there and considers it home after spending time attending the University of Northern Iowa and working in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls area.

The U.S. Constitution requires members of Congress to live in the state they represent, but there is no requirement that members must live in their district.

Morgan said he hasn't heard anyone raise concerns with his residency and doesn't believe it will be a big issue since he plans to campaign heavily to introduce himself to voters.

"I do have an extremely aggressive town hall campaign coming up here where I’m going to be in these counties four or five times a week and driving five, six hours in order to do that," he said. "And the fact that I’m willing to do that for a one-hour meeting, from what I’ve heard most people are more impressed that I’m willing to actually do that."

Morgan reported raising $2,413 in the most recent fundraising quarter, from July 1 through Sept. 30. That's far less than his Democratic competitors, although Morgan said he's not concerned because he only recently launched his campaign.

State Rep. Lindsay James, D-Dubuque, leads the Democratic field in fundraising, with $273,649, followed by former Cedar Rapids nonprofit leader Clint Twedt-Ball, who raised $218,815, and former Kirkwood Community College Dean of Nursing Kathy Dolter, who raised $39,109.

"Whether it’s Guy Morgan or any of the other radical Democrats fantasizing about their chances in IA-02, it won’t matter," Republican Party of Iowa spokesperson Jade Cichy said in a statement. "Whoever stumbles out of the Democrat primary will be just another out-of-touch liberal with an extreme agenda that Iowa voters will reject next November."

State Rep. Shannon Lundgren, R-Dubuque; state Sen. Charlie McClintock, R-Alburnett; and former state Rep. Joe Mitchell of Clear Lake are seeking the Republican nomination.