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Rita Hart

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Rita Hart
Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 29, 2023
Preceded byRoss Wilburn
Member of the Iowa Senate
from the 49th district
In office
January 14, 2013 – January 14, 2019
Preceded byHubert Houser
Succeeded byChris Cournoyer
Personal details
Born (1956-05-05) May 5, 1956 (age 68)
Charles City, Iowa, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpousePaul Hart
Children5
EducationNorth Iowa Area Community College (AA)
University of Northern Iowa (BA)
University of Iowa (MA)
WebsiteCampaign website

Rita Hart (born May 5, 1956) is an American politician and retired educator who served as an Iowa State Senator from the 49th district from 2013 to 2019. She is a member of the Democratic Party. In the 2018 gubernatorial election, Hart ran for lieutenant governor of Iowa on the Democratic ticket, with running mate Fred Hubbell.

Hart was her party's nominee in the 2020 election for Iowa's 2nd congressional district. Hart's opponent, Republican physician Mariannette Miller-Meeks, was certified as the winner by six votes, one of the closest federal elections in U.S. history. Hart opted to bypass the Iowa state court system and contest the election via a petition with the House Administration Committee under the 1969 Federal Contested Elections Act, which sets forth procedures for contesting state election results directly through the House of Representatives. Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi provisionally seated Miller-Meeks on January 3, 2021, at the opening of the 117th Congress, pending the House's adjudication of Hart's petition to overturn the results of the race,[1] but on March 31, 2021, Hart withdrew her challenge.[2]

On January 29, 2023, Hart was elected to be the new chair of the Iowa Democratic Party.

Early life and education

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Hart was born in Charles City, Iowa.[3] She earned an associate degree from North Iowa Area Community College, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Northern Iowa, and a Master of Arts from the University of Iowa.[4]

Career

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Before entering politics, Hart worked as a public school teacher at Bennett Community School in Bennett, Iowa, and in the Calamus–Wheatland Community School District. She and her husband also own and operate a farm.[5]

Hart served on the Senate Agriculture, Economic Growth, Education, Local Government, and Veterans Affairs committees.[3] She also served on the Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee, as well as the International Relations Committee, the Local Government Mandates Study Committee, the Recycling Policy Study Committee, the Early Childhood Iowa State Board, the Economic Development Authority Board, the Human Rights Board, the Prevention of Disabilities Policy Council, and the Watershed Improvement Review Board.[3]

On June 16, 2018, Fred Hubbell announced that Hart would join the Democratic ticket as the nominee for lieutenant governor in the 2018 Iowa gubernatorial election.[6] Hubbell and Hart lost the election to Republican nominee Kim Reynolds.[7]

2020 Iowa's 2nd congressional district election

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See also: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa § District 2

On May 14, 2019, Hart announced her candidacy for Iowa's 2nd congressional district in the 2020 election.[8] She was unopposed in the June 2 Democratic primary election, and the next day released a list of 20 Republicans who supported her campaign,[9] one of a number of Democrats making similar announcements during the 2020 United States elections.[10] She faced Republican state senator Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the November general election.[11]

The 2020 election for Iowa's 2nd congressional district was the closest federal election in the U.S. that year,[12] and possibly the closest congressional election in recent memory.[13] On November 30, following a recount, the Iowa Board of Canvass voted 5-0 to certify Miller-Meeks as the winner by six votes (196,964 to 196,958).[13][14][15] Hart challenged the results through a petition with the House Administration Committee under the 1969 Federal Contested Elections Act, which sets forth procedures for contesting state election results. Under the Constitution, each chamber of Congress is "the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members."[16][17]

Hart's petition contends that the House should count certain ballots that were not included in the recount.[16] In her petition she contended, without evidence, that 22 legally cast votes were not counted; had they been counted, she would have won the race by nine votes.[18][19] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi provisionally seated Miller-Meeks on January 3, 2021, pending adjudication of Hart's petition.[18][20]

In response to a letter containing questions from House Administration Committee Chair Zoe Lofgren, Hart and her attorney Marc Elias wrote, "Where necessary to effectuate the will of the voters of the Second Congressional District, the Committee should therefore exercise its discretion to depart from Iowa law, and adopt counting rules that 'disenfranchise the smallest possible number of voters.'"[21] Republicans have sharply criticized Pelosi's decision to review the race in the House Administration Committee, calling it an attempt to steal the election. It has also been criticized by some Democrats, who argue it is hypocritical to overturn a certified state election after criticizing Republican attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.[22]

Personal life

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Hart and her husband, Paul, have five children. They reside in Wheatland, Iowa.[4]

Electoral history

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2012

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2012 Iowa Senate 49th district election[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Rita Hart 17,305 54.6%
Republican Andrew Naeve 14,398 45.4%
Democratic gain from Republican

2014

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2014 Iowa Senate 49th district election[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Rita Hart (incumbent) 11,690 52%
Republican Brian Schmidt 10,808 48%
Democratic hold

2020

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Main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa § District 2
Iowa's 2nd congressional district, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks 196,864 49.910
Democratic Rita Hart 196,858 49.908
Total votes 394,439 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

References

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  1. ^ "Democrats Reviewing Whether To Overturn A Certified Iowa U.S. House Election". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  2. ^ Schultz, Marisa (2021-03-31). "Dem Rita Hart backs down in Iowa election challenge to Miller-Meeks amid mounting GOP pressure". Fox News. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  3. ^ a b c "State Senator". Archived from the original on 2015-02-16. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  4. ^ a b "State Senator". www.legis.iowa.gov. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  5. ^ Tibbetts, Ed. "Longtime Wheatland educator seeks District 49 seat". The Quad-City Times. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  6. ^ "Fred Hubbell names Sen. Rita Hart as running mate on Democratic ticket for governor". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2018-06-26.
  7. ^ Kevin Hardy, Iowa Democrats stunned, confused after Fred Hubbell loses, but others make big gains, The Des Moines Register (November 7, 2018).
  8. ^ "Rita Hart throws hat in race for U.S. Rep. Loebsack's seat". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  9. ^ Hayden, Sarah. "Democrat Rita Hart earns Republican endorsements", Quad-City Times, June 7, 2020.
  10. ^ Bowman, Bridget. "Showcasing GOP support isn't just for the Democratic convention: Biden wants to build a broad coalition, and so do down-ballot Democrats", Roll Call, August 21, 2020.
  11. ^ Hayden, Sarah. "Miller-Meeks defeats Schilling in GOP primary for 2nd Congressional District", Quad-City Times, June 11, 2020.
  12. ^ Zachary Oren Smith & Brianne Pfannenstiel, Iowa certifies Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks won Iowa's 2nd Congressional District seat — by 6 votes, Des Moines Register (November 30, 2020)
  13. ^ a b Ryan J. Foley, Iowa board certifies 6-vote Republican win in US House race, Associated Press (November 30, 2020).
  14. ^ Smith, Zachary Oren. "Republican candidate leads congressional race in Iowa by 6 votes, recount finds". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  15. ^ "Board of Canvass certifies Miller-Meeks' 6-vote win in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District". KCCI. 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  16. ^ a b Bridget Bowman & Herb Jackson, Iowa Democrat Rita Hart to appeal 2nd District results to House, Roll Call (December 2, 2020).
  17. ^ Zachary Oren Smith, Democrat Rita Hart alleges 22 ballots improperly uncounted, asks Congress to investigate, Iowa City Press-Citizen (December 22, 2020).
  18. ^ a b Brianne Pfannenstiel and Ian Richardson (January 3, 2021). "Iowa Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks provisionally seated in 117th Congress as new session begins". Des Moines Register.
  19. ^ Rogers, Alex; Raju, Manu (March 18, 2021). "House Democrats weigh ejecting GOP winner of contested Iowa race, dismissing comparisons to Trump's efforts to overturn election". CNN. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  20. ^ "Pelosi to seat Republican in contested Iowa race". Politico. December 30, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  21. ^ "CONTESTANT'S INITIAL BRIEF IN RESPONSE TO CHAIRPERSON LOFGREN'S LETTER OF MARCH 10, 2021" (PDF).
  22. ^ Annie Grayer (22 March 2021). "House Democrats face backlash on both sides for investigating Iowa House race won by a Republican - CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  23. ^ 2012 General Election Canvass Summary Iowa Secretary of State
  24. ^ 2014 General Election Canvass Summary Iowa Secretary of State
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rita Hart.
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
2018 		Succeeded by
Eric Van Lancker
Iowa Senate
Preceded by Member of the Iowa Senate
from the 49th district
2013–2019 		Succeeded by
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