Democrat Christina Bohannan has requested a recount of the close race between Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller Meeks and the 1st Congressional District in southeastern Iowa.

Miller-Meeks is ahead of the Iowa City Democrat, Bohannan, by about 801 votes. Miller-Meeks already declared the race to be won.

Jindalae S., the campaign manager for Bohannan, said in a statement released Thursday morning that there was “a razor thin margin” in the vote count and recounts were expected in a race this close.

Suh stated that “to be sure every voter has been heard, the Bohannan Campaign will request a count in all 20 counties within the district as allowed by Iowa law,” “We are confident in the process and we will accept the result regardless of its outcome.” “All Iowans can be confident that, at the end of this transparent precinct level recount process, all lawful votes will be accurately counted.”

Miller-Meeks (69), an ophthalmologist, Army veteran, and a Davenport resident with a home in Ottumwa declared his victory at Riverside Casino on Nov. 6, even though Bohannan hadn’t conceded.

Alan Ostergren, Miller-Meeks’ campaign counsel, said in a Thursday statement that “This is yet another attempt by the DC Democrats” to delay or thwart the will of Iowan voters. This margin of victory is unsurmountable. Bohannan just wastes taxpayers’ money.”

Regardless of how the recount turns out, Republicans will have enough seats to maintain control of the U.S. House. The GOP will control the federal government with President-elect Donald Trump’s second term and the Republicans taking over the Senate.

Miller-Meeks referred to her lead of approximately 800 votes in a letter she sent earlier this week to her colleagues. She had been seeking a leadership position as House GOP Conference Secretary.

“… Mathematically, it is impossible to make up the ground with the provisional ballots that are still to be counted,” Miller Meeks wrote. “I am confident that my election will go through and I will win… by more 6 votes.”

In 2020, she was elected for the first time in a tight race decided by only six votes. The Democrat Rita Hart was her opponent. This race was also decided by a recount.

What candidates said during the campaign

Bohannan (53), a law professor at the University of Iowa, attempted to unseat her incumbent opponent for a second time, in a competitive rematch. She was closer to pulling an upset in 2022 than her matchup with Miller-Meeks, where she trailed by seven percentage points.

Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan group of elections analysts, deemed the highly-contested race a “toss up” and the most competitive category. The race attracted millions of dollars in advertising from both Democratic and Republican groups because it could be crucial in determining who won control of the U.S. House.

Bohannan’s fundraising lead lasted for five quarters in a row, giving her a boost when she flooded the airwaves to broadcast her message and attack Miller-Meeks. As of mid-October this year, she had raised $5.2 millions in the election cycle. Miller-Meeks only managed $4.6 million.

Democrats attempted to win the seat by attacking Miller Meeks’ record regarding reproductive rights. This issue has been a top concern for many voters ever since Iowa’s six-week ban on abortions went into effect. This is also the first election since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in 2022. Abortion rights are now left to the states.

Miller-Meeks, however, joined the chorus that praised Republicans for their success in focusing on immigration and the economy. She played to the frustrations of voters over the cost of food and other necessities and the influx migrants at the southern boundary.

Miller-Meeks, in a press conference with reporters on Nov. 6, cited her ability to connect with constituents within her district as a strategy that enabled her to win reelection.

She said, “I believe that all that availability and accessibility in communities brings support beyond party lines.”

How is the recount of congressional districts conducted in Iowa

In each county, a board of recount will be convened.

Iowa law allows each candidate to select one member to serve as a recount board for each county in which a count will take place. The two candidates must agree on the third member.

The chief judge of the county’s judicial division appoints a final member if the two members of the recount board appointed by the campaigns cannot agree on the third member.

The recount board must begin the count “as quickly as reasonably possible.”

The county auditors oversee the process. Recount boards only recount votes when a recount is requested.

The board of recount must finish its work and submit a report by the 18th day following the canvass in the county.

The state will cover the costs of a recount if the race is within 50 or 1 percentage points, whichever is higher.

If the candidate requests a recount, they must pay a bond. This bond will be returned only if there is a change in the outcome of the race.

What is the probability that a recount would change the outcome of the race?

Miller-Meeks survived a recount in 2020, when she was up against Hart to determine who would represent what was the 2nd Congressional District at that time before it was redrawn. It covered a large part of the current 1st Congressional District.

After a district-wide recount, Miller-Meeks narrowed her initial lead by 47 votes to only six votes. This was the closest margin in any 2020 federal election.

FairVote is a nonpartisan group that advocates voting reform. They recently published an analysis of the statewide recounts that took place from 2000-2023. The findings showed that it was extremely rare that a recount could change the outcome of a contest.

The 2008 U.S. Senate election in Minnesota was the last statewide count to reverse a result.

Miller-Meeks campaign released a statement on Thursday calling the recount “a delaying tactic” to frustrate the will of voters.

Only three of the 2,310 elections in the state were reversed, which is one out every 2.310. All three reversals occurred when the margin of victory was less than 0.06 percent, or a smaller margin than the race in the 1st district.

The campaign stated that a recount would not change the outcome as the lead of the congresswoman is too large to overcome. “Mariannette is humbled by the support she received from