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Christina Bohannan, an Iowa state legislator and the Democratic nominee in one of the country’s most competitive districts, once opposed an Iowa “Back the Blue” law passed in the wake of the 2020 George Floyd riots, calling it an “overreaction.”
“I think that we’re seeing a backlash and, frankly, an exaggerated backlash, an overreaction to all of that,” Bohannan said at a 2021 virtual legislative forumon social justice issues.
“That’s what’s happening. A lot of this is happening because they just don’t have a lot of minorities in their districts, they don’t interact with people on any kind of regular basis and so they don’t see these issues.”
To some onlooking critics, her resurfaced comments are further proof of what they’ve characterized as her soft-on-crime stances — positions they believe are at odds with the electorate of the Hawkeye State as she wages her third campaign to unseat Rep. Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa.
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Christina Bohannan, candidate for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, holds a press conference following a visit to the Washington County Hospitals & Clinics July 30, 2025 in Washington, Iowa. (Julia Hansen / Iowa City Press-Citizen)
“Christina Bohannan achieved the ultra-rare-final-boss level of woke where police are bad, criminals are good, and anyone who disagrees is racist,” Zach Kraft, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“There is a reason why this DEI Queen has been rejected twice by voters – she is straight up nuts, and her soft-on-crime agenda would endanger all Iowans.”
Bohannan launched her career in education, teaching at the University of Iowa College of Law, where she remained until, in 2020, she won a seat in the Iowa House of Representatives, unseating a 20-year Democratic incumbent.
Bohannan has run for Congress before.
In 2022, she lost to Miller-Meeks in a 53.4% to 46.6% contest. She tried again in 2024 and got closer, losing by a fraction of a percent: 50.0% to 49.8% — just 799 votes.
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Former Iowa Democratic state Rep. Christina Bohannan missed nearly half of her state House votes while campaigning for Congress, records show. (Iowa Legislature ; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
In all three races, Republicans have attacked her on her statements as an academic and her voting record as a state legislator, painting her as a soft-on-crime candidate.
In the resurfaced clip, Bohannan was referring to Senate File 342, signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2021. Among other provisions, the bill raised penalties for rioting, making it a class D felony punishable by five years behind bars, and implemented more stringent punishments for unlawful assembly.
The law came amid a wave of anti-police sentiment that swept the country after George Floyd, a Black man from Minneapolis, died after then-officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck area during a restraint. The incident sparked widespread debate on law enforcement safety and profiling. Where states like Minnesota and Washington passed restrictions on police and other law enforcement officers, Iowa lawmakers rallied to their support.
Iowa Rep. Jarad Klein, a Republican and the bill’s sponsor, framed the legislation as a clear way to support embattled public servants in a floor speech.
“Let me be clear: If you support law enforcement, truly support law enforcement, you will be voting ‘yes’ tonight. If you stand up and say you support law enforcement, your words will become meaningless with a ‘no’ vote. Actions speak louder than words,” Klein said.
Gov. Reynolds echoed that thinking at her signing.
“I made it clear in my Condition of the State Address that Iowa’s law enforcement will always have my respect, and I will always have their back. Today’s bill embodies that commitment in a historic way. The public peace is too important, and the safety of our officers too precious, to tolerate destructive behavior,” Reynolds said in a press release.
For her own part, Bohannan said she opposed the legislation, arguing it went too far.
“The bill that’s coming over to the House from the Senate about the protestors actually would make it okay for a person to drive negligently or grossly negligently and hit a protestor and there would be immunity for that. It’s sick. These are kids, mostly,” she said.
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Christina Bohannan, candidate for Iowa’s first congressional district, listens during a roundtable on affordable housing Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Iowa City Press-Citizen)
The final version of the bill does have a provision that protects drivers from civil liability. But it only applies to drivers “exercising due care” and who cause injury to someone engaging in disorderly conduct by blocking traffic in a public street or highway.
Bohannan’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on her statements from 2021 or whether she stood by her views of the “Back the Blue” bill.
