Which of Iowa's congressional delegation ranked the most bipartisan?
Democrats and Republicans are more polarized than they were 50 years ago. But there has to be some common ground found to pass legislation in a Republican-controlled House and Democratic-controlled Senate.
A new ranking places one member of Iowa's congressional delegation in the top 10 most bipartisan representatives in Congress this year.
The Lugar Center at Georgetown University produces an annual ranking of bipartisan work by members of Congress. The ranking is based on the number of bipartisan bills introduced or co-sponsored by both members in the House and Senate.
So which members of Iowa's delegation had the best score on the bipartisan report card?
Which members of the Iowa delegation is the most bipartisan?
U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, who represents central Iowa, had the best rating out the Iowa delegation. He scored a 1.9 placing as the 10th most bipartisan member of the U.S. House. The top score went to U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pennsylvania with a bipartisan index score of 5.58. Any score above zero is consider "good" making them a "bipartisan legislator," according to the Lugar Center.
Some bipartisan legislation introduced by Nunn in his first term includes bills to implement year-round E15 sales and a federal grant program to fund pre-kindergarten programs in low-income communities.
Rep. Zach Nunn faces competitive reelection in 2024
Nunn is a first-year representative after he narrowly beat incumbent Democrat Cindy Axne. Before becoming a member of Congress, Nunn served in the Iowa Senate and House.
Nunn won Iowa's 3rd District seat in the House by just over 2,000 votes in 2022. This year, two Democrats will face off in a primary in hopes of beating Nunn and sending a Democrat back to the Capitol.
More: Meet the 2 Democrats challenging Zach Nunn for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District seat
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted the 3rd district. Election forecasters at the Cook Political Report rank the race as competitive but said it leans Republican. A March 2024 Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll also showed Republicans with a small advantage in the district.
Which of Iowa's members of Congress is the least bipartisan?
Sen. Joni Ernst received the lowest bipartisan score of -0.159. This placed her in 52nd place out of all 100 members of the Senate.
How did Chuck Grassley, other representatives rank for bipartisanship?
Iowa's senior Sen. Chuck Grassley nearly made it in the top ten among senators. He scored a 1.28 and placed 11th.
Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks was the second most bipartian among Iowa's representatives with a score of 0.36. This ranked her at 70 out of the 435 members of the House.
U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who represents Iowa's most conservative district, scored a 0.038 placing him at 123.
Of Iowa's U.S. representatives, Rep. Ashley Hinson had the lowest score of -0.078. She placed 142.
Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Bipartisan index puts Iowa congressman in top 10. See all their scores