UI law professor Bohannan to primary Lensing for Iowa House District 85

• University of Iowa law professor Christina Bohannan announced her plan to primary State Rep. Vicki Lensing for Iowa House District 85.
• Incumbent Vicki Lensing has run unopposed since taking her seat in 2000.
• The primary election is scheduled for June 2, 2020.

For the first time in nearly two decades, a primary challenger will take on an incumbent Democrat now in Iowa's 85th District.

University of Iowa law professor Christina Bohannan announced her intention to challenge incumbent representative Vicki Lensing. Lensing was elected to the seat in 2000.

Bohannan has worked at the UI law school for 20 years and served as Faculty Senate President. Before moving to Iowa, she was an environmental engineer for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 

“We must build an economy from the ground up, and we can’t do that if people can’t afford decent housing, or are one illness away from bankruptcy,” Bohannan said. “If we build a strong workforce and a solid middle class with money to spend, I am confident that businesses will be happy to locate to Iowa.”

To build that workforce and middle class, Bohannan is platforming some items typical for Johnson County: increases to public K-12 and higher education funding, restoration and protection of unions' collective-bargaining rights and increases to the minimum wage.

In a nearly 5-minute campaign video tied to the announcement, Bohannan made the case that Iowa Legislature is disinvesting in what will make the state successful.

"I am running for the Iowa House of Representatives because over the last few years, we've been losing the values that make Iowa, Iowa," Bohannan said in the video. She pointed to the state legislature striking down Johnson County's minimum wage increase and the recent limits on collective bargaining rights as areas of failure by the current legislature.

Challenger Bohannan's appeal is built on contrasting what the legislature has done with what a Johnson County Democrat would like to see. Incumbent Lensing said her two decades taught her how to be a productive in and out of power.

"I've only served in the majority for four years (from 2007-2010). Democrats worked really hard to get things through knowing it wouldn't last forever," Lensing said. Johnson County "free thinkers," she said were used to being outvoted by state Republicans.

Lensing joined the Iowa House for the 2001 session, the 79th General Assembly. After a close primary with Cathy Kern in 2000, she went on to defeat Republican Paul Heyn and has been a no-contest incumbent for nearly 20 years. 

She said it is normal for freshmen legislators to spend their first year or two learning the lay of the land. She argued that the benefit of her experience is she is able to get straight to work. 

"I think I have been there long enough that I certainly understand the process and the issues, and I try to work hard for the people in my district," Lensing said. 

Despite a career of quiet elections, she raised a total of $150,760 over that period, according to summary data from FollowtheMoney.org. In 2018, she raised $22,910. She exited the election with $3,093.56 on-hand, according to the most recent record on the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board's Web Reporting System.

Lensing is the ranking member of the Environmental Protection Committee and sits on Government Oversight, Local Government, State Government and the State Government Efficiency Review committees. When not in session, she co-owns Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service of Iowa City and Coralville. 

"Whether it is your party or another party, you approach the race knowing what you stand for," Lensing said. "For me, it will be remembering my record. It means you get out and work."

The election for Iowa House District 85 is not until fall 2020. The primary is scheduled for June 2, 2020. The election is scheduled for November 3, 2020.

According to her press release, Bohannan will kick off her campaign with a fundraiser at 5:30 p.m. November 13 at Big Grove Brewery.

This article was updated with comment from State Rep. Vicki Lensing.

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Zachary Oren Smith tries not to think about elections in 2020 when the 2019 City-School election is weeks away. Reach him at zsmith@press-citizen.com or 319 -339-7354, and follow him on Twitter via @zacharyos.