Iowa’s always been pretty decent when it comes to gun laws, but the state has made a couple of major improvements over the past few years. In 2021, the state’s permitless carry law kicked in, and the following year voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that declares firearm ownership a fundamental individual right and mandating that courts apply “strict scrutiny” to any future gun control legislation.
Those advances could be in danger, though, unless Iowa gun owners turn out in force this November. While Democrat candidates like Christina Bohannan and Josh Turek don’t mention gun control (or the Second Amendment) in their list of priorities, both of them have a history of treating the Second Amendment like it’s a problem, not a safeguard of our fundamental rights.
In a newly unearthed clip from 2020, Bohannon, who is now running in Iowa’s First Congressional District against incumbent Rep. Marinannette Miller-Meeks, spoke out in opposition to the ballot referendum that would eventually pass with support of 65 percent of Iowa voters.
This is something that Rep. [unintelligible] and I disagree on. She has said that she would support adding Second Amendment language to the Iowa state constitution if that’s what Iowans want. And with all due respect, I think that’s a big mistake.
Almost 2/3 of the state’s voters disagreed with Bohannan in 2022. The right to keep and bear arms referendum was perhaps the most popular item on the ballot that year, and there were plenty of Democrats who voted in favor of the language despite Bohannan’s objections. And why did she oppose enshrining the right to keep and bear arms in the state constitution?
Because even if you add just the Second Amendment language itself from the federal constitution into the state constitution, our state Supreme Court frequently interprets state constitutional language broader than federal constitutional language, even if it’s exactly the same language or very similar.
In other words, Bohannon believed that the Iowa Supreme Court would provide too many protections to the right to keep and bear arms. I’d say that’s a very strange concern for anyone who actually supports our Second Amendment rights.
Of course, there’s no real evidence that Bohannon does actually support the right to keep and bear arms. She’s called for “red flag” laws that would allow for gun confiscation without due process, and voted against permitless carry when she served in the state legislature.
Democrat Josh Turek, who’s running for U.S. Senate, wasn’t elected to the state legislature until 2022, so he wasn’t in a position to vote for or against permitless carry. Given his apparent belief that the Second Amendment is all about hunting, though, I’m pretty sure Turek would have been a “no” vote.
Iowa Democrat Josh Turek calls for restrictions on the Second Amendment.
Turek wants to take guns away from law abiding Iowans. pic.twitter.com/3jlv3HczkS
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 7, 2026
Turek says there’s a difference between “weapons of war” and hunting rifles, which is true enough. But it also sounds like Turek doesn’t think there’s any difference between a “weapon of war” and the semi-automatic centerfire rifles that are the most popular long guns in the United States.
Iowa gun owners and Second Amendment supporters cannot afford to be complacent this November. Iowa’s First Congressional District has been pretty competitive in the last few election cycles. In fact, two years ago Miller-Meeks defeated Bohannon by just 799 votes. Miller-Meeks defeated Bohannon in 2022 as well, but anti-gunners are hoping the third time will be the charm for the Democrat.
Everytown for Gun Safety endorsed Bohannon back in May, describing her as one of 13 “Moms Demand Action volunteers and Everytown leaders” who earned the group’s support. Giffords has endorsed Bohannon as well, noting her “longtime” involvement with Moms Demand Action and her “consistent” opposition to pro-Second Amendment legislation.
Turek hasn’t received the formal endorsement of Everytown or Giffords yet, but I’m sure it’s coming. The U.S. Senate race between Republican Ashley Hinson and Turek appears to be extremely close, with RealClearPolling showing Hinson ahead of the Democrat by less than a point in the average of recent polls.
In a statement to Bearing Arms, RNC spokesman Zach Kraft described Turek and Bohannon as “extbook gun-grabbing liberals who think the Second Amendment is about hunting,” adding that “these spineless radicals want to turn the Hawkeye State into California and prevent Iowans from protecting their families.”
Just four years ago Iowans turned out in massive numbers to strengthen their right to keep and bear arms. They need to do the same this year, or else candidates like Turek and Bohannon will be in a position to gut the Second Amendment if Democrats regain control of Congress.
Editor’s Note: The radical Left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
Help us continue to report on and expose the Democrats’ gun control policies and schemes. Join Bearing Arms VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Read the full article here
