FIRST ON FOX: 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 forum on 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. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa.
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“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 2020, when 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%, and by just 799 votes.
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In all three races, Republicans have attacked her for 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 Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck area during a restraint. The incident sparked widespread debate about 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 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 OK for a person to drive negligently or grossly negligently and hit a protester, and there would be immunity for that. It’s sick. These are kids, mostly,” she said.
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 on 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.
