Christina Bohannan

{{Short description|American politician, legal scholar and engineer (born 1971)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Christina Bohannan

| image = ChristinaBohannan.jpg

| state_house = Iowa

| district = 85th

| term_start = January 11, 2021

| term_end = January 9, 2023

| predecessor = Vicki Lensing

| successor = Adam Zabner

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|7|2}}

| birth_place = Florida, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic

| education = University of Florida (BS, JD)

| website =

| caption = Official portrait, 2021

}}

Christina Bohannan (born July 2, 1971){{Cite web|url=https://littlevillagemag.com/christina-bohannan-party-iowa-democrats/|title=Iowa Democrats talk politics, hint at future campaigns at a party for Rep. Christina Bohannan|date=4 July 2021}} is an American politician, law professor, and former engineer who served as the Iowa State Representative for the 85th district from 2021 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she was elected in 2020, succeeding Vicki Lensing who served ten terms in the Iowa House of Representatives.

Bohannan was the Democratic nominee for Iowa's 1st congressional district in 2022, losing to incumbent Republican U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks. In a 2024 rematch, she narrowly lost once more.

Background

Bohannan was born in 1971 and grew up in Florida.{{cite news |last1=Brennan |first1=Paul |title=Iowa Democrats talk politics, hint at future campaigns at a party for Rep. Christina Bohannan |url=https://littlevillagemag.com/christina-bohannan-party-iowa-democrats/ |access-date=August 12, 2021 |work=Little Village Magazine |date=July 3, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Brennan |first1=Paul |title=Christina Bohannan announces run for an Iowa City seat in the Iowa House of Representatives |url=https://littlevillagemag.com/christina-bohannan-announces-run-for-an-iowa-city-seat-in-the-iowa-house-of-representatives/ |access-date=August 12, 2021 |work=Little Village Magazine |date=October 21, 2019}} She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering from the University of Florida in Gainesville and a J.D. from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law.{{Cite web|title=Christina Bohannan {{!}} College of Law - The University of Iowa|url=https://law.uiowa.edu/people/christina-bohannan|access-date=2021-04-21|website=law.uiowa.edu|language=en}}

Career

Bohannan began her career as an environmental engineer for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in the 1990s. She moved to Iowa in 2000, where she became a professor of law at the University of Iowa College of Law.{{cite news |last1=Brennan |first1=Paul |title='Democracy means voter choice': Christina Bohannan kicks off her campaign for the District 85 seat in the Iowa House |url=https://littlevillagemag.com/democracy-means-voter-choice-christina-bohannan-kicks-off-her-campaign-for-the-district-85-seat-in-the-iowa-house/ |access-date=August 12, 2021 |work=Little Village Magazine |date=November 14, 2019}} While teaching at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Bohannan served as president of the faculty senate.{{cite news |last1=Harrell |first1=Kelsey |title=UI law professor launches bid for Iowa House |url=https://dailyiowan.com/2019/10/21/ui-law-professor-launches-bid-for-iowa-house/ |access-date=August 12, 2021 |work=Daily Iowan |date=October 21, 2019}}

She began her campaign for the 85th district seat of the Iowa House of Representatives in October 2019.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Zachary Oren |title=UI law professor Bohannan to primary Lensing for Iowa House District 85 |url=https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/2019/10/21/ui-law-professor-bohannan-primary-lensing-iowa-house-district-85/4052652002/ |access-date=August 12, 2021 |work=Iowa City Press Citizen |date=October 21, 2019}} She defeated incumbent legislator Vicki Lensing by 32 points in the Democratic primary{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Lauren |title=Christina Bohannan wins Democratic nomination for the Iowa House |url=https://dailyiowan.com/2020/06/02/christina-bohannan-wins-democratic-nomination-for-the-iowa-house-over-incumbent/ |access-date=August 12, 2021 |work=The Daily Iowan |date=June 2, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Steppe |first1=John |title=UI law professor Christina Bohannan defeats Rep. Lensing in Iowa House primary |url=https://www.thegazette.com/government-politics/ui-law-professor-christina-bohannan-defeats-rep-lensing-in-iowa-house-primary/ |access-date=August 12, 2021 |work=The Gazette |date=June 2, 2020}} and won in an uncontested general election.{{cite news |last1=Draisey |first1=Brooklyn |title=Johnson County keeps Democrats in uncontested seats |url=https://dailyiowan.com/2020/11/04/johnson-county-keeps-democrats-in-uncontested-seats/ |access-date=August 12, 2021 |work=The Daily Iowan |date=November 4, 2020}}

Bohannan ran for the United States House of Representatives in Iowa's 1st congressional district in the 2022 election. She was the Democratic nominee but lost in the general election to incumbent Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks.{{Cite web|last=Dunlap|first=Natalie|title=UI law professor Christina Bohannan announces bid for Congress|url=https://dailyiowan.com/2021/08/24/ui-law-professor-christina-bohannan-announces-bid-for-congress/|access-date=2021-08-25|website=The Daily Iowan}} In August 2023, Bohannan announced another campaign for the same seat in the 2024 election but was unsuccessful after a close race with Miller-Meeks which was decided after a recount.{{Cite web |last=Neukam |first=Stephen |date=2024-01-05 |title=Democrat Running on Abortion in Iowa House Race Smashes Fundraising Records (Exclusive) |url=https://themessenger.com/politics/democrat-running-on-abortion-in-iowa-house-race-smashes-fundraising-records-exclusive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105002104/https://themessenger.com/politics/democrat-running-on-abortion-in-iowa-house-race-smashes-fundraising-records-exclusive |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 5, 2024 |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=The Messenger |language=en}}