(DCNF)—Democratic Iowa congressional nominee Lindsay James once apologized for being white on her 2020 campaign website for the Iowa state Legislature.
James, who is trying to flip Iowa’s second district blue, added a “confession” to her now-archived website where she declared her privilege as a “white, cis-gender, able-bodied, middle class, college educated woman.” She won her primary race Tuesday and will challenge the Republican candidate, former state Rep. Joe Mitchell, to flip the seat currently held by Republican Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
“I am a white, cis-gender, able bodied, middle class, college educated woman,” the statement stated. “There is no doubt that I have worked hard to get where I am in my life, but I have also benefited greatly from privilege. My personal journey of self-examination as it relates to my own privilege has not been perfect, but I am committed to doing the hard work of honest self-reflection, considering critical feedback when given, and working every day to better myself and use my privilege to advocate for others.”
James has also expressed her support for Black Lives Matter (BLM) and stated that she was on a “journey toward equity and inclusion” as the BLM riots escalated across the U.S. She also replied to a video of George Floyd and called on people to “vote on behalf of those who can’t.”
“#PrideMonth is winding down, yet, #BLM protests fight on in the streets,” James wrote on Facebook on June 30, 2020. “This month has served as a daily reminder that our call to equity and inclusion is ongoing. We either stand on the sidelines or stand up to bigotry and hatred. My journey toward equity and inclusion has not been perfect, and it is far from over. But today, I am forever grateful that I get to be in this journey with you.”
A page on her archived website also claimed that black and brown people in Iowa endured “structural barriers to flourishing that are the legacy of centuries of racism, discrimination and white supremacy.” She supported policies that intended to make Iowan police officers complete annual unconscious bias and de-escalation training, end mass incarceration and to prioritize “prevention and treatment over prison time.”
The Democratic nominee also listed herself as an executive committee member of the Dubuque National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Iowa’s second congressional district is seen as one of the “Districts in Play” for the 2026 midterm elections, according to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). Republicans hold a 30,000 active voter registration advantage in the district.
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