Bohannan called Iowa's 'Back the Blue' law an 'overreaction,' resurfaced clip shows

Christina Bohannan, the Democratic nominee in Iowa's closely contested 1st Congressional District race, previously described the state's "Back the Blue" law as an "overreaction" to the unrest following the 2020 death of George Floyd. The resurfaced comments have drawn criticism from Republicans who characterize her stances as soft on crime.

In a 2021 virtual legislative forum on social justice issues, Bohannan stated, "I think that we’re seeing a backlash and, frankly, an exaggerated backlash, an overreaction to all of that." She added that such sentiments were occurring because some individuals "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."

Her campaign did not respond to a request for comment regarding these statements or her views on the "Back the Blue" bill.

Republicans have targeted Bohannan's past remarks and legislative record as she seeks to unseat incumbent Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. The Republican National Committee, through spokesperson Zach Kraft, characterized Bohannan as a "DEI Queen" whose "soft-on-crime agenda would endanger all Iowans."

Bohannan, a former University of Iowa College of Law professor, was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2020. She has previously run for Iowa's 1st Congressional District in 2022 and 2024, narrowly losing to Miller-Meeks in both elections.

Iowa's Senate File 342, signed into law in 2021, increased penalties for rioting and established stricter punishments for unlawful assembly. The legislation was passed in the wake of nationwide protests and debate over law enforcement practices following Floyd's death. Iowa lawmakers, including bill sponsor Republican Rep. Jarad Klein, framed the bill as a measure to support law enforcement officers.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who signed the bill, stated at the time, "The public peace is too important, and the safety of our officers too precious, to tolerate destructive behavior."

Bohannan's opposition to the bill, as expressed in the resurfaced clip, focused on a provision she believed could grant immunity to drivers who negligently injure protestors blocking traffic. "It’s sick. These are kids, mostly," she said.

The final version of the law does include a provision protecting drivers from civil liability, but it specifies this protection applies only to drivers "exercising due care" who injure someone engaging in disorderly conduct by obstructing traffic on a public street or highway.