Lindsay James (politician)
Lindsay James | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Member of the Iowa House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office January 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Abby Finkenauer |
| Constituency | 99th district (2019–2023) 71st district (2023–present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lindsay Beals 1980 (age 44–45) Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Christopher James |
| Education | Santa Clara University (BA) Fuller Theological Seminary (MDiv) |
| Website | Campaign website Legislature website |
Lindsay James (née Beals, born 1980) is an American politician and Presbyterian minister serving as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 71st district since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic Party and represents part of Dubuque County.
Early life and education
Born in Portland, Oregon, James graduated from West Linn High School in 1999.[1] She obtained a degree in communications from Santa Clara University in 2003 and earned a Masters of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in 2007.[2]
Career
Divinity work
James was a minister for Menlo Park Presbyterian Church from 2007 to 2010, an interfaith chaplain for Endicott College from 2012 to 2015, and an associate pastor for Westminster Presbyterian Church from 2016 to 2017. Starting in 2015, she worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Dubuque.[3] In 2017, James co-founded and served as director of the Loras College Peace Institute.[2]
Iowa House of Representatives
In 2018, James was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives for the 99th district, where incumbent Democrat Abby Finkenauer retired to successfully run for the U.S. House. She faced Brad Cavanagh and Pat Cullen in the Democratic primary election, outraising them with $34,101 compared to Cavanagh's $13,089 in campaign funds.[4] She defeated Republican nominee Paulin Chilton in the general election with 60% of the vote.
Following redistricting, James was redrawn into the 71st district and won re-election in 2022.
In 2022, she was elected to the House's Democratic leadership team as Minority Whip.[5] In 2024, she supported safeguarding reproductive rights and regulating legal cannabis.[6]
2026 U.S. House of Representatives campaign
On August 19, 2025, James announced her campaign for Iowa's 2nd congressional district against incumbent Republican Ashley Hinson in the 2026 United States House of Representatives elections.[2] James criticized Hinson's vote for the Big Beautiful Bill and stated that she would focus on lowering the costs of health care and housing, addressing Iowa’s growing cancer rate, and economic issues that have led to layoffs if elected.[7]
Electoral history
| Election | Political result | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa House of Representatives elections, 2018 [8] District 99 Turnout: 14,054 | Democratic hold | Lindsay James | Democratic | 8,476 | 60.31 | ||
| Pauline Chilton | Republican | 5,564 | 39.59 | ||||
Personal life
James lives in Dubuque, Iowa, with her husband, Christopher, and their two children, Ginny and Luke.[2]
References
- ^ Malee, Patrick (February 22, 2019). "WL native earns seat in Iowa House of Representatives". West Linn Tidings. Archived from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Brennan, Paul (August 19, 2025). "Dubuque Rep. Lindsay James is the latest Democrat to enter the race to take on Ashley Hinson in 2026". Little Village Magazine. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
- ^ "Dubuque pastor, educator to run for Finkenauer's seat". Telegraph Herald. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
- ^ Rynard, Pat (May 2, 2018). "Iowa House Primaries To Watch In 2018 – Democrats". Iowa Starting Line. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
- ^ Gruber-Miller, Stephen (November 18, 2022). "Iowa Democrats reelect Jennifer Konfrst, Zach Wahls as House and Senate leaders". Des Moines Register. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
- ^ Hytrek, Nikoel (September 27, 2024). "Reproductive rights, education, lower costs: Iowa House Democrats' 2025 legislative agenda". Iowa Starting Line. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
- ^ Sostaric, Katarina (August 19, 2025). "State Rep. Lindsay James is running for Congress in Iowa's 2nd District". Iowa Public Radio. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
- ^ "General Election November 6, 2018". Iowa Secretary of State. Retrieved January 9, 2020.