Independent candidate from Hawkeye in northeast Iowa. Bushaw has described a working-class upbringing, previously operated a small farm, organized around rural economic issues and worked on Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign.
Dave Bushaw for Congress — official campaign website
Worked as a rural economic organizer and on Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign.
Iowa Secretary of State live State Fair straw-poll snapshot
Source: Iowa Secretary of State · Snapshot: August 22, 2026
Current U.S. House — District 2 tally: Joe Mitchell (R) 269 — 69.87%; Lindsay James (D) 92 — 23.90%; Rick Stewart (L) 14 — 3.64%; Dave Bushaw (NP) 10 — 2.60%.
How to read it: This is an official tally from the Secretary of State’s State Fair participation exercise, but it is unscientific and unofficial. Fairgoers self-select into the poll; it is not a representative sample of Iowa voters, has no reported margin of error and should not be used as a forecast or substitute for scientific polling. Totals can change while the fair remains open.
IA-02 general-election debate commitments and Iowa PBS schedule
Sponsor: Lindsay James / Joe Mitchell campaigns; Iowa PBS / Iowa’s News Now · Updated: September 1, 2026
What is being said: Lindsay James previously said she would participate in televised general-election debates, and Joe Mitchell’s campaign said he was prepared to debate.
What the record shows: Iowa PBS announced on September 1 that James (D) and Mitchell (R) will participate in a 60-minute 2nd Congressional District debate airing live Thursday, October 8 at 7 p.m. The debate will be moderated by Iowa Press host Kay Henderson, broadcast statewide and streamed online from Iowa PBS studios in Johnston without a live audience. The ballot-qualified field also includes Libertarian Rick Stewart and no-party candidate Dave Bushaw; the reviewed Iowa PBS announcement names only James and Mitchell and does not establish that Stewart or Bushaw will share that stage.
Iowa PBS context: Iowa PBS uses published federal general-election debate criteria in addition to ballot qualification. Meeting ballot requirements alone does not guarantee an invitation.
IA Fact Check context: The Oct. 8 Iowa PBS date and the two candidates named by the network are confirmed. Participation beyond James and Mitchell remains unresolved unless Iowa PBS issues another announcement.
This profile separates documented actions and quotations from campaign interpretation. Where an opponent uses a political label, the label is presented as advocacy rather than converted into a factual finding unless the underlying evidence supports the narrower claim.
