KWWL Political Analyst reacts to Hart withdrawing election challenge Unmute IOWA CITY, Iowa (KWWL) - Democrat Rita Hart withdrew her federal election challenge for Iowa's second congressional district Wednesday, ending a nearly five-month spectacle for who would hold the seat. Dr. Chris Larimer, professor of Political Science and coordinator for the Master of Public Policy program at UNI, believes Democrats may have been playing the long game so to speak. Essentially, conceding the six-vote margin of victory to Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks would lead to more trust in the election system. "The concern was that this would disrupt their chances to shape the narrative they wanted for the 2022 midterm elections," Larimer said.