Mariannette Miller-Meeks brings a unique medical background to Congress as an ophthalmologist and former Iowa Department of Public Health director who has made healthcare policy a central focus of her legislative work. She won one of the closest House races in recent history in 2020, prevailing by just six votes in a contest that required multiple recounts and legal challenges. A Navy veteran who served in the Army Reserve, Miller-Meeks has positioned herself as a pragmatic conservative who emphasizes rural healthcare access and economic development for Iowa's farming communities.