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Issue record

Money in politics and ethics

In short

Mitchell's and James's campaigns pledge no corporate PAC money and back term limits; James's backs overturning Citizens United. Stewart's campaign lists no 2026 position on this topic on the pages checked; Bushaw's backs limiting election spending to individuals. On the record, a corporate PAC reports giving Mitchell's campaign $1,000, which his filings do not show. James's campaign took $500 from a corporate PAC before her first dated pledge and kept it through June 2026.

Campaign positions

What each campaign says.

Joe Mitchell

He says he takes no corporate PAC money, and supports term limits of twelve years in each chamber and a full ban on stock and prediction-market trading by members of Congress.

Lindsay James

She says she will never take corporate PAC money, and wants a congressional stock-trading ban, a ban on members becoming lobbyists, term limits and an amendment to overturn Citizens United.

Rick Stewart

No 2026 position was found. As reported, he told voters not to vote for a Republican or a Democrat. His 2022 site for governor backed ranked-choice voting.

Dave Bushaw

He wants a ban on stock trading by members of Congress, a constitutional amendment limiting election spending to individuals, national citizen referendums and a larger House.

Evidence timeline

What the record shows.

  1. campaign position

    Joe Mitchell: record does not settle this

    Anthem's 2019 report lists a $100 contribution for Rep. Joe Mitchell. It is one donor-side example, not a complete recipient ledger or proof of influence.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    In the October 1 debate, Mitchell acknowledged taking corporate PAC money as a state legislator and contrasted that practice with his current federal pledge. He also said he would refuse PAC money from Pfizer, BlackRock and Amazon and work with Democrats on campaign-finance reform. Anthem's 2019 political-contributions report lists Rep. Joe Mitchell (R) with $100 in its Iowa section. That corporate donor's primary disclosure corroborates a historical donor-side contribution, but is not a complete state-committee receipt/refund ledger. Why there is no verdict: The full state recipient ledger was not obtained. The amount and scope of all past state receipts, acceptance/refunds and future compliance remain unsettled by this donor-side example. Limit: His prospective federal pledge and plans are not accomplished nationwide findings. The donor report does not establish influence over a vote, every previous receipt, or precise recipient acceptance/refund status.

  2. campaign position

    Joe Mitchell: record does not settle this

    Trinity's corporate PAC reports $1,000 in Dec. 2025. Recipient filings through June 30 do not establish receipt or refund; donor reporting proves neither acceptance nor a pledge violation.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    His campaign pledges to refuse corporate PAC money, and he repeated that pledge in the October 1 debate. Recipient-side records used in the earlier check include $48,000 from ten trade-association PACs, $2,000 from CHS's cooperative PAC and $5,000 from a membership-organization PAC. The FEC separates those classes from Corporation PACs. A separate Trinity Industries Employee PAC filing reports a $1,000 contribution to Joe Mitchell for Congress, C00918979, on December 12, 2025; the FEC classes Trinity as a Corporation PAC. The retained recipient year-end, amended Q1 and Q2 report texts do not establish the corresponding Trinity receipt or refund. Why there is no verdict: The Trinity donor/recipient discrepancy remains unreconciled. A donor-side disbursement does not establish recipient acceptance or a pledge violation. Limit: Donor-reported disbursement is not proof of recipient acceptance. The donor/recipient discrepancy is retained as unresolved, without a finding of a pledge violation. The reports end June 30, before the October debate.

  3. campaign position

    Lindsay James: record does not settle this

    Her committee took $500 from a corporation's PAC in December 2025, before the earliest dated pledge found, and had not returned it as of June 30, 2026.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    Her campaign says she will never take corporate PAC money. Her committee took $500 from O'Neill and Associates PAC on December 14, 2025. That PAC's latest statement of organization, filed in 2009, says it is the separate fund of a corporation, O'Neill and Associates of Boston. The gift came before the earliest dated pledge found, on April 2, 2026; a pledge before the gift is not established. Her reports through June 30, 2026 show it was not returned. No other committee that gave to her is recorded by the FEC as a corporation's PAC; the largest share of her committee money is from labor unions. Why there is no verdict: The gift was taken before the earliest dated pledge found and was not returned through June 30, 2026. Her report due October 15, the first that could show a refund, has not been read. Limit: One $500 gift out of $217,905 from committees, taken before her earliest dated pledge found and kept after it. The FEC's searchable record lists no type for this PAC; its paper filing does.

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Sources20 source records

How we use sources

  1. The Issueshttps://joemitchell.com/issues

    Joe Mitchell for Congress · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Campaign issues page, sixteen sections from corporate PAC money to elections. Positions are attributed, not independently verified facts.

    candidate statement

    For: Joe Mitchell: campaign position; Joe Mitchell: record does not settle this

  2. End DC Corruptionhttps://www.lindsayforiowa.com/issues/ending-dc-corruption

    Lindsay for Iowa · Reviewed Oct 10, 2026

    Campaign issue page. Its first promise is that she will never take corporate PAC money; it also backs a stock-trading ban, a lobbying ban for former members and term limits. Its lines about her opponent are out of scope here.

    candidate statement

    For: Lindsay James: campaign position; Lindsay James: record does not settle this

  3. Libertarian wants to repeal income tax, welfare programs, immigration policyhttps://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/libertarian-wants-repeal-income-tax-004220831.html

    Iowa Capital Dispatch (republished by Yahoo News) · Published Aug 15, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Report by Cami Koons on his August 15, 2026 speech at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox, with direct quotes. The original Capital Dispatch page (iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/08/15/libertarian-wants-to-repeal-income-tax-welfare-programs-immigration-policy/) blocks the desk's script, so this Yahoo copy is cited; a browser read of the original on October 1, 2026 found the same article text, both quoted lines included. His only 2026 platform statement found.

    original reporting

    For: Rick Stewart: campaign position

  4. Rick Stewart, The First Choice for Iowa Governorhttps://www.rickstewart.com/

    Rick Stewart · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    The site at the domain of the email address on his 2026 filing. It is his 2022 campaign for governor: its pages were last changed in June 2022 and its newest post is from March 2022. Links X (@rickstewart) and Facebook (IowaRick). No 2026 campaign site was found.

    candidate statement

    For: Rick Stewart: campaign position

  5. Where Dave Bushaw Stands on the Issueshttps://www.davebushaw.com/platform

    Dave Bushaw for Congress · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Campaign platform page. Positions are attributed, not independently verified facts.

    candidate statement

    For: Dave Bushaw: campaign position

  6. October 1 debate, Joe Mitchell on prior state pachttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxmmjLQ5-9M&t=2054s

    Iowa's News Now (KGAN/KFXA) · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Retained native-caption window 34:14.399-34:42.240. Statement paraphrased; a second matching transcript and exact quotation certification were not obtained.

    candidate statement

    For: Joe Mitchell: record does not settle this

  7. Anthem 2019 political contributions report (document)

    Anthem, Inc. · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Corporate donor's primary disclosure lists Rep. Joe Mitchell (R), $100, in Iowa. Donor disclosure, not a complete recipient receipt/refund ledger or evidence of influence over votes.

    original reporting

    For: Joe Mitchell: record does not settle this

  8. Meet Joehttps://joemitchell.com/about

    Joe Mitchell for Congress · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Campaign biography. Used for his account of his legislative record, his housing work and his federal posts, and for his no-corporate-PAC pledge. Attributed, not independently verified, except where a card checks it.

    candidate statement

    For: Joe Mitchell: record does not settle this

  9. October 1 debate, Joe Mitchell on current corporate pachttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxmmjLQ5-9M&t=1595s

    Iowa's News Now (KGAN/KFXA) · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Retained native-caption window 26:35.840-26:52.559. Statement paraphrased; a second matching transcript and exact quotation certification were not obtained.

    candidate statement

    For: Joe Mitchell: record does not settle this

  10. JOE MITCHELL FOR CONGRESS, receipts from committeeshttps://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?committee_id=C00918979&two_year_transaction_period=2026&is_individual=false

    Federal Election Commission · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Recipient-side committee receipts through June 30, 2026. The F3-11C query was fully cursor-paginated, 100 plus 41 rows. Previously classified entries include ten trade-association PACs ($48,000), CHS cooperative PAC ($2,000) and a membership-organization PAC ($5,000). These FEC categories differ from Corporation PAC. These bounded classification facts do not establish an unqualified overall finding on complete pledge compliance through the October debate.

    fec filing

    For: Joe Mitchell: record does not settle this

  11. Joe Mitchell for Congress, 2025 year-end filing (document)

    Federal Election Commission · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Named recipient-side filing used for the bounded recipient-side record comparison. It is not a complete finding of pledge compliance through the October debate.

    fec filing

    For: Joe Mitchell: record does not settle this

  12. Joe Mitchell for Congress, amended April Quarterly 2026 (document)

    Federal Election Commission · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Named recipient-side filing used for the bounded recipient-side record comparison. It is not a complete finding of pledge compliance through the October debate.

    fec filing

    For: Joe Mitchell: record does not settle this

  13. JOE MITCHELL FOR CONGRESS, July Quarterly 2026 (document)

    Federal Election Commission · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Principal campaign committee, May 14 to June 30, 2026, received July 15, 2026. Read from OpenFEC on October 1, 2026 as the latest report, not amended. The October Quarterly, through September 30, is due October 15. Independently re-read linked PDF October 7: detailed-summary pages 3/4, lines 16/22, Column B supplies election-cycle receipts/disbursements. Column A is only May 14-June 30. Summary page 2 cash/debt amounts are unchanged. Correction replaces period totals previously labeled as cycle totals; October 7 OpenFEC latest-report readback confirms this report identity and no amendment flag.

    fec filing

    For: Joe Mitchell: record does not settle this

  14. Trinity Industries Employee PAC, 2025 year-end filing (document)

    Federal Election Commission · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Schedule B, page 57, reports a $1,000 December 12, 2025 contribution to Joe Mitchell for Congress, C00918979. Donor-side disbursement, not proof of recipient acceptance or a pledge violation.

    fec filing

    For: Joe Mitchell: record does not settle this

  15. Trinity Industries Employee PAC, FEC committee classificationhttps://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00268904/?cycle=2026

    Federal Election Commission · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    FEC records C00268904 as a Corporation PAC. This classification concerns the donor committee, not proof of recipient acceptance.

    fec filing

    For: Joe Mitchell: record does not settle this

  16. LINDSAY FOR IOWA, Year-End report 2025 (document)

    Federal Election Commission · Published Jan 31, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    The filed report, in the FEC's electronic format, received January 31, 2026. Its line-11C schedule lists $500 from O'Neill and Associates PAC, 31 New Chardon St, Boston, on December 14, 2025. Her later reports through June 30, 2026 (April Quarterly, Pre-Primary, July Quarterly) do not name the PAC, and OpenFEC shows no refund to any committee in them except $250 to Iowa People's PAC on May 20, 2026.

    fec filing

    For: Lindsay James: record does not settle this

  17. O'Neill and Associates PAC, Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1), amended November 4, 2009 (document)

    Federal Election Commission · Published Nov 4, 2009 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    The PAC's latest Statement of Organization (sha256 7d65c662...). Page 2 checks the box saying it is a separate segregated fund whose connected organization is a corporation, and that it is a lobbyist/registrant PAC. Page 3 names the connected organization as O'Neill and Associates, of the same Boston address. The boxes are handwritten and were read from the page image; OpenFEC's committee record carries no organization type for it. The PAC has filed no FEC report since its 2024 year-end report (received February 28, 2025); OpenFEC's filing list shows only FEC notices for each 2025 and 2026 report since, so what it gave in 2025 is on her report but not on its own.

    fec filing

    For: Lindsay James: record does not settle this

  18. End Citizens United Endorses State Representative Lindsay James for Iowa's 2nd Congressional Districthttps://www.lindsayforiowa.com/news/lindsay-james-calls-out-washington-republicans-for-letting-snap-benefits-lapse

    Lindsay for Iowa · Published Apr 2, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Campaign release dated April 2, 2026 (the page's slug names a different release). It quotes her: "I'm rejecting corporate PAC money". It is the earliest dated corporate-PAC pledge found. Her earlier releases (February 23, March 12 and March 16, 2026) do not mention corporate PACs; Wayback Machine captures of her home page from September 2025 to March 2026 carry no corporate-PAC language; and the issue page with the pledge is first captured on May 13, 2026.

    candidate statement

    For: Lindsay James: record does not settle this

  19. LINDSAY FOR IOWA, receipts from committeeshttps://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?committee_id=C00916452&two_year_transaction_period=2026&is_individual=false

    Federal Election Commission · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Lines 11B, 11C and 12 for the 2025-2026 cycle through June 30, 2026, read with tools/fec-money/money.py on October 1, 2026: 4, 61 and 7 rows, each line reconciled to the committee's summary. One $500 line-11C row is from O'Neill and Associates PAC (C00362210), which the FEC's committee record lists with no organization type.

    fec filing

    For: Lindsay James: record does not settle this

  20. LINDSAY FOR IOWA, July Quarterly 2026 (document)

    Federal Election Commission · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Principal campaign committee, May 14 to June 30, 2026, received July 15, 2026. Read from OpenFEC on October 1, 2026 as the latest report, not amended. Independently re-read linked PDF October 7: detailed-summary pages 3/4, lines 16/22, Column B supplies election-cycle receipts/disbursements. Column A is only May 14-June 30. Summary page 2 cash/debt amounts are unchanged. Correction replaces period totals previously labeled as cycle totals; October 7 OpenFEC latest-report readback confirms this report identity and no amendment flag.

    fec filing

    For: Lindsay James: record does not settle this