Mitchell vs. James: What stood out in Iowa 2nd's debates?
Iowa congressional candidates Lindsay James and Joe Mitchell discussed data center tax incentives during two debates in Iowa’s 2nd District. Both said they oppose such incentives, while James questioned Mitchell’s past consulting work for KAOH Media, which said his work involved a wind project rather than data centers.
Democrat Lindsay James and Republican Joe Mitchell debated twice ahead of the election in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. Their discussions included whether the federal government should provide tax incentives for data centers, with both candidates opposing those incentives; Mitchell said he would support legislation to bar them.
James also accused Mitchell of receiving $100,000 for consulting work with KAOH Media, a public relations firm that works with AI developers and other projects. Mitchell called the claim a lie and said he had not worked for the firm in several years, while KAOH confirmed he worked with the firm as recently as 2024 on a wind project in Henry County and disputed that his work involved data centers.