CLINTON, Iowa — The Clinton County Recount Board finished its counting of all ballots from Election Day and found Democrat Rita Hart netted 2 votes, according to Clinton County Auditor Eric Van Lancker.
This puts Republican Marianette Miller-Meeks up 6 votes in the entire 2nd Congressional District, and only solidifies this race as the closest congressional race in the country.
The Iowa Secretary of State's website has Miller-Meeks with 196,879 unofficial votes to Hart's 196,845 unofficial votes, a difference of 34. These numbers, however, don't take into account Scott County Recount Board's report of Hart netting 26 votes on Wednesday, dropping Miller-Meeks' lead to 8 before Clinton County's recount dropped her lead to 6.
The next step in the district's recount is the state canvass set to happen Monday. Both candidates have 20 days from then to contest the results, which would likely take the race to the court system.
If a candidate decides to contest the results, a contest court would be convened. That has never happened in Iowa for a congressional race.
The 2nd Congressional District race is the closest federal election in Iowa history.