No-party congressional candidate Dave Bushaw has picked up the endorsement of Republican Black Hawk County Supervisor Justin Brandt in his independent bid for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District.
Bushaw’s campaign shared the endorsement Monday, with Brandt saying he became interested after coming across his social media content and later speaking with him by phone and in person. Following those conversations, Brandt said he came away viewing Bushaw as an “honest, blue-collar, intelligent, and wise young man” who does not identify with either major party, which he said is also true of many northeast Iowans.
“Do we really have to choose between the lesser of two evils? Or will we help Dave and build something else?” Brandt said. “He’s proven that there’s a strong hunger from enough people willing to do the work and get him on the ballot. Dave is the first ‘No Party’ candidate in Northeast Iowa to qualify for our ballot in modern history. I want to send him to Washington so he can prove what ‘No Party’ means.”
Brandt was first elected to the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors as a Republican in November 2024, finishing first in a five-candidate race for three at-large seats. An Army veteran and Waterloo police officer, he currently serves as pro tem of the board. Black Hawk County has since moved to district-based supervisor elections, placing Brandt in the newly created 5th District, where he is again the Republican nominee this November.
“While I may not agree with all of Dave’s policy preferences, I also know that I don’t have to in order to support him,” Brand continued. “It’s my belief that Dave has the ability and willingness to pull both sides together and find a pathway forward on critical issues.”
The Bushaw endorsement is also not Brandt’s first endorsement of a no-party candidate this election cycle. Earlier this month, he endorsed Lucas Hewitt, who is running without a party designation for Iowa House District 61, similarly pointing to frustration with both major parties and Hewitt’s willingness to work across political lines.
Bushaw is one of four candidates appearing on the ballot in Iowa’s open 2nd Congressional District. He is running alongside Republican Joe Mitchell, Democrat Lindsay James, and Libertarian Rick Stewart for the seat being vacated by Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson, who is running for U.S. Senate.
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