Iowa Talking Points — Michael Bridgford, Independent Candidate, Iowa's 1st Congressional District

Michael Bridgford is an independent candidate running in Iowa's 1st Congressional District — one of fewer than 20 toss-up House districts in the country. A 41-year-old self-employed financial adviser from Bettendorf, Bridgford was raised on a seventh-generation family farm outside the Quad Cities and earned his MBA from Northwestern University. He has never previously run for office. Running against Republican incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrat Christina Bohannan in their third consecutive matchup, Bridgford is appealing to the district's large "no party" voter base. His platform centers on term limits, a ban on congressional stock trading, campaign finance reform, affordability, and healthcare. Bridgford joined Jeff Stein at Iowa Talking Points Studio to discuss why he believes 2026 is the year Iowa's 1st District could send an independent to Congress.