Joe Mitchell Faces Criticism Following Campaign Remarks and Leaked College Video
The Republican congressional candidate in Iowa is defending his record after drawing backlash for comments made at a political rally and in a resurfaced recording.
Republican congressional candidate Joe Mitchell is facing widespread scrutiny in a competitive race for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District following controversial remarks at a campaign rally and the release of a leaked college-era video. Mitchell, a former state lawmaker and Trump administration housing official, is running against Democratic state lawmaker and Presbyterian chaplain Lindsay James for the open U.S. House seat.
During an October 22 rally in Sioux City, Mitchell praised President Donald Trump and criticized Washington, D.C., before telling the crowd that residents of his home state do not ride bicycles. "We don't ride bicycles in Iowa, we ride Harley-Davidsons, isn't that true?" Mitchell said while on stage.
The comment drew immediate pushback on social media from critics who noted that Iowa hosts the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, widely recognized as the world's oldest, largest, and longest multi-day bicycle tour. James quickly responded to the remark online, writing that residents of the state are proud of their bicycles.
Addressing the backlash on Friday, Mitchell defended his initial statement by telling the Register that some individuals had "lost their sense of humor." Toward the end of his rally speech, Mitchell also presented Trump with a gold-framed, homemade accolade he called the "man of the century award," arguing that the former president deserved recognition because he had never been given a Nobel Peace Prize. James dismissed the presentation in a fundraising email as a superficial photo-opportunity intended to appeal to national donors rather than local families.
In addition to the rally controversy, Mitchell faced further scrutiny after a leaked video from his time at Drake University emerged. The footage, published by the Daily Mail, shows Mitchell making crude racial remarks during a 2017 college gathering when he was 19 years old. In the video, Mitchell makes derogatory statements about Black women and white people while conversing with a group of friends.
Mitchell did not dispute the authenticity of the video in a statement to the outlet. He defended himself by stating that he was young at the time and had since grown up and found better friends. "My entire generation has had a camera in their face since we were born," Mitchell said. "I was 19, in college, and I have grown up. Since graduating college, I found some better friends..."
Mitchell's attorney also refrained from denying the video's contents, instead accusing political opponents of attempting to damage his political campaign. Meanwhile, the woman who shared the footage argued that youth and alcohol consumption do not excuse offensive behavior, stating that voters deserve full transparency regarding candidates.
The race for the 2nd Congressional District is currently rated as highly competitive, with election forecasters viewing the contest as a toss-up as Republicans seek to retain the seat currently held by U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson.