One of the candidates is House Speaker John Boehner's close friend and golfing buddy.
The other is an ally of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Both have their roots in rural Iowa, have long served together in the U.S. House, and are pretty darn well-liked by their constituents.
But Iowa, the focus of the political world this week, lost a House seat in congressional redistricting that came after the 2010 census.