King has said that his words have been mischaracterized and taken out of context, blaming the media and Republican leaders for leading a vendetta against him.
“The Never Trumpers are the people who ginned this all up,” King said in a recent debate, speaking with an air of defiance about the Republicans “who want Steve King out of the way.”
The primary fight is an undeniable referendum on King — not on his conservatism, but on his effectiveness in office. His lack of power, far more than his specific words and history of remarks on race, has become a central issue in this year’s race, with opponents arguing that he is unable to represent their views in the House or to the administration.
“The 4th District needs a seat at the table — an effective conservative voice,” Feenstra said in a recent debate. “Our district, our President, deserve an effective conservative leader in Congress.”
Two years ago, fewer than 3,000 absentee ballots were recorded. But with Iowa still recovering from its coronavirus crisis, including many hotspots in meatpacking towns across the district, it’s unknown whether a dramatic uptick in absentee ballots means more voters are paying attention or whether a similar number just intend to vote from the safety of their homes.
Bob Vander Plaats, a former King supporter and an influential Christian conservative, has endorsed Feenstra, worried that if King wins the primary that Democrats would have a better shot to not only win his deep red district in northwest Iowa but also defeat President Donald Trump and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst. Democrat J.D. Scholten, a former professional baseball player, came within three points of beating King in 2018 and is running again.
“This goes even beyond Congressman King,” Vander Plaats, the president of the Family Leader, a social conservative group, told CNN. “If there’s a fatigue in wanting to vote for your Congressman, everybody that’s on the ballot with him is at risk.”
King responded that Vander Plaats and Feenstra are sacrificing their principles “in their misguided effort to shut down real conservatives and hand this district over to RINOs and NeverTrumpers.”
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny and Manu Raju contributed to this report.