Steve King faces toughest primary yet

King, an anti-immigration hardliner, has a well-documented history of controversial statements during his nine terms in office. But only after a New York Times interview in January 2019, in which the congressman questioned how “white nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization” became offensive, did House Republican leaders rebuke him by stripping him of his committee assignments. Last June, the Trump administration barred him from Air Force One when the President visited his state.

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.

State senator Randy Feenstra is viewed as King’s toughest opponent in a five-way race that includes former state legislator Jeremy Taylor, businessmen Steve Reeder and Army veteran Bret Richards. Feenstra has won marquee endorsements and financial support from conservative groups in Washington, including the Chamber of Commerce and the National Right to Life Committee. He has told voters he would like a seat on the House Agriculture Committee — something King no longer has. And he has boasted a much greater campaign war chest, reporting over $415,000 on hand at the end of March compared to fewer than $30,000 for King.

“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.”

The biggest uncertainty heading into Tuesday, according to Republicans strategists in Iowa, is the number of absentee ballots. For the first time, all Iowa voters were sent request forms for mail-in ballots and as of Tuesday, over 70,000 Republican ballots had been requested in the district, with nearly 60,000 already returned, according to the office of Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate.

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.

source: cnn.com