In rare upset, Steve King is defeated by Republican challenger Randy Feenstra

In a major upset, Republican challenger Randy Feenstra defeated longtime Republican incumbent Steve King during Tuesday’s primary election.

For years, Iowa Democrats have unsuccessfully tried to pry away King’s seat in conservative western Iowa, though challenger J.D. Scholten came close in 2018. 

Since King took office, his controversial remarks have garnered him national attention and sometimes condemnation from his own party. In 2019, House Republican leaders removed him from the judiciary and agricultural committees after he questioned why white supremacy is offensive in an interview with the New York Times.

“This is a rare election result that delights both parties’ House leadership,” tweeted Dave Wasserman, editor at Cook Political Report. “Dems will view it as a rejection of white nationalism. But state Sen. Randy Feenstra (R) defeated King by calling him an ineffective ally to Trump after he was stripped of his committee assignments.”

This is a rare election result that delights both parties' House leadership. Dems will view it as a rejection of white nationalism.

But state Sen. Randy Feenstra (R) defeated King by calling him an ineffective ally to Trump after he was stripped of his committee assignments.

— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) June 3, 2020

Feenstra, an Iowa state senator from Hull, far outraised King during the first quarter. Several prominent Republicans backed Feenstra, including Bob Vander Plaats, a well-known religious conservative leader in the party.

Beyond Iowa’s 4th District race, Tuesday night’s election stood out because of the number of female candidates who won their primaries. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Theresa Greenfield all handily defeated their challengers.

Voters also had to navigate the election during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting nearly 400,000 people to vote through absentee ballots, according to the Iowa Secretary of State.

Nearly 400,000 Iowans have voted using absentee ballots. Here are the updated numbers, broken down by congressional district.

Polls are open for in-person voting today until 9 pm. #BeAVoter pic.twitter.com/sjqtc42rzE

— Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (@IowaSOS) June 2, 2020