Randy Feenstra wins Iowa’s 4th District, retaining Republican stronghold

Republican challenger Randy Feenstra was headed to victory in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District seat, maintaining northwest Iowa as a reliably red foothold in the state.

He was handily defeating Democratic challenger J.D. Scholten, with a lead of 28 percentage points in unofficial results at the time the Associated Press projected Feenstra the winner.

Feenstra, who is in his third term as an Iowa state senator, billed himself as a Republican who is deeply committed to his Christian faith and is biblically guided. He committed to supporting banning all abortions if elected into office. 

Beyond his religious background, Feenstra said his first commitment if elected into the U.S. House would be gaining a seat on the agricultural committee, which King lost following racist comments he said to the New York Times.

The district’s primary race in June made national news after Feenstra, an established Republican serving in the Iowa Legislature, defeated incumbent Steve King who held the seat for nearly 20 years. 

Not all Republicans are supportive of Feenstra’s win in the district, however.

King tweeted on Tuesday that he filled in his ballot for President Donald Trump, but he could not vote for Feenstra.

I enthusiastically voted for Trump first thing this morning but I couldn’t get my hand to fill in the oval for the Republican nominee for Congress.

— Steve King (@SteveKingIA) November 3, 2020

Feenstra was born and raised in Hull in Sioux County. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Dordt College and his master’s degree in public administration from Iowa State University.

Feenstra worked as the head of sales at The Foreign Candy Company in his hometown and later went on to work as Hull’s city administrator. He was later elected as Sioux County Treasurer and now works as a professor at Dordt University where he teaches business and public administration.

He is married to his wife Lynette, and they have four children, Taylor, Erika, Dawson, and Savannah.