Northwest Iowa — Iowa Fourth District Congressman Steve King may face a challenge from a Sioux City Republican State Senator in his bid for re-election to the U.S. House.
Rick Bertrand says “maybe it is time Iowans have a choice” in the fourth congressional district.
Bertrand, a 46-year-old businessman and commercial real estate developer, says he doesn’t just jump into anything on “a fluke.”
Some Republicans have cringed at some of Congressman King’s controversial statements. Then, in January, King and Republican Governor Terry Branstad had a very public spat before the Caucuses. King endorsed Ted Cruz and Branstad said he wanted Cruz “defeated” in Iowa because of Cruz’s opposition to the federal ethanol production mandate. King, who is 20 years older than Bertrand, was first elected to the U.S. House in 2002 and will be seeking his eighth term this year. Bertrand says he began thinking about running for congress last year, as he saw fellow state Senator Joni Ernst run and win a seat in the U.S. Senate.
Congressman King says he doesn’t know why Bertrand might be “motivated” to challenge him.
King suggests there have been “well-funded people in Des Moines” who have been trying to recruit someone to run against him for years.
Bertrand describes himself as a political “survivor” who won a state senate seat that had been held by Democrats for years.
Bertrand says he wishes “good luck” to anyone who would question his “conservative credentials.” Bertrand, who is Catholic, specifically cites his “no exceptions” stand on abortion and his support for Second Amendment gun rights. The deadline for filing papers to run for congress is March 18th.
On the other side of the aisle, only one Democrat has announced a run for the Fourth District House seat currently held by King. Democrat Kim Weaver of Sheldon announced her candidacy last year.
