Nestled in Iowa's northwest corner. The fourth congressional district includes urban centers like Council Bluff, Sioux City and Ames. But the district is also largely rural covering *** collection of small towns. Republican incumbent Randy Fens is seeking *** third term in the fourth district seat. It's so important that we make sure that we deliver conservative results and that's what I've done for the last four years. Voter registration in the fourth district shows Republicans have *** large advantage. There are also more no party voters registered Democrats. Democrat Ryan Melton says the race is an uphill battle. He lost to fins in 2022 but is challenging him again. I felt compelled to do it because the people deserve someone who's going to advocate for them. This time, Melton's received the endorsement of Republican Kevin Virgil. Virgil lost to Fens in the Republican primary election but did receive about 40% of the vote. He makes the argument that there's been 40 plus years of Republican leadership in our congressional district and we've seen the results of that, that the party has lost sight of its obligation to its rank and file voters to the people on the ground. We brought that criticism to Finstrom Virgil in his endorsement wrote that you're not doing enough for the rank and file republicans in your district. What's your response to that criticism? I tell you what you have two liberal progress working together and, and what I'll do every single day is create conservative results. Both candidates say their experience makes them the best fit for the fourth district seat. I am passionate about my job. I sit on the top committees in Congress on ways and means that handles health care that handles trade, that handles reduction of taxes. And I also sit on agriculture to help our producers to pass the farm bill. And every day I work to try to figure out solutions. I am the one candidate in this race that is truly independent of the powerful class and is therefore most willing and able to really get to the root causes of what ails us in this congressional district and in this state, Amanda Rucker Kcci eight News, Iowa's news leader. Do you have *** majority in the house? Make sure the Senate is the majority of Republicans and make sure Donald Trump gets elected?
Iowa election 2024: Where 4th Congressional District candidates stand on key issues
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Updated: 4:24 PM CST Nov 5, 2024
In the race for Iowa's 4th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Randy Feenstra faces Democrat Ryan Melton. The 4th District is one of the most conservative in the country. It covers most of northwestern Iowa and includes Sioux City, Council Bluffs and Ames.Watch the video above to hear more from each candidate and scroll to see where they stand on key issues.How would you help Iowans feel relief from the high prices they say they're still dealing with?Feenstra: "We have to find tax solutions, tax reductions to put more money in people's pockets. The number one issue that they talk about is the increase in gas prices and increase in food prices and then our small businesses talk about the cost of inputs. These are big issues when that bottom line, you only have X amount of dollars and you've got to buy all these extra things. So, to slow it down, we've got to stop spending number one. And number two is try to put more money in people's pockets by lowering the tax burden on small businesses and families."Melton: "I'm a big believer in a corporate windfall tax so that in times of massive inflation, if we see very clearly that corporations are raking in massive profit off of an initial inflationary bump caused by other reasons, that we'd claw back some of that profit and disperse it to the people and discourage corporations from that "greedflation" that is very clearly proven at this point. The other thing we really need to work on is to increase domestic production."How should Congress address foreign policy issues, including the war in Ukraine, Israel-Hamas war and increasing tensions with China?Feenstra: "There are so many conflicts out there, and it really comes down to leadership at the presidential level. We have a lack of leadership. So you have Putin, you have the dictator in China, you have North Korea all looking at what we're doing, and we're not doing anything, which is very scary. But we also have to look at what's happening in our country and put our country first, meaning that we've got to stop the illegals coming across our border. We think about what happened in 9/11. That could easily happen again. We do not know who's coming in and out of our borders."Melton: "I, for a long time on my socials, have been posting about the need for us to stop providing military aid to Netanyahu's government until we know for sure that he is targeting only Hamas. We've seen far too many civilian casualties. As far as the Russia-Ukraine situation, I absolutely think that we should continue to provide funding to the Ukrainians to provide for the defense against Russia. Putin has invaded numerous countries. There's no reason to think that if he defeats Ukraine, he'll stop there."What action, if any, should Congress take on abortion access?Feenstra: " I always stand to protect innocent life. My faith teaches me that God created us for a purpose and a reason, that each one of us is here for a purpose and a reason. And I like what our state did, that we have a heartbeat bill. And that's where I stand, is that, you know, each state has to decide where this goes. But in Iowa, we did a great thing, and we created the heartbeat bill, and I wish every state would do that."Melton: "If I had the honor of representing the fourth congressional district in Congress, I would definitely push to codify Roe. I thought that the abortion protections in Roe were reasonable. The 4th Congressional District is a more conservative district than the other three in Iowa, and yet a number of pro-life folks that I've spoken with are rather alarmed not only by this push for a federal abortion ban, but they're reading the stories from Texas. They're reading the stories from other states in the South that have banned abortion, and they're seeing the downstream negative consequences."Iowa congressional resultsElection results will begin to come in around 8 p.m. when polls close in Iowa.
DES MOINES, Iowa — In the race for Iowa's 4th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Randy Feenstra faces Democrat Ryan Melton.
The 4th District is one of the most conservative in the country. It covers most of northwestern Iowa and includes Sioux City, Council Bluffs and Ames.
Watch the video above to hear more from each candidate and scroll to see where they stand on key issues.
How would you help Iowans feel relief from the high prices they say they're still dealing with?
Feenstra: "We have to find tax solutions, tax reductions to put more money in people's pockets. The number one issue that they talk about is the increase in gas prices and increase in food prices and then our small businesses talk about the cost of inputs. These are big issues when that bottom line, you only have X amount of dollars and you've got to buy all these extra things. So, to slow it down, we've got to stop spending number one. And number two is try to put more money in people's pockets by lowering the tax burden on small businesses and families."
Melton: "I'm a big believer in a corporate windfall tax so that in times of massive inflation, if we see very clearly that corporations are raking in massive profit off of an initial inflationary bump caused by other reasons, that we'd claw back some of that profit and disperse it to the people and discourage corporations from that "greedflation" that is very clearly proven at this point. The other thing we really need to work on is to increase domestic production."
How should Congress address foreign policy issues, including the war in Ukraine, Israel-Hamas war and increasing tensions with China?
Feenstra: "There are so many conflicts out there, and it really comes down to leadership at the presidential level. We have a lack of leadership. So you have Putin, you have the dictator in China, you have North Korea all looking at what we're doing, and we're not doing anything, which is very scary. But we also have to look at what's happening in our country and put our country first, meaning that we've got to stop the illegals coming across our border. We think about what happened in 9/11. That could easily happen again. We do not know who's coming in and out of our borders."
Melton: "I, for a long time on my socials, have been posting about the need for us to stop providing military aid to Netanyahu's government until we know for sure that he is targeting only Hamas. We've seen far too many civilian casualties. As far as the Russia-Ukraine situation, I absolutely think that we should continue to provide funding to the Ukrainians to provide for the defense against Russia. Putin has invaded numerous countries. There's no reason to think that if he defeats Ukraine, he'll stop there."
What action, if any, should Congress take on abortion access?
Feenstra: " I always stand to protect innocent life. My faith teaches me that God created us for a purpose and a reason, that each one of us is here for a purpose and a reason. And I like what our state did, that we have a heartbeat bill. And that's where I stand, is that, you know, each state has to decide where this goes. But in Iowa, we did a great thing, and we created the heartbeat bill, and I wish every state would do that."
Melton: "If I had the honor of representing the fourth congressional district in Congress, I would definitely push to codify Roe. I thought that the abortion protections in Roe were reasonable. The 4th Congressional District is a more conservative district than the other three in Iowa, and yet a number of pro-life folks that I've spoken with are rather alarmed not only by this push for a federal abortion ban, but they're reading the stories from Texas. They're reading the stories from other states in the South that have banned abortion, and they're seeing the downstream negative consequences."
Iowa congressional results
Election results will begin to come in around 8 p.m. when polls close in Iowa.
