An open congressional seat in northwest Iowa has ignited a three-way Democratic primary, while Republicans rally behind a Trump-endorsed candidate in Iowa’s reddest district.
The seat opened after Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra launched a campaign for governor, creating the district’s first opening since 2020.
Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan eventually emerged as the lone Republican on the ballot after several challengers exited the race or failed to qualify for the ballot.
Democrats, meanwhile, are competing in a contested primary featuring former state Rep. Dave Dawson, Stephanie Steiner and Ashley WolfTornabane, each offering different approaches on health care, agriculture and rural economic policy as they try to compete in a district where Republicans hold a massive structural advantage.
Still, some Democrats argue even narrowing GOP margins in northwest Iowa could help boost turnout for statewide candidates further down the ballot.
The 4th District is the largest in Iowa geographically, stretching across 36 counties in north-central and northwest Iowa and including Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Ames and Marshalltown.
Republicans held a more than 2-to-1 voter registration advantage in the district as of May 2026, with about 206,589 active registered Republicans, compared with roughly 89,636 Democrats, according to Iowa Secretary of State data.
Another roughly 128,025 voters are registered with no-party affiliation. Republicans hold voter registration advantages in 35 of the district’s 36 counties, with Story County as the lone exception.
Cook Political Report rates the race as “Solid R.” The district carries a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+15, meaning it has voted an average of 15 percentage points more Republican than the nation as a whole in recent presidential elections.
Feenstra won reelection in 2024 with 67% of the vote to Democrat Ryan Melton’s 33%.
Early voting began May 13. Iowa’s primary election is June 2.
Democrats split over health care, tariffs and agriculture
The Democratic primary has largely centered on health care, agriculture policy and the economy.
Dawson, a prosecutor in the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office and former state legislator, leads the Democratic field in fundraising with $34,874, nearly double what WolfTornabane reported raising this cycle.
WolfTornabane raised $17,408 and had $5,571 cash on hand. Steiner did not file a fundraising report for the quarter.
At a December meeting of the Marshall County Democratic Party, Dawson said, “I believe that there is an opportunity to pick up the seat because people are not happy with the direction of the country.”
Dawson has pitched himself as “not a hard partisan” and argued he can appeal to independents and voters across the political spectrum.
In response to a Des Moines Register candidate questionnaire, Dawson said his priorities would include expanding health care access, lowering prescription drug costs and increasing funding for rural hospitals and cancer research.
“Congress cut nearly a trillion dollars in funding, which makes it more likely people cannot access health care close to home and puts rural hospitals, nursing homes and clinics at risk of closing or cutting staff,” he said.
WolfTornabane has focused on support for family farmers, universal health care and higher wages while criticizing what she described as executive overreach and “illegal tariffs.”
In the Register questionnaire, she said her top priorities included “protecting our democracy” and “stopping executive overreach,” alongside affordability and water quality issues.
At a December Iowa Farmers Union forum in Ames, WolfTornabane said, “Farmers and ranchers used to be an integral part of the health of our rural communities, and we need to return to that.”
Steiner, a small livestock producer and former women’s health nurse, has focused heavily on agricultural monopolies, tariffs and rural water quality.
At the Iowa Farmers Union forum, Steiner argued the government should break up corporate concentration in agriculture.
“Right now, federal dollars pass through farmers’ hands and land directly in the pockets of multinational corporations,” she said.
In the Register questionnaire, Steiner said “families are being squeezed by rising prices while wages fall behind” and called for Congress to “reassert its authority over tariffs.”
Trump endorsement reshapes Republican race
McGowan consolidated Republican support and became the clear party frontrunner after receiving an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
Christian Schlaefer suspended his campaign in March, while Iowa Tea Party founder Ryan Rhodes failed to qualify for the ballot.
McGowan raised $118,453 in the first quarter and reported $379,109 cash on hand.
He has also collected endorsements from national Republicans, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan of Ohio.
At a December candidate forum in Holstein hosted by the Ida County Republicans, McGowan said he opposed the use of eminent domain for a proposed carbon capture pipeline.
“Fighting for property rights means we stand up and we say, clearly and unambiguously, no eminent domain for private gain, period,” he said.
At the same forum, McGowan said he believes life begins at conception, supports veterans and believes “we understand the importance of addressing immigration.”
McGowan, an Iowa Air National Guard veteran who later worked in economic development, also highlighted job creation and agriculture as central themes of his campaign.
“For the last 20 years, I have been fighting to help create jobs and to bring capital investment and to add to value-added ag right here in our communities,” he said.
Democrats test whether they can narrow GOP margins
Even with Feenstra leaving the seat open, national political handicappers view the district as safely Republican territory.
Cook Political Report described the 4th District as a “conservative stronghold home to a large population of evangelical voters.”
Compared with Iowa’s nationally targeted battleground House races in the 1st and 3rd Districts, fundraising in the 4th Congressional District remains far smaller, reflecting the district’s strong Republican lean.
Nick El Hajj is a reporter at the Register. He can be reached at nelhajj@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @nick_el_hajj.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Democrats test long odds in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District race
Reporting by Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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