(Des Moines) The Associated Press has projected that U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra will easily win reelection in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, defeating repeat challenger Ryan Melton for the historically conservative seat.
In unofficial results, Feenstra won his third term in office with 74% of the vote to 26% for Melton as of 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, when the Associated Press called the race.
Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, covering much of northwest Iowa and cities including Ames, Sioux City and Council Bluffs, has been a longtime conservative space in Iowa – current party voting registrations show Republicans outnumber Democrats 3-to-1 in the district. In the 2024 general election, that trend had been widely expected to deliver again for Feenstra as he faced a rematch against Melton. Feenstra defeated Melton with 67.4% of the vote in 2022.
Much of the two candidates’ campaign trail rhetoric stayed the same. Feenstra has emphasized his support for the agriculture and ethanol industries, as well as speaking on calling to increase border security and oppose abortions. Meanwhile, Melton has spoken in support of rejuvenating rural communities in Iowa through government investments, as well as calling for expanded abortion access and a move to a single-payer health care system.
One issue that crosses party lines rose to higher prominence in the 4th District race this election cycle – carbon capture pipelines. Pipeline projects and regulations surrounding issues like the use of eminent domain are largely within state jurisdiction, not a matter of federal policy. However, as projects like the Summit Carbon Solutions proposal would go through several communities in northwest Iowa, the issue has become a sticking point for voters on both sides of the aisle for all elected positions.
Though Feenstra has stated that he does not support the use of eminent domain in building pipelines, Melton and other opponents have stated that Feenstra’s ties with Summit Agriculture Group executive Bruce Rastetter and support for pipelines outside of eminent domain were reasons to oppose the Republican’s reelection.
That opposition included pushback from Feenstra’s primary opponent, Kevin Virgil, who endorsed Melton for the seat in August. In a social media post explaining his endorsement, he urged 4th District Republicans to consider voting split ticket for former President Donald Trump and Melton, claiming Feenstra was “bought and paid for by the national party establishment and by his corporate donors.”
While Virgil has claimed Feenstra is unpopular with Iowa Republicans, the incumbent defeated him in the June 2024 GOP primary for the 4th District with 60.3% of the vote to Virgil’s 39.7%.
Feenstra himself was first elected to office in 2020 after defeating longtime U.S. Rep. Steve King in that year’s primary election. Feenstra, then a member of the Iowa Senate, challenged King after the Republican representative was removed from committee assignments after making controversial remarks on white supremacy, rape, and incest.
Though Melton said that his recent challenge against Feenstra came with a better support network than in 2022, the Democrat still significantly lagged behind his incumbent opponent in fundraising. Federal Elections Commission reports found Melton raised about $132,000 during the election cycle, as of quarterly reports ending Oct.16. Feenstra has raised more than $4.1 million during the 2024 cycle, with $1.2 million cash on hand.
