Iowa's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers the western border of the state, including Sioux City and Council Bluffs. Up north, it extends eastwards into Ames, Boone, Fort Dodge, and Marshalltown. It has been represented by Republican Randy Feenstra since 2021, who defeated longtime incumbent Steve King in 2020. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+15, it is the most Republican district in Iowa, a state with an all-Republican congressional delegation.
History Since the 1880s, there have been major changes in the location or nature of Iowa's 4th Congressional District. From 1886 until 1941, the district was made up of largely rural counties in northeastern Iowa, including the easternmost five counties in the northernmost two rows"The Congressional Districts", Waterloo Courier, 1886-04-14 at 4; Iowa's Official Register (1930). (and, during the 1930s, Buchanan and Delaware counties from the third row).Iowa's Official Register, 1933-34, at 6. During that era, the district included areas from Mason City east to the Mississippi River.
In 1941, Iowa's 5th Congressional District (made up of rural counties in southern Iowa) was renumbered as Iowa's 4th Congressional District, and counties in the old 4th District were placed in the 3rd District and the 2nd District.Iowa's Official Register, 1943–1944, at 15. (In 1942, 4th District incumbent, Henry O. Talle, would defeat the 2nd District incumbent William S. Jacobsen in the new 2nd Congressional District). From 1941 until 1960 the 4th Congressional District included the central five counties of each of the two southernmost tiers, plus four counties between Des Moines and Iowa City (Mahaska, Keokuk, Jasper and Poweshiek). 5th District incumbent Republican U.S. Representative Karl M. LeCompte was reelected in the reconfigured 4th District in 1942, and was reelected in the next seven races. In 1958, when LeCompte did not run for reelection, Democrat Steven V. Carter defeated Republican John Kyl. A recurrence of cancer would claim Carter's life before the end of his only term, and Kyl won the special election and next general election. In 1961 the 4th Congressional District was expanded to include five central Iowa counties – Warren, Marion, Marshall, Tama and Benton"Another redrawing", Ames Daily Tribune, 1970-07-07 at 4. – but retained its rural character. Kyl held this seat until he was swept out in the massive Democratic landslide of 1964. However, he regained his old seat in 1966, and was reelected two more times.
The rural character of the district was changed when most of its territory was merged with the Des Moines-based 5th District of Democratic incumbent Neal Smith after the 1970 census. Polk County (home to Des Moines and most of its suburbs) was added, while most of the rural counties were taken out.Iowa Official Register, 1973-74, at 30. Smith defeated Kyl in the 1972 congressional election. The district became even less rural in 1981, when Story County (home of Ames) was added, and other rural counties were taken out.Iowa Official Register, 1983-84, at 46. The district was significantly altered after the 1990 census, when it was reconfigured to take in the southwest quadrant of the state from Des Moines to Council Bluffs. Smith was reelected in 1992, but defeated in 1994 by Republican Greg Ganske.
The 2001 remap made the 4th district a north-central Iowa district. It could not be said to be the successor of any of the previous districts. It was a primarily rural district, though it included Ames and Mason City. It did not include any of the state's nine largest cities, and only four of the twenty largest Iowa cities.Iowa League of Cities, Population of Iowa Cities of 8,000 or More , accessed 2008-07-27. The plan went into effect in 2003 for the 108th U.S. Congress. The 5th's incumbent congressman, Tom Latham, had his home in Alexander drawn into the 4th, and was elected from this district five times.
For the 2012 elections, the Iowa Legislature passed a plan that went into effect in 2013 for the 113th U.S. Congress. The district now covers the northwest corner of the state, and essentially merged the northern half of the old 5th District with the western third of the old 4th. The new map placed Latham and 5th District incumbent Steve King in the same district. Although the new 4th was geographically more Latham's district, he opted to move to the redrawn 3rd District, leaving King to take the seat. The current 4th district is by far the most conservative in Iowa – it was the only one of the state's four districts to be won by Mitt Romney in 2012, and Donald Trump carried it by over 25 points in 2016. Additionally, King was the only Republican House member from Iowa during the 116th Congress, although he faced a close race in 2018 due to his long history of controversial comments.
In June 2020, Steve King was defeated in the Republican House primary by challenger Randy Feenstra.
Recent election results from statewide races Year Office Results2008 PresidentMcCain 50–47%2012 PresidentRomney 55–45%2016 PresidentTrump 60–33% SenateGrassley 67–28%2018 GovernorReynolds 59–39% Secretary of StatePate 61–37% AuditorMosiman 56–42% TreasurerDavis 51–47%2020 PresidentTrump 62–36% SenateErnst 60–37%2022 SenateGrassley 66–34% GovernorReynolds 69–29% Secretary of StatePate 69–31% AuditorHalbur 60–40% TreasurerSmith 61–39% Attorney GeneralBird 61–39%2024 PresidentTrump 65–33%
Composition The 4th district includes the entirety of the following counties: #CountySeatPopulation9AudubonAudubon5,53415BooneBoone26,59021Buena VistaStorm Lake20,56725CalhounRockwell City9,76327CarrollCarroll20,52235CherokeeCherokee11,60541ClaySpencer16,51147CrawfordDenison16,01359DickinsonSpirit Lake18,05663EmmetEstherville9,22969FranklinHampton9,87571FremontSidney6,45879HamiltonWebster City14,72981HancockGarner10,61585HarrisonLogan14,67091HumboldtDakota City9,50093IdaIda Grove6,833109KossuthAlgona14,396119LyonRock Rapids12,324127MarshallMarshalltown40,014129MillsGlenwood14,633133MononaOnawa8,493141O'BrienPrimghar14,012143OsceolaSibley5,978147Palo AltoEmmetsburg8,810149PlymouthLe Mars25,722151PocahontasPocahontas6,976155PottawattamieCouncil Bluffs93,179161SacSac City9,686165ShelbyHarlan11,806167SiouxOrange City35,246169StoryNevada98,566187WebsterFort Dodge36,485189WinnebagoForest City10,571193WoodburySioux City105,951197WrightClarion12,656
List of members representing the district Member Party Term Congress Electoral history Location District created March 4, 1863 Josiah B. Grinnell Republican March 4, 1863 –March 3, 1867 Elected in 1862.Re-elected in 1864.Lost renomination.1863–1873 William Loughridge Republican March 4, 1867 –March 3, 1871 Elected in 1866.Re-elected in 1868.Lost renomination. Madison M. Walden Republican March 4, 1871 –March 3, 1873 Elected in 1870.Lost renomination. Henry O. Pratt Republican March 4, 1873 –March 3, 1877 Elected in 1872.Re-elected in 1874.Retired.1873–1883 Nathaniel C. Deering Republican March 4, 1877 –March 3, 1883 Elected in 1876.Re-elected in 1878.Re-elected in 1880.Retired. Luman H. Weller Greenback March 4, 1883 –March 3, 1885 Elected in 1882.Lost re-election.1883–1887Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Floyd, Howard, Mitchell, and Winneshiek counties William E. Fuller Republican March 4, 1885 –March 3, 1889 Elected in 1884.Re-elected in 1886.Lost renomination.1887–1933Allamakee, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Floyd, Howard, Mitchell, Winneshiek, and Worth counties Joseph H. Sweney Republican March 4, 1889 –March 3, 1891 Elected in 1888.Lost re-election. Walter H. Butler Democratic March 4, 1891 –March 3, 1893 Elected in 1890.Lost re-election. Thomas Updegraff Republican March 4, 1893 –March 3, 1899 Elected in 1892.Re-elected in 1894.Re-elected in 1896.Lost renomination. Gilbert N. Haugen Republican March 4, 1899 –March 3, 1933 Elected in 1898.Re-elected in 1900.Re-elected in 1902.Re-elected in 1904.Re-elected in 1906.Re-elected in 1908.Re-elected in 1910.Re-elected in 1912.Re-elected in 1914.Re-elected in 1916.Re-elected in 1918.Re-elected in 1920.Re-elected in 1922.Re-elected in 1924.Re-elected in 1926.Re-elected in 1928.Re-elected in 1930.Lost re-election. Fred Biermann Democratic March 4, 1933 –January 3, 1939 Elected in 1932.Re-elected in 1934.Re-elected in 1936.Lost re-election.1933–1943 Henry O. Talle Republican January 3, 1939 –January 3, 1943 Elected in 1938.Re-elected in 1940.Redistricted to the . Karl M. LeCompte Republican January 3, 1943 –January 3, 1959 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1942.Re-elected in 1944.Re-elected in 1946.Re-elected in 1948.Re-elected in 1950.Re-elected in 1952.Re-elected in 1954.Re-elected in 1956.Retired.1943–1963 Steven V. Carter Democratic January 3, 1959 –November 4, 1959 Elected in 1958.Died. Vacant November 4, 1959 –December 15, 1959 John Kyl Republican December 15, 1959 –January 3, 1965 Elected to finish Carter's term.Re-elected in 1960.Re-elected in 1962.Lost re-election.1963–1973 Bert Bandstra Democratic January 3, 1965 –January 3, 1967 Elected in 1964.Lost re-election. John Kyl Republican January 3, 1967 –January 3, 1973 Elected in 1966.Re-elected in 1968.Re-elected in 1970.Lost re-election. Neal Smith Democratic January 3, 1973 –January 3, 1995 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1972.Re-elected in 1974.Re-elected in 1976.Re-elected in 1978.Re-elected in 1980.Re-elected in 1982.Re-elected in 1984.Re-elected in 1986.Re-elected in 1988.Re-elected in 1990.Re-elected in 1992.Lost re-election.1973–19831983–19931993–2003 Greg Ganske Republican January 3, 1995 –January 3, 2003 Elected in 1994.Re-elected in 1996.Re-elected in 1998.Re-elected in 2000.Redistricted to the but retired to run for U.S. Senator. Tom Latham Republican January 3, 2003 –January 3, 2013 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 2002.Re-elected in 2004.Re-elected in 2006.Re-elected in 2008.Re-elected in 2010.Redistricted to the . 2003–2013 Steve King Republican January 3, 2013 –January 3, 2021 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 2012.Re-elected in 2014.Re-elected in 2016.Re-elected in 2018.Lost renomination. 2013–2023 Randy Feenstra Republican January 3, 2021 –present Elected in 2020.Re-elected in 2022.Re-elected in 2024.Retiring to run for governor of Iowa. 2023–present:
Historical election results