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Iowa's 4th congressional district

U.S. House district for Iowa

Iowa's 4th congressional district

U.S. House district for Iowa

FieldValue
stateIowa
district number4
image name
image captionInteractive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
representativeRandy Feenstra
partyRepublican
residenceHull
percent urban50.58
percent rural49.42
population801,546
population year2024
median income$73,295
percent white82.6
percent hispanic9.6
percent black2.0
percent asian1.9
percent more than one race3.0
percent other race0.9
cpviR+15

| percent more than one race = 3.0 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 (and, during the 1930s, Buchanan and Delaware counties from the third row). 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. (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 – 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. 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. 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. 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

YearOfficeResults
2008PresidentMcCain 50–47%
2012PresidentRomney 55–45%
2016PresidentTrump 60–33%
SenateGrassley 67–28%
2018GovernorReynolds 59–39%
Attorney GeneralMiller 75–25%
Secretary of StatePate 61–37%
TreasurerDavis 51–47%
AuditorMosiman 56–42%
2020PresidentTrump 62–36%
SenateErnst 60–37%
2022SenateGrassley 66–34%
GovernorReynolds 69–29%
Attorney GeneralBird 61–39%
Secretary of StatePate 69–31%
TreasurerSmith 61–39%
AuditorHalbur 60–40%
2024PresidentTrump 65–33%

Composition

The 4th district includes the entirety of the following counties:

#CountySeatPopulation
9AudubonAudubon5,534
15BooneBoone26,590
21Buena VistaStorm Lake20,567
25CalhounRockwell City9,763
27CarrollCarroll20,522
35CherokeeCherokee11,605
41ClaySpencer16,511
47CrawfordDenison16,013
59DickinsonSpirit Lake18,056
63EmmetEstherville9,229
69FranklinHampton9,875
71FremontSidney6,458
79HamiltonWebster City14,729
81HancockGarner10,615
85HarrisonLogan14,670
91HumboldtDakota City9,500
93IdaIda Grove6,833
109KossuthAlgona14,396
119LyonRock Rapids12,324
127MarshallMarshalltown40,014
129MillsGlenwood14,633
133MononaOnawa8,493
141O'BrienPrimghar14,012
143OsceolaSibley5,978
147Palo AltoEmmetsburg8,810
149PlymouthLe Mars25,722
151PocahontasPocahontas6,976
155PottawattamieCouncil Bluffs93,179
161SacSac City9,686
165ShelbyHarlan11,806
167SiouxOrange City35,246
169StoryNevada98,566
187WebsterFort Dodge36,485
189WinnebagoForest City10,571
193WoodburySioux City105,951
197WrightClarion12,656

List of members representing the district

MemberPartyTermCong
ressElectoral historyLocation
District created March 4, 1863
[[File:Josiah Bushnell Grinnell - Brady-Handy.jpg100px]]
Josiah B. Grinnell
(Grinnell)RepublicannowrapMarch 4, 1863 –
March 3, 1867Elected in 1862.
Re-elected in 1864.
Lost renomination.1863–1873
[[File:William Loughridge.jpg100px]]
William Loughridge
(Oskaloosa)RepublicannowrapMarch 4, 1867 –
March 3, 1871Elected in 1866.
Re-elected in 1868.
Lost renomination.
[[File:Madison Miner Walden.jpg100px]]
Madison M. Walden
(Centerville)RepublicannowrapMarch 4, 1871 –
March 3, 1873Elected in 1870.
Lost renomination.
[[File:HenryOtisPratt.jpg100px]]
Henry O. Pratt
(Charles City)RepublicannowrapMarch 4, 1873 –
March 3, 1877Elected in 1872.
Re-elected in 1874.
Retired.1873–1883
[[File:NathanielCobbDeering.jpg100px]]
Nathaniel C. Deering
(Osage)RepublicannowrapMarch 4, 1877 –
March 3, 1883Elected in 1876.
Re-elected in 1878.
Re-elected in 1880.
Retired.
[[File:Luman H. Weller (Iowa Congressman).jpg100px]]
Luman H. Weller
(Nashua)GreenbacknowrapMarch 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1885Elected in 1882.
Lost re-election.1883–1887
Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Floyd, Howard, Mitchell, and Winneshiek counties
[[File:William Elijah Fuller.jpg100px]]
William E. Fuller
(West Union)RepublicanMarch 4, 1885 –
March 3, 1889Elected in 1884.
Re-elected in 1886.
Lost renomination.
1887–1933
Allamakee, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Floyd, Howard, Mitchell, Winneshiek, and Worth counties
[[File:Joseph H. Sweeney (Iowa Congressman).jpg100px]]
Joseph H. Sweney
(Osage)RepublicannowrapMarch 4, 1889 –
March 3, 1891Elected in 1888.
Lost re-election.
[[File:Walter H. Butler (Iowa Congressman).jpg100px]]
Walter H. Butler
(West Union)DemocraticnowrapMarch 4, 1891 –
March 3, 1893Elected in 1890.
Lost re-election.
[[File:Thomas Updegraff (Iowa Congressman).jpg100px]]
Thomas Updegraff
(McGregor)RepublicannowrapMarch 4, 1893 –
March 3, 1899Elected in 1892.
Re-elected in 1894.
Re-elected in 1896.
Lost renomination.
[[File:Gilbert N. Haugen 1929.jpg100px]]
Gilbert N. Haugen
(Northwood)RepublicannowrapMarch 4, 1899 –
March 3, 1933Elected 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.
[[File:Fred Biermann.png100px]]
Fred Biermann
(Decorah)DemocraticnowrapMarch 4, 1933 –
January 3, 1939Elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Lost re-election.1933–1943
[[File:Henry O. Talle (Iowa Congressman).jpg100px]]
Henry O. Talle
(Decorah)RepublicannowrapJanuary 3, 1939 –
January 3, 1943Elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Redistricted to the .
[[File:Karl M. Le Compte.jpg100px]]
Karl M. LeCompte
(Corydon)RepublicannowrapJanuary 3, 1943 –
January 3, 1959Redistricted 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
[[File:Steven V. Carter (Iowa Congressman).jpg100px]]
Steven V. Carter
(Leon)DemocraticnowrapJanuary 3, 1959 –
November 4, 1959Elected in 1958.
Died.
VacantnowrapNovember 4, 1959 –
December 15, 1959
[[File:John Henry Kyl.jpg100px]]
John Henry Kyl
(Bloomfield)RepublicanDecember 15, 1959 –
January 3, 1965Elected to finish Carter's term.
Re-elected in 1960.
Re-elected in 1962.
Lost re-election.
1963–1973
[[File:Bert Bandstra.jpg100px]]
Bert Bandstra
(Pella)DemocraticnowrapJanuary 3, 1965 –
January 3, 1967Elected in 1964.
Lost re-election.
[[File:John Henry Kyl.jpg100px]]
John H. Kyl
(Bloomfield)RepublicannowrapJanuary 3, 1967 –
January 3, 1973Elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Lost re-election.
[[File:Neal Smith politician.jpg100px]]
Neal Smith
(Altoona)DemocraticJanuary 3, 1973 –
January 3, 1995Redistricted 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.1973–1983
1983–1993
1993–2003
[[File:Greg Ganske's Official Portrait.jpg100px]]
Greg Ganske
(Des Moines)RepublicannowrapJanuary 3, 1995 –
January 3, 2003Elected 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.
[[File:Tom Latham, official portrait, 112th Congress.jpg100px]]
Tom Latham
(Ames)RepublicannowrapJanuary 3, 2003 –
January 3, 2013Redistricted 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
[[File:United States House of Representatives, Iowa District 4 map.png300px]]
[[File:Steve King official photo.jpg100px]]
Steve King
(Kiron)RepublicannowrapJanuary 3, 2013 –
January 3, 2021Redistricted from the and re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Lost renomination.2013–2023
[[File:Iowa US Congressional District 4 (since 2013).tif300px]]
[[File:Randy Feenstra 117th U.S Congress.jpg100px]]
Randy Feenstra
(Hull)RepublicanJanuary 3, 2021 –
presentElected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.
Re-elected in 2024.
Retiring to run for governor of Iowa.
2023–present:
[[File:Iowa's 4th congressional district (since 2023).svg300px]]

Historical election results

YearWinnerSecondPercentageParty affiliationCandidateVotesParty affiliationCandidateVotes
1920RepublicanGilbert N. Haugen53,083DemocraticCarl Evans18,10475%–25%
192232,586A. M. Schanke24,53257%–43%
192450,850J. M. Berry20,63671%–29%
192630,611Frank E. Howard20,07660%–40%
192850,488Erwin Larson31,96861%–39%
193029,224Wilbur L. Peck20,23659%–41%
1932DemocraticFred Biermann62,598RepublicanGilbert N. Haugen42,20759%–41%
193449,504C. A. Benson43,79452%–46%
193656,308Henry O. Talle51,80551%–47%
1938RepublicanHenry O. Talle48,640DemocraticFred Biermann44,60152%–48%
194066,691Morgan J. McEnaney51,55856%–44%
1942Karl M. LeCompte52,258Thomas L. Curran28,74565%–35%
194459,658Harold J. Fleck49,09855%–45%
194643,753A. E. Augustine31,20358%–42%
194853,384Steven V. Carter49,89452%–48%
195051,16838,64957%–43%
195273,317Earl E. Glassburner44,90062%–38%
195449,608Herschel C. Loveless39,65256%–44%
195658,024Steven V. Carter56,40651%–49%
1958DemocraticSteven V. Carter42,479RepublicanJohn Henry Kyl39,23352%–48%
1960RepublicanJohn Henry Kyl65,016DemocraticC. Edwin Gilmour49,91857%–43%
196265,538Gene W. Glenn51,81056%–44%
1964DemocraticBert Bandstra85,518RepublicanJohn Henry Kyl73,89854%–46%
1966RepublicanJohn Henry Kyl65,259DemocraticBert Bandstra61,07452%–48%
196883,25971,13454%–46%
197059,396Roger Blobaum49,36955%–45%
1972DemocraticNeal Edward Smith123,431RepublicanJohn Henry Kyl85,15659%–41%
197491,755Chuck Dick53,75661%–35%
1976145,343Charles E. Minor65,01369%–31%
197888,52648,30865%–35%
1980117,896Donald C. Young100,33554%–36%
1982118,849Dave Readinger60,53466%–34%
1984136,922Robert R. Lockard88,71761%–39%
1986107,27149,64168%–32%
1988157,065Paul Lunde62,05672%–28%
1990127,812unopposed2,77898%–2%
1992158,610RepublicanPaul Lunde94,04562%–37%
1994RepublicanGreg Ganske111,935DemocraticNeal Smith98,82453%–46%
1996133,419Connie McBurney119,79052%–47%
1998129,942Jon Dvorak67,55065%–34%
2000169,267Michael L. Huston101,11261%–37%
2002Tom Latham115,430John Norris90,78455%–43%
2004181,294Paul W. Johnson116,12161%–39%
2006120,512Selden Spencer89,99457%–43%
2008184,529Becky Greenwald119,92760%–39%
2010152,588Bill Maske74,30064%–31%
2012Steve King200,831Christie Vilsack168,32353%–45%
2014169,141Jim Mowrer104,87362%–38%
2016226,719Kim Weaver142,99361%–39%
2018157,275J. D. Scholten146,73750.3%–47.0%
2020Randy Feenstra237,369144,76162.0%–37.8%

2002

  • Note: Jim Hennager ran on the Earth Federation Party platform on the ballot.

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

Results of the 2018 Iowa's 4th congressional district election

2020

Results of the 2020 Iowa's 4th congressional district election

2022

Results of the 2022 Iowa's 4th congressional district election

2024

References

;General

;Specific

References

  1. Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". US Census Bureau.
  2. (April 3, 2025). "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)".
  3. "The Congressional Districts", ''Waterloo Courier'', 1886-04-14 at 4; ''Iowa's Official Register'' (1930).
  4. ''Iowa's Official Register'', 1933-34, at 6.
  5. ''Iowa's Official Register'', 1943–1944, at 15.
  6. "Another redrawing", ''Ames Daily Tribune'', 1970-07-07 at 4.
  7. ''Iowa Official Register'', 1973-74, at 30.
  8. ''Iowa Official Register'', 1983-84, at 46.
  9. link. (2008-05-11 , accessed 2008-07-27.)
  10. (2001). "2001 Iowa Redistricting Plan".
  11. "Dra 2020".
  12. "2022 Iowa Election Results by Congressional District".
  13. "Iowa - Congressional District 4".
  14. (2005). "Election Statistics".
  15. (2014-11-04). "Iowa General Election 2014". Iowa Secretary of State.
  16. (2014-11-04). "Iowa General Election 2014". Iowa Secretary of State.
  17. "Iowa General Election 2018". Iowa Secretary of State.
  18. "General Election - 2020 Canvass Summary". Iowa Secretary of State.
  19. "2022 General Election CANVASS SUMMARY". Iowa Secretary of State.
  20. "2024 General Election CANVASS SUMMARY". Iowa Secretary of State.
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