Steve King (Iowa)

Steve King

Republican Party

Prior offices

Iowa State Senate District 6

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U.S. House Iowa District 4

Successor: Randy Feenstra

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Compensation

Net worth

(2012) $361,008

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 2, 2020

Education

High school

Denison Community High School, Denison, Iowa

Personal

Religion

Christian: Catholic

Profession

Business owner

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Steve King (Republican Party) was a member of the U.S. House, representing Iowa's 4th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2003. He left office on January 3, 2021.

King (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Iowa's 4th Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on June 2, 2020.

As of a 2014 analysis of multiple outside rankings, King is an average Republican member of Congress, meaning he will vote with the Republican Party on the majority of bills. Click here to read about key votes made by Steve King.

Prior to serving in the U.S. Congress, King started a construction business in 1975, which is now owned by his son, and he served as a member of the Iowa State Senate from 1996 to 2002.

Biography

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King was born on May 28, 1949, in Storm Lake, IA, and raised in Denison, IA, where he also attended high school. Although he attended Northwest Missouri State University from 1967-1970, he does not have a college degree. Prior to his political career, King worked as a businessman.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of King's academic, professional, and political career:

• 2003-Present: U.S. Representative from Iowa's 4th Congressional District
• 1996-2002: Iowa State Senate

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, King was assigned to the following committees:

• Committee on Agriculture
• Committee on Judiciary
• Committee on Small Business

2015-2016

King served on the following committees:

• Agriculture Committee
• Judiciary Committee

• Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice
• Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security

• Small Business Committee
  • Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade
  • Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce

2013-2014

King served on the following committees:

• Agriculture Committee
  • Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, & Nutrition (Chair)
  • Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit
• Judiciary Committee
  • Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice
  • Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security
• Committee on Small Business
  • Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade
  • Subcommittee on Contracting and the Workforce
  • Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access
  • Subcommittee on Healthcare and Technology

2011-2012

King served on the following House committees:

• Committee on Agriculture
  • Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities & Risk Management
  • Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy & Poultry
  • Subcommittee on Horticulture & Nutrition
  • Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, & Credit
• Committee on Small Business
  • Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy & Trade
  • Subcommittee on Healthcare & Technology
  • Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax & Capital Access
  • Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce
• Judiciary Committee
  • Subcommittee on Immigration Policy & Enforcement
  • Subcommittee on the Constitution

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021

The 116th United States Congress began on January 9, 2019, and ended on January 3, 2021. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (235-200), and Republicans held the majority in the U.S. Senate (53-47). Donald Trump (R) was the president and Mike Pence (R) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021
Vote	Bill and description	Status
Nay	Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020   The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020 (H.R. 1044) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives seeking to increase the cap on employment-based visas, establish certain rules governing such visas, and impose some additional requirements on employers hiring holders of such visas. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended.	Passed (365-65)
Nay	The Heroes Act   The HEROES Act (H.R. 6800) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to address the COVID-19 outbreak by providing $1,200 payments to individuals, extending and expanding the moratorium on some evictions and foreclosures, outlining requirements and establishing finding for contact tracing and COVID-19 testing, providing emergency supplemental appropriations to federal agencies for fiscal year 2020, and eliminating cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatments. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (208-199)
Nay	For the People Act of 2019   The For the People Act of 2019 (H.R.1) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to protect election security, revise rules on campaign funding, introduce new provisions related to ethics, establish independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions, and establish new rules on the release of tax returns for presidential and vice presidential candidates. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (234-193)
Yea	CARES Act   The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 27, 2020, that expanded benefits through the joint federal-state unemployment insurance program during the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation also included $1,200 payments to certain individuals, funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and funds for businesses, hospitals, and state and local governments. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.	Passed (419-6)
Nay	Equality Act   The Equality Act (H.R. 5) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to ban discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity by expanding the definition of establishments that fall under public accomodation and prohibiting the denial of access to a shared facility that is in agreement with an indiviual's gender indenitity. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (236-173)
Nay	Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019   The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 (H.R. 8) was a bill approved by the House that sought to ban firearm transfers between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (240-190)
Nay	American Dream and Promise Act of 2019   The American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R.6) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to protect certain immigrants from removal proceedings and provide a path to permanent resident status by establishing streamlined procedures for permanant residency and canceling removal proceedings against certain qualifed individuals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (237-187)
Yea	National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (S. 1790) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, setting policies and appropriations for the Department of Defense. Key features of this bill include appropriations for research/development, procurement, military construction, and operation/maintenence, as well as policies for paid family leave, North Korea nuclear sanctions, limiting the use of criminal history in federal hiring and contracting, military housing privatization, and paid family leave for federal personnel. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (377-48)
Nay	Families First Coronavirus Response Act   The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 18, 2020, addressing the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing access to unemployment benefits and food assistance, increasing funding for Medicaid, providing free testing for COVID-19, and requiring employers to provide paid sick time to employees who cannot work due to COVID-19. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.	Passed (363-40)
Yea	Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019   The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (H.R. 1994) was a bill passed by the House Representatives that sought to change the requirements for employer provided retirement plans, IRAs, and other tax-favored savings accounts by modfying the requirements for things such as loans, lifetime income options, required minimum distributions, the eligibility rules for certain long-term, part-time employees, and nondiscrimination rules. The bill also sought to treat taxable non-tuition fellowship and stipend payments as compensation for the purpose of an IRA, repeal the maximum age for traditional IRA contributions, increase penalties for failing to file tax returns, allow penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans if a child is born or adopted, and expand the purposes for which qualified tuition programs may be used. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (417-3)
Nay	Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act   The Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to address the price of healthcare by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate prices for certain drugs, requiring drug manufactures to issue rebates for certain drugs covered under Medicare, requiring drug price transparency from drug manufacturers, expanding Medicare coverage, and providing funds for certain public health programs. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (230-192)
Nay	Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020   The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 1865) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, providing appropriations for federal agencies in fiscal year 2020. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (297-120)
Yea	Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019   The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 (S. 1838) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on November 27, 2019, directing several federal departments to assess Hong Kong's unique treatment under U.S. law. Key features of the bill include directing the Department of State to report and certify annually to Congress as to whether Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous from China to justify its unique treatment, and directing the Department of Commerce to report annually to Congress on China's efforts to use Hong Kong to evade U.S. export controls and sanctions. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.	Passed (417-1)
Not Voting	MORE Act of 2020   The MORE Act of 2020 (H.R. 3884) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to decriminalize marijuana by removing marijuana as a scheduled controlled substance and eliminating criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana. This bill required a simple majority vote from the House.	Passed (228-164)
Yea	Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020   The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 6074) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 6, 2020, providing emergency funding to federal agencies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Key features of the bill include funding for vaccine research, small business loans, humanitarian assistance to affected foreign countries, emergency preparedness, and grants for public health agencies and organizations. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to suspend the rules and pass the bill.	Passed (415-2)
Nay	Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019   The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (H.J.Res. 31) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on February 15, 2019, providing approrations for Fiscal Year 2019. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (300 -128)
Nay	John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act   The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (S. 47) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Doanld Trump on March 12, 2019. This bill sought to set provisions for federal land management and conservation by doing things such as conducting land exchanges and conveyances, establishing programs to respond to wildfires, and extending and reauthorizing wildlife conservation programs. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.	Passed (363-62)
Not Voting	William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (On passage)   The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and vetoed by President Donald Trump on December 23, 2020. Congress voted to override Trump's veto, and the bill became law on January 1, 2021. The bill set Department of Defense policies and appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Trump vetoed the bill due to disagreement with provisions related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the renaming of certain military installations, limits on emergency military construction fund usage, and limits on troop withdrawals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House on passage, and a two-thirds majority vote in the House to override Trump's veto.	Passed (335-78)
Not Voting	William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Overcoming veto)   The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and vetoed by President Donald Trump on December 23, 2020. Congress voted to override Trump's veto, and the bill became law on January 1, 2021. The bill set Department of Defense policies and appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Trump vetoed the bill due to disagreement with provisions related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the renaming of certain military installations, limits on emergency military construction fund usage, and limits on troop withdrawals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House on passage, and a two-thirds majority vote in the House to override Trump's veto.	Passed (322-87)
Yea	Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019   The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (S.24) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on January 16, 2019, that requires federal employees who were furloughed or compelled to work during a lapse in government funding to be compensated for that time. The bill also required those employees to be compensated as soon as the lapse in funding ends, irregardless of official pay date. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to suspend the rules and pass the bill.	Passed (411-7)
Nay	Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. (Article 1)   The 2020 impeachment of Donald Trump (R) was a resolution before the 116th Congress to set forth two articles of impeachment saying that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress. The first article was related to allegations that Trump requested the Ukrainian government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for aid, and the second was related to Trump's response to the impeachment inquiry. The House of Representatives approved both articles of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of either charge. The articles of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House.	Guilty (230-197)
Nay	Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. (Article 2)   The 2020 impeachment of Donald Trump (R) was a resolution before the 116th Congress to set forth two articles of impeachment saying that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress. The first article was related to allegations that Trump requested the Ukrainian government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for aid, and the second was related to Trump's response to the impeachment inquiry. The House of Representatives approved both articles of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of either charge. The articles of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House.	Guilty (229-198)

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018 For detailed information about each vote, click here. Votes on domestic policy (click to expand) Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (Conference report) (HR 2)  Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023. Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2 (second vote))  Bill Passed (213-211) on June 21, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. It also proposed modifying the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as the food stamp program. Voted Nay on: Securing America’s Future Act of 2018 (HR 4760)  Bill Failed (193-231) on June 21, 2018 Proposed funding a border wall, limiting legal immigration, a mandatory worker verification program, allowing DACA recipients to apply for legal status, and preventing separation of families at the border. Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018 Reauthorizes through FY2023 and modifies some Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. Voted Yea on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HR 36)  Bill Passed (237-189) on October 3, 2017 Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill provided exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. Voted Yea on: Kate's Law (HR 3004)  Bill Passed (257-167) on June 29, 2017 Proposed increasing criminal penalties for individuals in the country illegally who were convicted of certain crimes, deported, and then re-entered the U.S. illegally. Voted Yea on: No Sanctuary for Criminals Act (HR 3003)  Bill Passed (228-195) on June 29, 2017 Proposed withholding federal funds from states and localities that chose not to follow federal immigration laws. Voted Yea on: American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)  Bill passed (217-213) on May 4, 2017 Proposed modifying the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand) Voted Nay on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 6157)  Bill Passed (361-61) on September 26, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 5895)  Bill Passed (377-20) on September 13, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Yea on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 6157)  Bill Passed (359-49) on June 28, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 5895)  Bill Passed (235-179) on June 8, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Yea on: Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S 2155)  Bill Passed (258-159) on May 22, 2018 Proposed exempting some banks from the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Voted Nay on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)  Bill Passed (256-167) on March 22, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes. Voted Nay on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)  Bill Passed (240-186) on February 9, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Extension Of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1892)  Bill Passed (245-182) on February 6, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018. Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)  Bill Passed (266-150) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)  Bill Passed (230-197) on January 18, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 16, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)  Bill Passed (231-188) on December 21, 2017 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Bill Passed (227-203) on December 19, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018. Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes (HJ Res 123)  Bill Passed (235-193) on December 7, 2017 Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017. Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Bill Passed (227-205) on November 16, 2017 Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses. Voted Yea on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)  Bill Passed (216-212) on October 26, 2017 Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027. (This bill proposed adopting the Senate's budget resolution.) Voted Yea on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)  Bill Passed (219-206) on October 5, 2017 Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027. Voted Yea on: Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3354)  Bill Passed (211-198) on September 14, 2017 Proposed providing FY2018 appropriations for the federal government. It combined 12 appropriations bills. Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)  Bill Passed (316-90) on September 8, 2017 Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts. Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 601)  Bill Passed (419-3) on September 6, 2017 Proposed providing $7.85 billion for disaster relief requirements, including response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey. Voted Yea on: Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (HR 10)  Bill passed (233-186) on June 8, 2017 Proposed amending the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, among other acts. Voted Nay on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)  Bill passed (309-118) on May 3, 2017 Proposed a $1.2 trillion budget to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017. Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand) Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (HR 5515)  Bill Passed (351-66) on May 24, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities Voted Yea on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)  Bill Passed (250-166) on January 30, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations for military functions administered by the Department of Defense and for other purposes, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018. Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018—Conference report (HR 2810)  Bill Passed (356-70) on November 14, 2017 Proposed authorizing FY2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. Voted Yea on: Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3219)  Bill Passed (235-192) on July 27, 2017 Proposed making appropriations for defense, military construction, Veterans Affairs, the Legislative Branch, energy and water development, and for other purposes for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2018. Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)  Bill Passed (419-3) on July 25, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and measures to counter aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180, second vote)  Bill Passed (380-35) on July 28, 2017 Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180)  Bill Failed (241-163) on July 24, 2017 Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)  Bill Passed (344-81) on July 14, 2017 Proposed authorizing fiscal year 2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It did not provide budget authority. Voted Yea on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 1301)  Bill passed (371-48) on March 8, 2017 The $577.9 billion fiscal year 2017 defense spending bill proposed $516.1 billion in base budget funding and $61.8 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations/ Global War on Terrorism funding. 114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to King's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections. Economic and fiscal Trade Act of 2015 See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015 Trade adjustment assistance On June 12, 2015, the House rejected the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 126-302. Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing American workers displaced by foreign trade agreements with job training and services. The measure was packaged with trade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast-track authority. TPA is a legislative procedure that allows Congress to define "U.S. negotiating objectives and spells out a detailed oversight and consultation process for during trade negotiations. Under TPA, Congress retains the authority to review and decide whether any proposed U.S. trade agreement will be implemented," according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. King was one of 158 Republicans to vote against TAA. Trade promotion authority On June 12, 2015, the House passed the trade promotion authority (TPA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015 —by a vote of 219-211. TPA gives the president fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements sent to Congress without the opportunity for amendment or filibuster. Although the House approved TPA, it was a largely symbolic vote given the measure was part of a package trade bill including trade adjustment assistance (TAA), which was rejected earlier the same day. King was one of 191 Republicans to support the measure. Trade promotion authority second vote After the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) and trade promotion authority (TPA) did not pass the House together on June 12, 2015, representatives voted to authorize TPA alone as an amendment to HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—on June 18, 2015. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-208, with all voting members of the House maintaining their original positions on TPA except for Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). King was one of 190 Republicans to vote in favor of the amendment. Trade adjustment assistance second vote The House passed HR 1295—the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015—on June 25, 2015, by a vote of 286-138. The Senate packaged trade adjustment assistance (TAA) in this bill after the House rejected the TAA measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015. Along with trade promotion authority (TPA), which Congress passed as part of HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—TAA became law on June 29, 2015. King was one of 132 Republicans to vote against HR 1295. Defense spending authorization On May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." King voted with 227 other Republicans and 41 Democrats to approve the bill. The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015. On November 5, 2015, the House passed S 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. King voted with 234 other Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill. On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015. 2016 Budget proposal On April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, voted against the resolution. King voted with 225 other Republicans to approve the bill. 2015 budget On October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. King voted with 166 Republicans against the bill. It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign Affairs Iran nuclear deal See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015 On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. King voted with 222 other Republican representatives to approve the bill. Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action On September 11, 2015, the House rejected HR 3461—To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 162-269. The legislation proposed approving the nuclear agreement with Iran. King voted with 243 Republicans and 25 Democrats against the bill. Suspension of Iran sanctions relief On September 11, 2015, the House approved HR 3460—To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 247-186. HR 3460 prohibited "the President, prior to January 21, 2017, from: limiting the application of specified sanctions on Iran or refraining from applying any such sanctions; or removing a foreign person (including entities) listed in Attachments 3 or 4 to Annex II of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury." King voted with 244 Republicans and two Democrats for the bill. Presidential non-compliance of section 2 On September 10, 2015, the House passed H Res 411—Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 245-186. Section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 required the president to submit all materials related to the nuclear agreement for congressional review. House Republicans introduced the resolution because two agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran were not submitted to Congress. King voted with 244 Republicans for the resolution. Export-Import Bank On October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods. King voted with 116 Republicans and one Democrat against the bill. Domestic USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." King voted with 46 Republicans and 41 Democrats against the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015. Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. King voted with 237 Republicans in favor of the bill. Cyber security On April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies. King voted with 219 Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill. On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. King voted with 201 Republicans and 105 Democrats in favor of the bill. Immigration On November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137. The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. King voted with one other Republican and 135 Democrats against the bill. 113th Congress The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to King's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections. National security DHS Appropriations King voted in favor of HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 and was largely along party lines. Keystone Pipeline Amendment King voted against House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines. CISPA (2013) King voted in favor of HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities. The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party. NDAA King voted in support of HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote. Economy Farm bill On January 29, 2014, the U.S. House approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill. The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop. It also cut the food stamp program an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states. King voted with 161 other Republican representatives in favor of the bill. 2014 Budget On January 15, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014. The House voted 359-67 for the 1,582 page bill, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats voting against the bill. The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations. It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency and protected the Affordable Care Act from any drastic cuts. King joined with the 63 other Republicans and 3 Democrats who voted against the bill. Government shutdown See also: United States budget debate, 2013 On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201. At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference. King voted against the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate. The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. King voted against HR 2775. Immigration Morton Memos Prohibition King voted in favor of House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status. The vote largely followed party lines. Healthcare Healthcare Reform Rules King voted in favor of House Amendment 450 - Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The amendment was adopted by the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 227-185. The amendment requires all changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be approved by Congress before taking effect. The vote was largely along party lines. Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act King voted in favor of HR 2009 - Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act of 2013. The bill passed through the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 232-185. The bill would prevent the IRS and Treasury Secretary from enforcing the powers provided to them in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The vote largely followed party lines. Social issues Amash amendment King voted against House Amendment 413 - Prohibits the National Security Agency from Collecting Records Under the Patriot Act. The amendment failed on July 4, 2013, by a vote of 205-217. The amendment would have prohibited the collection of records by the National Security Agency under the Patriot Act. Both parties were split on the vote. Government affairs HR 676 See also: Boehner's lawsuit against the Obama administration On July 30, 2014, the U.S. House approved a resolution 225 to 201 to sue President Barack Obama for exceeding his constitutional authority. Five Republicans—Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Broun of Georgia, Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Walter Jones of North Carolina and Steve Stockman of Texas—voted with Democrats against the lawsuit. King joined the other 224 Republicans in favor of the lawsuit. All Democrats voted against the resolution. Previous congressional sessions Fiscal Cliff King voted against the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was 1 of 151 Republicans that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257 - 167 vote on January 1, 2013. Legislation H.R. 997: English Language Unity Act of 2005 H.R. 997: English Language Unity act of 2011 H.R. 3720: New IDEA, the Illegal Deduction Elimination Act H.R. 140: Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011

Issues

Steve King Endorses Ted Cruz for President November 16, 2015.

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ King endorsed Ted Cruz for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

See also: Endorsements for Ted Cruz

Immigration

King supports:

• Secured and controlled borders - "I believe we must tighten and strengthen our border control efforts. I have traveled to the southern border and have seen the unprotected areas that allow the free flow of illegal immigrants into our country. Allowing illegal immigration to flourish is a threat to our national security."
• Concrete border wall - "I have seen the fences being built on the border by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. I have watched illegal immigrants scale these fences and easily move between the United States and Mexico. To address this, I have designed a concrete border wall proposal. I have 35 years of experience in the earth-moving, drainage and concrete construction business, which gives me the background to design an effective wall. My concrete wall would function as both a human and vehicle barrier, inspired by the success of the concrete wall in Israel. My design is cost efficient, easy to construct and impenetrable. This design would funnel illegal traffic to our ports of entry, where it can be reasonably controlled by our nation's customs and border patrol agents."
• An immigration policy designed to enhance the economic, social and cultural well-being of the United States.

King opposes:

• Amnesty - "I believe we only encourage illegal immigration by discussing amnesty for the 12-20 million illegal immigrants living in the United States today. I adamantly oppose amnesty, regardless of the guise under which it is presented. Amnesty pardons immigration lawbreakers and rewards them with the objective of their crime—citizenship."
• "Job magnets" - "In addition to a physical deterrent, I believe we must shut off the job magnets that encourage illegal immigrants to come to the United States. I have authored New IDEA, the Illegal Deduction Elimination Act, which would protect American jobs for American workers. New IDEA would make wages and benefits paid to illegal immigrants nondeductible for federal tax purposes. This would eliminate the incentive of hiring illegal workers to employ cheap labor. New IDEA would also make E-Verify permanent and provide "safe harbor" for employers who use this employment eligibility system. My legislation would also create an information sharing system between the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. By using an automated system to verify employment authorization, and by sharing this information amongst three federal agencies, false identification documents and illegal workers will be identified more easily."
• Incentives for illegal immigrants - "In addition to border security and workplace enforcement, our nation must eliminate needless incentives that encourage illegal immigration and cost taxpayers significant amounts of money each year. I do not believe it is in the best interest of our nation to continue tolerating the practice of illegal aliens giving birth to children in the U.S. in order to obtain citizenship for the child, then moving back to their country of origin with the hopes of achieving uninhibited access to our country for as many family members as possible."

Elections

2020

See also: Iowa's 4th Congressional District election, 2020

Iowa's 4th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)

Iowa's 4th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Iowa District 4

Randy Feenstra defeated J.D. Scholten in the general election for U.S. House Iowa District 4 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Randy Feenstra (R)	62.0	237,369
		J.D. Scholten (D)	37.8	144,761
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	892

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 383,022
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 4

J.D. Scholten advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 4 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		J.D. Scholten	99.6	46,370
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	166

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 46,536
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 4

Randy Feenstra defeated incumbent Steve King, Jeremy Taylor, Bret Richards, and Steve Reeder in the Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 4 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Randy Feenstra	45.5	37,329
		Steve King	35.8	29,366
		Jeremy Taylor	7.8	6,418
		Bret Richards	7.5	6,140
		Steve Reeder	3.1	2,528
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	176

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 81,957
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Aaron Thomas Krull (R)

2018

See also: Iowa's 4th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Iowa District 4

Incumbent Steve King defeated J.D. Scholten, Charles Aldrich, and Edward Peterson in the general election for U.S. House Iowa District 4 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve King (R)	50.3	157,676
		J.D. Scholten (D)	47.0	147,246
		Charles Aldrich (L)	2.0	6,161
		Edward Peterson (Independent)	0.6	1,962
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	206

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 313,251 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 4

J.D. Scholten defeated Leann Jacobsen and John Paschen in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 4 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		J.D. Scholten	51.3	14,733
	Submit photo	Leann Jacobsen	32.0	9,176
		John Paschen	16.7	4,806

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 28,715
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Paul Dahl (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 4

Incumbent Steve King defeated Cyndi Hanson in the Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 4 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve King	74.8	28,053
		Cyndi Hanson	25.2	9,437

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 37,490
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2016

See also: Iowa's 4th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Steve King (R) defeated Kim Weaver (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. King defeated Rick Bertrand in the Republican primary on June 7, 2016, while Weaver ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

U.S. House, Iowa District 4 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve King Incumbent	61.2%	226,719
	Democratic	Kim Weaver	38.6%	142,993
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	547
Total Votes				370,259
Source: Iowa Secretary of State

U.S. House, Iowa District 4 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Steve King Incumbent	64.7%	29,098
Rick Bertrand	35.3%	15,872
Total Votes		44,970
Source: Iowa Secretary of State

2014

See also: Iowa's 4th Congressional District elections, 2014

King ran for re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. He ran unopposed for the Republican nomination in the primary election. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, Iowa District 4 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve King Incumbent	61.6%	169,834
	Democratic	Jim Mowrer	38.3%	105,504
	Write-in	Other	0.1%	295
Total Votes				275,633
Source: Iowa Secretary of State Official Results

Polls

Steve King 2014 re-election bid
Poll	Steve King	Democratic opponent	Undecided	Sample Size
Public Policy Polling October 2-3, 2013	45%	49%	8%	855
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Possible Senate run in 2014

See also: United States Senate elections in Iowa, 2014

King considered a run for outgoing Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin's seat in the November 4, 2014 U.S. Senate election before opting not to run.

King conducted after an interview with the Des Moines Register on May 1, 2013, in which he stated that he was “embarrassed” he didn’t have an answer yet about his plans to run for U.S. Senate. He also commented that he never expected to still be undecided in May, saying “Things are stacking up on me so fast, I hardly have time to deal with the issue...There’s a lot of support to do this, and I just don’t know the answer. And I’m embarrassed that I don’t know the answer....I’ve just been pinned down doing my job, believe it or not. It just keeps me busy representing people in Congress," citing events pending in Congress, especially the farm bill and the immigration issue, as the primary issues receiving his attention.

Decision not to run

King announced on May 6, 2013, that he would not be running for the Senate seat.

2012

See also: Iowa's 4th Congressional District elections, 2012

King ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Iowa's 4th District. King won the nomination on the Republican ticket. King ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Candidate Christie Vilsack ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. The two faced off in the general election on November 6, 2012, and King won the contest. Candidates wishing to run were required to file by the signature filing deadline of March 16, 2012. The primary elections took place on June 5, 2012.

U.S. House, Iowa District 4 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve King Incumbent	53%	200,063
	Democratic	Christie Vilsack	44.9%	169,470
	Independent	Martin James Monroe	2.2%	8,124
Total Votes				377,657
Source: Iowa Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Race background

Incumbent Steve King, who defeated 2010 opponent Matthew Campbell by over 65,200 votes, faced a considerably more difficult race in 2012. As the New York Times reported, this occurred at the same time support for tea party candidates nationwide had dwindled. In the election's first debate, Democratic challenger Christie Vilsack asked pointed questions regarding a Farm Bill that the U.S. House failed to pass.

However, Christie Vilsack faced an uphill battle in a socially conservative district. Like other Democratic candidates running in socially conservative areas, notably Jim Graves who challenged tea-party favorite Michele Bachmann in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, Vilsack steered away from hot button, national issues like abortion. Instead, she focused on local initiatives and ways the government might assist farmers.

Polls

Steve King vs. Christie Vilsack
Poll	Steve King	Christie Vilsack	Don't know	Sample size
Public Policy Polling (September 24-25, 2012)	48%	45%	7%	577
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Media

Steve King's first TV ad of the election was launched on August 27, 2012.

Steve King "Land"

2010

On November 2, 2010, Steve King won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Matthew Campbell (D) and Martin James Monroe (I) in the general election.

U.S. House, Iowa District 5 General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve King incumbent	65.7%	128,363
	Democratic	Matthew Campbell	32.4%	63,160
	Independent	Martin James Monroe	1.9%	3,622
	Independent	Write-In	0%	94
Total Votes				195,239

2008

On November 4, 2008, Steve King won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Rob Hubler (D) and Victor Vara (I) in the general election.

U.S. House, Iowa District 5 General Election, 2008
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve King incumbent	59.8%	159,430
	Democratic	Rob Hubler	37.4%	99,601
	Independent	Victor Vara	2.8%	7,406
Total Votes				266,437

2006

On November 7, 2006, Steve King won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Joyce Shulte (D), Roy Nielsen (Nominated by Petition) and Cheryl L. Brodersen (Nominated by Petition) in the general election.

U.S. House, Iowa District 5 General Election, 2006
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve King incumbent	58.5%	105,580
	Democratic	Joyce Shulte	35.6%	64,181
	Independent	Roy Nielsen	4.5%	8,159
	Independent	Cheryl L. Brodersen	1.4%	2,479
Total Votes				180,399

2004

On November 2, 2004, Steve King won re-election to the United States House. He defeated E. Joyce Shulte (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, Iowa District 5 General Election, 2004
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve King incumbent	63.3%	168,583
	Democratic	E. Joyce Shulte	36.6%	97,597
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	161
Total Votes				266,341

2002

On November 5, 2002, Steve King won election to the United States House. He defeated Paul Shomshor (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, Iowa District 5 General Election, 2002
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve King	62.1%	113,257
	Democratic	Paul Shomshor	37.8%	68,853
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	127
Total Votes				182,237

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Steve King did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

The following issues were listed on King's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“	Repeal Obamacare: Before meaningful reform of our national health care system can begin, it is essential to first fully repeal 100% of ObamaCare. Absent repeal, there is nothing to replace. Economy: President Obama’s “Stimulus Bill” was poor public policy sold to the American people under the pretense of saving them from an economic collapse. This was an attempt to stimulate economic growth through government spending, which succeeded in increasing our debt and deficit but failed to stimulate the economy in a measureable way. Job Creation: Stop the Tax Increase Culture: Without action, small business owners and hardworking Americans are facing uncertainty about skyrocketing taxes, which makes it difficult for small business owners to plan ahead, grow their operations, and hire more workers. Washington’s tax increase culture is also injecting uncertainty into family finances. It’s hard for a family to know whether now is the time to explore new jobs or a new business venture if the tax rules are up in the air. We must give small businesses and families the certainty they need to create and take advantage of economic opportunities. Taxes: We must abolish the IRS and replace the federal income tax – and all other forms of federal taxation – with the Fair Tax, a national consumption tax. Immigration: Immigration policy must be designed to enhance the economic, social and cultural well being of the United States. I believe we have an obligation to address our growing illegal immigration problem. We must enforce the laws already on the books, which includes completing the border fence along our southern border.	”
—Steve King's campaign website, http://www.steveking.com/issues/

Noteworthy events

January 14, 2019: King removed from committee assignments

On January 14, 2019, the House Republican Steering Committee voted to remove King from all committee assignments in the 116th Congress following comments that he made in a New York Times interview. In the interview published on January 10, King said, "White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?"

Rep. King responded on January 14 to his removal from committee assignments, saying that his quote was taken out of context and that the committee's decision was a political decision. He said, "When I used the word 'THAT' it was in reference ONLY to Western Civilization and NOT to any previous stated evil ideology ALL of which I have denounced."

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Steve King campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2020	U.S. House Iowa District 4	Lost primary	$391,616	$409,757
2018	U.S. House Iowa District 4	Won general	$876,230	$976,612
2016	U.S. House, Iowa District 4	Won	$943,840	N/A**
2014	U.S. House (Iowa, District 4)	Won	$2,000,377	N/A**
Grand total			$4,212,063	$1,386,370
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, King's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $155,015 and $551,000. That averages to $353,007.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican representatives in 2012 of $6,956,438.47. King ranked as the 305th most wealthy representative in 2012. Between 2004 and 2012, King's calculated net worth decreased by an average of 6 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Steve King Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2004	$632,635
2012	$353,007
Growth from 2004 to 2012:	−44%
Average annual growth:	−6%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). King received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Republican/Conservative industry.

From 2001-2014, 21.92 percent of King's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Steve King (Iowa) Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$8,681,783
Total Spent	$8,183,786
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Republican/Conservative	$542,844
Crop Production & Basic Processing	$429,764
Retired	$427,544
Agricultural Services/Products	$311,345
Leadership PACs	$191,549
% total in top industry	6.25%
% total in top two industries	11.2%
% total in top five industries	21.92%

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, King was a "far-right Republican leader," as of July 31, 2014. This was the same rating King received in June 2013.

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

King most often votes with:

• Adrian Smith
• John Barrow

King least often votes with:

• Walter Jones
• Barbara Lee

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, King missed 210 of 9,303 roll call votes from January 2003 to September 2015. This amounted to 2.3 percent, which was higher than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. King paid his congressional staff a total of $967,473 in 2011. He ranked 72nd on the list of the highest paid Republican representative staff salaries and ranked 227th overall of the lowest paid representative staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Iowa ranked 16th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.

Staff bonuses

According to an analysis by CNN, King was one of nearly 25 percent of House members who gave their staff bonuses in 2012. King's staff was given an apparent $3,721.49 in bonus money.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year.

2013

King ranked 59th in the conservative rankings in 2013.

2012

King ranked 12th in the conservative rankings in 2012.

2011

King ranked 74th in the conservative rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

King voted with the Republican Party 94.4 percent of the time, which ranked 110th among the 234 House Republican members as of July 2014.

2013

King voted with the Republican Party 96.9 percent of the time, which ranked 82nd among the 233 House Republican members as of June 2013.

2016 Republican National Convention

See also: Republican National Convention, 2016

Steve King
Republican National Convention, 2016
Status:	At-large delegate
State:	Iowa
Bound to:	Unknown
Delegates to the RNC 2016
Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • Delegate rules by state • State election law and delegates • Delegates by state

King was an at-large delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from Iowa.

In Iowa's Republican caucuses on February 1, 2016, Ted Cruz won eight delegates, Donald Trump and Marco Rubio won seven delegates each, Ben Carson won three delegates, while five candidates—Rand Paul, Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich, and Mike Huckabee—all won one delegate each.

Ballotpedia was not able to identify to which candidate King was allocated based on the results of the Iowa caucuses or which candidate King was bound by state party rules to support at the national convention. If you have information on how Iowa’s Republican delegates were allocated, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.

On June 1, 2016, Eric Rosenthal, the chairman of the Iowa Republican State Convention Nominating Committee, wrote in The Gazette that all 30 delegates from Iowa would support Trump at the convention. "Mr. Trump will be the only candidate nominated [at the convention], therefore, all 30 delegate votes will be voted for him," said Rosenthal.

Delegate rules

See also: RNC delegate guidelines from Iowa, 2016 and Republican delegates from Iowa, 2016

Iowa's district-level delegates were elected at district conventions, while at-large delegates were selected by a nominating committee and approved by delegates to the state convention. Iowa GOP bylaws in 2016 stipulated that delegates to the national convention were to be bound to the candidate to whom they were allocated through the first round of voting "regardless of whether any such candidate has withdrawn from the race or otherwise does not have his or her name placed in nomination." Iowa GOP bylaws also stated, however, that if there was only one candidate on the nominating ballot at the convention and if that candidate "received votes in the Iowa Caucuses," then all Iowa delegates were bound to vote for that candidate through the first round of voting.

Iowa caucus results

See also: Presidential election in Iowa, 2016

Iowa Republican Caucus, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Delegates
Ted Cruz	27.7%	51,666	8
Donald Trump	24.3%	45,427	7
Marco Rubio	23.1%	43,165	7
Ben Carson	9.3%	17,395	3
Rand Paul	4.5%	8,481	1
Jeb Bush	2.8%	5,238	1
Carly Fiorina	1.9%	3,485	1
John Kasich	1.9%	3,474	1
Mike Huckabee	1.8%	3,345	1
Chris Christie	1.8%	3,284	0
Rick Santorum	1%	1,783	0
Totals		186,743	30
Source: The Des Moines Register, "Iowa Caucus Results"

Delegate allocation

See also: 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

Iowa had 30 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, 12 were district-level delegates (three for each of the state's four congressional districts). District-level delegates were allocated on a proportional basis; each candidate who won a percentage of the statewide vote in Iowa's caucuses received a share of the state's district-level delegates.

Of the remaining 18 delegates, 15 served at large. At-large delegates were allocated proportionally based on the statewide vote; any candidate who won a percentage of the statewide vote was entitled to receive a share of Iowa's at-large delegates. In addition, three national party leaders (identified on the chart below as RNC delegates) served as bound delegates to the Republican National Convention.

See also

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Tom Latham (R)	U.S. House of Representatives - Iowa District 4 2013 - 2021	Succeeded by Randy Feenstra (R)
Preceded by '	U.S. House of Representatives - Iowa District 5 2003–2013	Succeeded by Now defunct
Preceded by '	Iowa State Senate 1996–2002	Succeeded by '

[show]

Iowa's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Joni Ernst (R)

Chuck Grassley (R)

Representatives

District 1

Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R)

District 2

Ashley Hinson (R)

District 3

Zach Nunn (R)

District 4

Randy Feenstra (R)

Republican Party (6)