Steve King (Iowa)

Steve King
U.S. House, Iowa, District 4
Incumbent
In office
January 3, 2003-Present
Term ends
January 3, 2015
Years in position	10
Party	Republican
Predecessor	Tom Latham (R)
Compensation
Base salary	$174,000/year
Elections and appointments
Last election	November 6, 2012
First elected	November 5, 2002
Next election	November 4, 2014
Term limits	N/A
Prior offices
Iowa State Senate
1996-2002
Education
High school	Denison Community High School, Denison, Iowa
Personal
Birthday	May 28, 1949
Place of birth	Storm Lake, Iowa
Profession	Business Owner
Net worth	$361,008
Religion	Roman Catholic
Websites
Office website
Campaign website
Steve King campaign logo

Steven Arnold "Steve" King (b. May 28, 1949) is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing Iowa's 4th congressional district. King was first elected to the House from District 5 in 2002.

King ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Iowa's 4th District due to redistricting. King ran unopposed in the Republican primary on June 5, 2012, and won the general election on November 6, 2012.

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.

He previously was a member of the Iowa State Senate from 1996 to 2002.

Based on 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.

Biography

King was born in 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

• Iowa State Senate, 1996-2002
• U.S. House of Representatives, 5th Congressional District of Iowa, 2003-Present

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2013-2014

King serves 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
• United States House 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

Issues

House Judiciary Committee

Congressman King was first appointed to the House Judiciary Committee in 2003 shortly after he was sworn into the Congress. King still serves on the committee to this date.

Congressman King serves as the Republican Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security & International Law. Also, Congressman King serves on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law and Constitution, Civil Rights & Civil Liberties.

Specific votes

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 one of 151 Republicans that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257/167 vote on January 1, 2013.

Policy positions

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."

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

Elections

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.

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

Gov. Branstad indicates preference for Republican nominee

Gov. Terry Branstad spoke of his preference for Tom Latham to be the Republican nominee for Iowa's Senate seat at the National Governors Association on February 23, 2013. Branstad said he believes Latham would be more electable statewide than fellow Representative King, who is also considering a run for the seat opened up by Harkin's retirement.

Branstad also made it clear that he expects the two candidates to decide who will be running for the seat without a primary battle. “We’re not going to have a primary, and I’m going to support both of my congressmen. I just think that Latham would be the strongest candidate for the Senate at this time, and I feel confident that he would be a great vote-getter in our state.”

Despite his preference for the strongest Republican nominee, Branstad has praised both candidates. He even suggested that he might support King if Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) retires in 2016 and he makes a run for his seat.

Branstad summed up the situation, stating “I’ve encouraged them to talk to each other, make the decision, but I would hope that and someday I’d love to see them both in the U.S. Senate, but I think Tom Latham would be the most experienced and the strongest candidate at this time.”

2012

See also: Iowa's 4th congressional district elections, 2012

King ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing 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.

Results

U.S. House, Iowa District 4 General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Christie Vilsack	44.9%	169,470
	Republican	Steve King Incumbent	53%	200,063
	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, faces a considerably more difficult race in 2012. As the New York Times reports, this occurs at the same time support for tea party candidates nationwide has dwindled. In a 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 faces an uphill battle in a socially conservative district. Like other Democratic candidates running in socially conservative areas, notably Jim Graves who is challenging tea-party favorite Michele Bachmann in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, Vilsack is steering away from hot button, national issues like abortion. Instead, she is focusing on local initiatives and ways the government might assist farmers.

Polls

Steve King vs. Christie Vilsack
Response	Public Policy Polling (September 24-25, 2012)	Average
Steve King	48%	48%
Christie Vilsack	45%	45%
Don't know	7%	7%
Number polled	577	577
Margin of error	N/A
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"

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Steve King, click [show] to expand the section.

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 donors

Comprehensive donor information for King is available dating back to 2002. Based on available campaign finance records, King raised a total of $7,594,293 during that time period. This information was last updated on April 7, 2013.

Steve King (Iowa)'s Campaign Contribution History
Year	Office	Result	Contributions
2012	U.S. House (Iowa, District 4)		$3,753,859
2010	U.S. House (Iowa, District 5)		$1,015,039
2008	U.S. House (Iowa, District 5)		$1,023,904
2006	U.S. House (Iowa, District 5)		$612,291
2004	U.S. House (Iowa, District 5)		$539,970
2002	U.S. House (Iowa, District 5)		$649,230
Grand Total Raised			$7,594,293

2012

Breakdown of the source of King's campaign funds before the 2012 election.

King won re-election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, King's campaign committee raised a total of $3,753,859 and spent $3,815,764.

U.S. House of Representatives, Iowa's 5th Congressional District, 2012 - Steve King (Iowa) Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$3,753,859
Total Spent	$3,815,764
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$3,359,507
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$3,355,947
Top contributors to Steve King (Iowa)'s campaign committee
Club for Growth	$255,021
Susan B. Anthonly List	$16,250
Cnos	$14,000
National Rifle Assn	$11,300
Terra Industries	$11,000
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Republican/Conservative	$384,816
Retired	$220,199
Crop Production & Basic Processing	$161,955
Misc Business	$114,595
Agriculture Services/Products	$99,250

2010

Breakdown of the source of King's campaign funds before the 2010 election.

King won re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. During that re-election cycle, King's campaign committee raised a total of $1,015,039 and spent $1,013,945.

U.S. House of Representatives, Iowa's 5th Congressional District, 2010 - Steve King (Iowa) Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$1,015,039
Total Spent	$1,013,945
Total Raised by General Election Opponent	$249,782
Total Spent by General Election Opponent	$261,265
Top contributors to Steve King (Iowa)'s campaign committee
American Crystal Sugar	$10,000
AT&T Inc	$10,000
Honeywell International	$10,000
National Assn of Home Builders	$10,000
Beef Products Inc	$9,600
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Crop Production & Basic Processing	$70,060
Retired	$43,185
Agricultural Services/Products	$42,879
Health Professionals	$27,900
Automotive	$24,310

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

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

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, King is a "far-right Republican leader." as of June 18, 2013.

Lifetime voting record

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

According to the website GovTrack, King missed 161 of 7,661 roll call votes from Jan 2003 to Mar 2013. This amounts to 2.1%, which is worse than the median of 2.2% among current congressional representatives as of March 2013.

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 he 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 is one of nearly 25% of House members who gave their staff bonuses in 2012. King's staff was given an apparent $3,721.49 in bonus money.

Net worth

See also: Net Worth of United States Senators and Representatives

2011

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, King's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $156,016 and 566,000. That averages to $361,008, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2011 of $7,859,232. His average net worth increased by 50.42% from 2010.

2010

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, King's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $130,003 and $350,000. That averages to $240,001.50, which was lower than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2010 of $7,561,133.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

2012

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. King ranked 12th in the conservative rankings in 2012.

2011

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. King ranked 74th in the conservative rankings.

Voting with party

2013

The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Steve King has voted with the Republican Party 96.9 of the time, which ranked 82 among the 233 House Republican members as of June 2013.

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Steve + King + Iowa + House

All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.

Steve King News Feed

• Steve King Amendment Passes House To Deport More Dreamers - Huffington Post
• Outrage over House amendment to deport DREAMers, stricter Senate ... - NBC Latino
• Rep. Steve King: 'Illegal aliens' invaded my office - Yahoo! News (blog)
• GOP Rep. Steve King: Obama elected because of Ronald Reagan's immigration ... - WTSP 10 News
• Boehner Raises Obstacle to Allowing Immigration Vote - New York Times
• Wanted: Midwest Republicans for Senate in 2014 - IVN News
• Steve King says Ronald Reagan's 1986 "amnesty act" led to 15 million votes for ... - PolitiFact
• Big Week in Congress for Animals - Huffington Post
• Baby Elaina's dad recalls the day she disappeared - HLNtv.com
• House Attack on Dreamers Equals Republican Nightmare - Christian Post

Personal

King has been married to his wife, Marilyn (nee Kelly) since 1972. They live in Kiron, IA, and have three children and five grandchildren.

External links

• Social media:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
• Biographies:
  • U.S. Congress
  • NNDB
  • Wikipedia
• Political profiles:
  • GovTrack
  • OpenCongress
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Roll Call
  • CongressMerge
• Financial:
  • FEC
  • OpenSecrets.org
  • Follow The Money
  • LegiStorm.com
• Interest group ratings:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions:
  • On The Issues
  • Project Vote Smart
• Legislation:
  • Congress.gov
• Public statements:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Voting record:
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Washington Post
• Media appearances:
  • C-SPAN
  • IMDb
• Media coverage:
  • Washington Post

References

Political offices
Preceded by Tom Latham (R)	U.S. House of Representatives - Iowa District 4 2013-Present	Succeeded by '
Preceded by '	U.S. House of Representatives - Iowa District 5 2003–2013	Succeeded by Now defunct