Steve Reeder

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Steve Reeder

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 2, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 1983

Personal

Birthplace

Omaha, Neb.

Religion

Christian

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

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

Reeder completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Reeder earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska Lincoln in 1983. Reeder's career experience includes working as a commercial and industrial real estate broker and developer.

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.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Aaron Thomas Krull (R)

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Steve Reeder completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Reeder's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Steve and Brenda live in Arnolds Park, Iowa. They have been married for 31 years and have two daughters. Steve was born and raised in Omaha. Brenda was born and raised in Pocahontas, Iowa.

Steve has worked in the commercial real estate business for 35 years. He has built a network of long-term clients and established relationships in all types of businesses including construction, engineering, light manufacturing, trucking, and agriculture. He represented corporate clients, private businesses, and individuals with the sale or lease of their real estate. He gained valuable experience working with local and state officials on zoning, platting, administrative subdivisions, sanitary improvements districts (SID), and construction permitting in western Iowa and eastern Nebraska. His experience also includes consulting clients on 1031 tax-deferred exchanges, railroad properties, and state right of way.

As a commercial real estate broker, Steve was a member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR). He has served as past chairman of the Commercial Investment Council of the Omaha Board of Realtors. Steve is a current member of the Iowa Farmers Union and Iowa Prairie Network. For 17 years, he was a board member of Pheasants Forever serving as Habitat Chairman which included the development of numerous habitat projects. He served on the Advisory Board of the Budge Porter Project in Omaha. For six years, he was a mentor for Tom and Nancy Osborne's TeamMates Mentoring Program. He also volunteered helping youth for the nonprofit organization Solutions for Change which helps homeless parents find jobs. He enjoys reading books about American History.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Honor The Constitution of the United States
• Balance the Federal Budget
• Rural Revitalization

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Partisan politics led by many politicians in Washington has caused our government process to ignore the general interests of Americans as a whole thus divide rather than unite us. I am passionate about getting back to where the interests of ALL Americans comes before the interest of special interest groups or those who shout the loudest. Phillip Kline, a professor at Liberty University School of Law, wrote, "Government is formed not to create special privileges, not to listen to the loudest voice, not to pay attention to those who write the biggest checks: rather our government was formed to recognize our intrinsic value by protecting our inherent rights [for all Americans]." I want to champion Iowa and America in the same way I have done for my clients in business in the private sector for 35 years.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I always looked up to my father, a WWII Navy veteran, and a man of his word. In business, he always put his clients before himself. I also admire former President Ronald Reagan. He was known as "The Great Communicator." He was a man who believed in God and loved America. He warned about the dangers if government is allowed to grow too large, "Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them."

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I appreciate American History and American political philosophy books. The following are excellent reads:

Conservative Heart: How to Build a Fairer, Happier, and More Prosperous America by Arthur C. Brooks
Our Lost Declaration by Senator Mike Lee
The Case Against Socialism by Senator Rand Paul

John Adams by David McCullough

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I value the characteristics of honesty, integrity, and Patriotism - a love for our country. Moral values are important as a guide for one's life.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I want to bring my success in business and negotiation skills to the House. I am a positive person and prioritize solutions that serve people and make their lives and communities better.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Communication with constituents is top priority.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A legacy where America remains free and prosperous, and uniting our communities more than ever before.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Growing up I lived next door to a Cattle Commissioner that represented farmers and ranchers in Iowa and Nebraska. On Saturday mornings he would hire me and my next door neighbor to come down to the Omaha Stockyards with him. We were about 12 to 14 years old at the time. He would represent the farmers and ranchers selling their livestock to the Omaha packing plants. Omaha overtook Chicago as the nation's largest livestock market and meat packing industry center in 1955, a title which it held onto until 1971. The 116-year-old institution closed in 1999. After negotiating the sale of the cattle we would have to move the cattle through the chutes to various pens in the stockyards. Working those days at the nation's largest livestock market I will remember forever.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

At fourteen years old, I had a daily newspaper route. It required ordering and paying for the newspapers, picking them up at a neighborhood drop site, delivering, and collecting payment from each subscriber on my route. I held this job for two years. As soon as I turned 16, I got a job at our local Hinky Dinky grocery store after school and on weekends. I worked my way up to checker (cashier) and stocking store shelves. I had this job for two years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I love the Bible.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The U.S. House of Representatives brings forth concerns, ideas, and solutions from constituents via its Congressional leaders to improve the lives of Americans in the 50 states. The House is part of a greater checks and balances that exists in our government to maintain liberties and dignities remain in the hands of its people.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

The original idea of our Founding Fathers was for the states to send representative(s) to Washington that had experience from their communities and businesses. Connecticut Delegate and a Founding Father, Roger Sherman, spoke of the necessity of regular elections during the Convention, "Representatives ought to return home and mix with the people. By remaining at the seat of Govt. they would acquire the habits of the place which might differ from those of their Constituents." It was said that persons could leave their farms or jobs to serve their country for two years then return home.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Over the next decade, Congress and The White House must get the United States fiscal house in order. Running a one trillion dollar deficit every year on top of the twenty trillion dollar existing deficit is unsustainable. Our failure to do so puts a tremendous burden on all Americans.
Another challenge is the dangerous notion that purports socialism is a good idea. Anyone who has lived under socialism will tell you what it is like in reality. American ingenuity and free markets have allowed for greater prosperity and economic success for more of its citizens than anywhere else in the world. Winston Churchill called socialism, "the philosophy of failure and the equal sharing of misery." More people need to read primary documents from history.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

The Appropriations Committee because they are the ones that designate government spending. The Agriculture Committee because it is a vital industry in the Fourth District of Iowa.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

Coronavirus Weekly Updates Documenting America's Path to Recovery The Heart of the Primaries The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[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)