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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Storm Lake Democrat Ashley WolfTornabane launches 4th District campaign
Storm Lake Democrat Ashley WolfTornabane has entered the 4th Congressional District race, saying she intends to be a voice for the disadvantaged. "I've always wanted to help people," she said. "So whenever I've seen someone in need, I always wanted to help. And that's a very Iowan concept. So anytime there's an issue where there is someone who is disadvantaged, I will probably be supporting the disadvantaged person in the issue." For her, that means advocating for the LGBTQ+ community, for "peaceable pathways for immigrants to gain citizenship" and for family farmers over "big ag." But she said the most important issue to her is health care, and she believes that publicly funded universal health care should be the goal. "Without health care, we can't be given those inalienable rights that are in our Declaration of Independence of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," she said. "How can we pursue life if we can't even go to the doctor when we're sick?" WolfTornabane enters the race after Democrat Ryan Melton announced he would withdraw his candidacy following a change in personal circumstances. He ran unsuccessfully for the office in 2022 and 2024. WolfTornabane, 35, said she grew up in Storm Lake and lives there now with her husband, Dylan, and their two children. She's a stay-at-home mom and previously was an instructional assistant at her public school district. 'I learned a lot about the needs of our public education system there," she said. "And I will definitely be a champion for for those within the public school district.' Before that, she said she was director of Christian education at the church she grew up in and still attends. The 4th District is Iowa's most conservative of Iowa's four congressional districts, spanning much of northwest Iowa and the full western edge of the state. Nonpartisan analysts at Cook Political Report rate it as a "solid Republican" district. In each of the last three elections, the Democrat on the ballot has garnered about a third of the vote, ranging from about 30% to nearly 38%. "Those 30-37% of people matter to me," WolfTornabane said. "And I think there are more people out there who haven't been voting because they think that politics are only working for the billionaires on both sides. And I can kind of see where they're coming from." She said she will hold listening sessions across the district's 36 counties and eventually will hold town halls to get her message out to voters. "I'll be working for the everyday people, listening to the everyday people," she said. "And I want to give them a voice instead of the special interests. And so it's always worth it to give someone a voice, even if it's an uphill battle." The district is expected to be an open seat as current Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra eyes a gubernatorial bid. Two other Republicans are running in the primary race to succeed him: Iowa House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl and Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan. Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at bpfann@ or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Democrat Ashley WolfTornabane to run in Iowa's 4th congressional district
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ryan Melton suspends campaign for Iowa 4th Congressional District
Ryan Melton announced Tuesday he is suspending his campaign for the 4th Congressional District seat in Iowa. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Ryan Melton, a Democratic candidate for Iowa's 4th Congressional District who ran in 2022 and 2024, has suspended his campaign due to personal matters, including his job and family. Melton announced the suspension on social media Tuesday, saying it was one of the 'toughest decisions' he's ever made. 'It was an honor to fight the good fight on your behalf, and I will continue to, just in different ways,' Melton said in his post. 'It's the biggest sacrifice I've ever made for the greater good, but I don't regret a single minute, and am proud of the fact that the party out here in the 4th is in a much better place now than it was when I first began running.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Reasons he gave for stepping out of the race included recently losing his job at Nationwide Insurance due to company reorganization and the need to find a new job to support his family, as well as dealing with a health concern. He added he wants to stay home for his wife and 6-year-old son. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who won elections against Melton for the district in 2022 and 2024, has launched an exploratory committee for a possible gubernatorial run in Iowa. Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, has made a similar move for the 4th Congressional District. The district spans much of northwest Iowa and includes Ames, Council Bluffs and Sioux City. Between his two campaigns, Melton said in his post his vote shares across the district's 36 counties either stayed steady or grew, a fact he is proud of achieving as someone with a full-time job, family and no funding from political action committees representing corporate interests. Melton said in his post he's been happy to hear from first-time political candidates from across the state who have reached out, and said he'll be rooting for them. He also encouraged everyday people to run for office, even if they don't know how everything works or don't have the funds or industry support to get their name out there right away. 'We need more working people that struggle every day along with most Americans to run for every office, and I'll always make time for you if you want to call me to inquire,' Melton said in his post. 'Also, even if you are in a district that may seem unwinnable on Election Day, run anyway, because if you tell the truth and run as a sacrifice for the greater good, you'll find so many wins out there.' Travis Terrell, a Democrat running in Iowa's 1st Congressional District, said in a social media post Melton was one of the first people he called — and one of the few who responded — when launching his campaign. Melton made 'an extremely powerful point' in his announcement that more working people need to get out and run for office. 'We need working class voices to fight, let's be honest, the rich and powerful are not going to save us when they're the one's holding us down,' Terrell said in his post. 'It takes real people to power real change. Thank you Ryan.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrat Ryan Melton suspends campaign for Iowa's 4th Congressional District. Here's why:
Ryan Melton has suspended his 2026 bid for Congress in Iowa's 4th District, leaving the field clear of Democratic candidates in the race for a potentially open seat in the Republican-leaning corner of the state. The race could have been a rematch against incumbent GOP U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who hasn't officially announced he's seeking reelection and has instead launched an exploratory committee and run campaign ads to run for governor in 2026. In a social media post Tuesday, June 17, Melton said this was "one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make." "It's been one of the tougher past few weeks of my life," Melton wrote. "I was notified due to reorganization at the company I've long worked for that I'm losing my job, and as the sole breadwinner at home, I really need to find a new job to support my family. I am also now dealing with a health concern I need to prioritize. Additionally, through a month of campaigning, it is clear my 6-year-old son at home is finding it much harder to have me on the road, and that, of course, makes it harder on my wife as well, and both have already sacrificed so much during my first two runs." Melton had launched his second congressional campaign May 12. He was the Democratic Party's 4th Congressional District nominee in both 2022 and 2024. The 4th District includes cities in the northwestern quadrant of the state, including Council Bluffs, Sioux City, and Ames. It is Iowa's most conservative congressional district. Feenstra won by about 37 percentage points in 2022 and by about 34 percentage points in 2024. Feenstra, a former state lawmaker, businessman and professor, won the seat in 2020 after ousting longtime U.S. Rep. Steve King in a Republican primary that year. Melton's platform was focused on public health, rural revitalization, property rights and transparent and responsive government. "It was an honor to fight the good fight on your behalf, and I will continue to, just in different ways," Melton said. "It's the biggest sacrifice I've ever made for the greater good, but I don't regret a single minute, and am proud of the fact that the party out here in the 4th is in a much better place now than it was when I first began running. It was an honor to help party build at the county level and to boost our candidate count last cycle." Melton touted his calls to fight against the use of eminent domain to seize private property, address the cancer crisis and take on corruption in politics, and said he was proud to receive an endorsement from Feenstra's GOP primary challenger in 2024. Republican Kevin Virgil, who unsuccessfully challenged Feenstra in the 2024 GOP primary for the 4th District seat, endorsed Melton over the two-term incumbent, saying Republicans had become complacent in the deeply conservative district. Melton said he ran for federal office without taking corporate PAC money while receiving no support from the national party, and without being recruited by anyone or being wealthy. He offered to be a resource for anyone eyeing an opportunity to run for office. "I showed you can cause a lot of good trouble through a grassroots campaign," Melton said. "I started from literally nothing my first campaign. I wasn't recruited by anyone, had no start up money, and had no name recognition. This was never something I thought I'd do with my life, but when it was clear our party wasn't going to be able to find a candidate, I jumped in and learned on the fly, and so many awesome volunteers boosted us. We need more working people that struggle every day along with most Americans to run for every office." The only other candidate to consider running for the 4th District so far is Republican state Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia. He launched an exploratory committee May 17 to weigh a bid for the seat. Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@ Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @marissajpayne. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ryan Melton suspends Iowa 4th Congressional District campaign
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Sen. Lynn Evans launches exploratory committee as he considers run for Congress
Iowa Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, has launched an exploratory committee as he considers a run for Congress in Iowa's 4th District. Evans, who is the chair of the Senate Education Committee, announced in a news release Saturday, May 17, he's considering a campaign for the state's most conservative district. Evans is serving his first term in the Iowa Senate representing District 3, which includes Buena Vista, Osceola, and O'Brien and portions of Cherokee and Clay counties. 'After prayerful consideration and thoughtful conversations with family and constituents, I'm launching this exploratory committee to assess a run for Congress,' Evans said in a statement. 'Iowans deserve true conservative representation—someone who understands rural values, works hard, and puts people ahead of politics.' The seat is currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who has filed paperwork and formed an exploratory committee to run for Iowa governor in 2026. Feenstra is in his third term representing Iowa's 4th Congressional District. Evans, who works as adjunct professor at Buena Vista University, asserted that one of the reasons he is considering a run for Congress is because Washington is 'out of touch' with Iowans. 'I'm exploring this race because I believe in common-sense, conservative solutions—and I know how to bring people together to get things done,' Evans said in the statement. Democrat Ryan Melton also has announced his campaign for the seat. José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at jmendiola@ or follow him on X @mendiola_news. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Sen. Lynn Evans explores run for 4th Congressional District
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrat Ryan Melton will again run for Congress in Iowa's conservative 4th District
Democrat Ryan Melton has announced he will run for Congress in Iowa's 4th District, once again setting up a potential challenge to Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra. In a news release, Melton said he would be running a campaign focused on public health, rural revitalization, property rights and transparent and responsive government. 'Our district deserves a representative who listens to its constituents and acts in their best interests," Melton said in a statement. "Right now, we have a representative in Randy Feenstra who relies mostly on out-of-state corporate PAC money, which has rendered him unable to represent his constituents because he's beholden to the billionaires." Melton previously was the Democratic Party's 4th Congressional District nominee in both 2022 and 2024. It is the state's most conservative congressional district. Feenstra won by about 37 percentage points in 2022 and by about 34 percentage points in 2024. 'Death, taxes, and Ryan Melton losing another election are all certainties in life," campaign spokesperson Billy Fuerst said in a statement. "Iowans have continually elected Congressman Feenstra to be their voice in Congress because they know he delivers real, conservative results. Ryan Melton supports the same radical, liberal policies beloved by Bernie Sanders. Iowans do not, and it's why they will reject Ryan Melton again.' Melton said he improved his 2024 showing over 2022, and he's eager to again be a voice for Democrats. 'From tackling Iowa's rising cancer rates and decline in water quality, to opposing the abuse of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines, to challenging the status quo economically that has left so many of us in the 4th behind, I'm committed to bringing real change to our communities that for far too long have been neglected by our representatives in Congress," he said in a statement. Feenstra has not formally launched a reelection campaign, and he has said he's keeping his options open with regards to a potential run for governor. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds announced in April she would not seek another term, opening up the seat to other contenders. Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at bpfann@ or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Democrat Ryan Melton launches 2026 campaign for Congress
