Iowa Sen. Lynn Evans launches exploratory committee for Iowa's 4th District
Iowa Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, gave closing comments on a bill making changes to Iowa's Area Education Agencies March 26, 2024. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Iowa Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, has launched an exploratory committee to run as a Republican in Iowa's 4th Congressional District.
Evans said in a statement Saturday he is considering running for the position and plans to meet with people living in the northwest Iowa district in the coming weeks in order to determine 'the best path forward.'
'After thoughtful prayer, conversations with my family, and encouragement from supporters across the district, I'm excited to share that I am officially launching an exploratory committee to consider a run for Congress in Iowa's Fourth District,' Evans said in the news release.
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Evans is serving his first term representing Iowa Senate District 3. He is the Senate Education Committee chair and an assistant majority leader in the chamber. Before his time in the Legislature, Evans worked as a superintendent in multiple Iowa school districts including the Alta-Aurelia Community School District. He currently works as an adjunct professor at Buena Vista University.
Evans said that during his time in the Senate, he has worked to 'protect rural values, defend our freedoms, and bring common-sense leadership to tough issues like education, tax relief, and government overreach.'
'Now, I'm exploring how I can serve Iowa on a larger scale — bringing true conservative leadership to Washington and giving rural Iowa a strong, principled voice in Congress,' he said.
Evans' announcement comes after U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who currently holds the seat, announced his exploratory committee for a gubernatorial run earlier in May. Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced she will not seek reelection in 2026. Feenstra has represented the 4th District, a longtime conservative stronghold in the state, since the 2020 election, when he defeated then-incumbent Rep. Steve King in the Republican primary.
With Feenstra potentially ending his time as the 4th District representative to run for governor, there could be an open Republican primary for the congressional seat.
Democrat Ryan Melton, who has run against Feenstra in previous elections, has also announced his campaign for the 4th District seat, and other Republican candidates could enter the race. Another potential contender, Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, said in a social media post Friday that he does not intend to run for U.S. Congress but will seek to continue serving in the Iowa House.
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