Latest news with #Feenstra
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exploring a run for governor, Randy Feenstra touts work on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'
SIOUX CENTER — As he explores a run for governor, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra touted his work on the federal tax and spending policy bill moving through Congress, saying he was a 'key author' of the legislation. 'I was very close to the administration on helping write this bill, not only the tax portion of it, but also the (agricultural) portion of it,' he said at his annual Feenstra Family Picnic in Sioux Center May 30. Feenstra, a Republican, recently voted with other members of his party to advance Republican President Donald Trump's sweeping budget bill. Feenstra sits on the House Agriculture Committee, which oversaw changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, including about $300 billion in spending cuts over the next ten years. He also serves on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. Iowa's U.S. House Republicans have championed the bill's passage, but it's drawn the ire of Democrats who fear the cuts will harm those who lose access to benefits. "I'll tell you what, we're not going to hurt anybody," Feenstra told reporters. "I mean, what we did with SNAP is making sure that we're getting rid of waste and fraud. Sitting on the Ag Committee, we had a lot of discussions about this, and I want to tell you, anybody that's on SNAP will stay on SNAP unless you're an illegal." Speaking to the crowd, Feenstra aligned himself with Trump, who remains deeply popular among Iowa Republicans, particularly in this deeply conservative pocket of northwest Iowa. 'The bill reflects the mandates that Trump talked about in all of his stump speeches when he was running this campaign,' he said. It comes as Feenstra gears up for an expected gubernatorial run, during which he'll need to appeal to the deep-red voters expected to make up the Republican primary electorate. Feenstra announced May 13 he was forming an exploratory committee to weigh a run for governor, and he has aggressively made moves toward a formal campaign. He announced ahead of the event that his campaign had raised more than $3.2 million. And he recently launched a $400,000 advertising buy across the state, making him the first declared or potential candidate to air television ads. 'Randy is swiftly consolidating support for his exploratory bid for governor,' his campaign senior advisor Brian Dumas said in a statement. '… From President Trump's biggest donors in Iowa, coupled with those that have historically stood behind Governors Reynolds and Branstad, his coalition of support is broad and deep.' But Feenstra avoided talking about the prospect as he spoke to the crowd of supporters. Instead, he focused on his work in Congress and highlighted his commitment to advancing Trump's agenda. Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer introduced Feenstra, praising his 'workhorse' mentality. 'Randy led the fight to ban China from buying American farmland,' she said. 'He stood with President Trump every step of the way to secure our border and stand with our border patrol agents. … And most recently, as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, he helped write President Trump's 'one big, beautiful bill.'' Cournoyer previously announced that she would run for state auditor in 2026, a position currently held by Democrat Rob Sand. 'We've got to get her to win,' Feenstra said. Sand announced May 12 he would mount a gubernatorial bid. Feenstra referenced his potential rival only briefly, saying that Sand is 'going on to other things' and opening up the auditor seat for Cournoyer. Feenstra was joined by U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican who serves as chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Jordan has been a mainstay on the Iowa political speaking circuit, and he joined U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn a day earlier for an event in Des Moines. 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: Randy Feenstra highlights Trump ties as he explores run for governor
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 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. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra confirms bid for Iowa governor
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCAU) — After a full day of speculation on Monday, U.S. Congressman Randy Feenstra has officially confirmed that he is running for Iowa governor. In an X post on Tuesday morning, Feenstra confirmed that he will be running for Iowa governor. The same post was also made to his Facebook page. Story continues below Top Story: Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra confirms bid for Iowa governor Lights & Sirens: Sioux City firefighter taken to hospital following Mayday call during Morningside fire Sports: Hawarden native Hunter Dekkers signs with New Orleans Saints Feenstra's slogan is 'Taking Iowa to New Heights,' and he said that he will be 'standing shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump to take on the radical Left and clean up Joe Biden's mess.' In addition to the announcement, Feenstra has also launched a Feenstra for Governor website. Feenstra's announcement comes a day after Iowa Auditor Rob Sand announced that he will also be running for governor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Feenstra lays groundwork to run for Iowa governor
Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra has filed paperwork to run for governor of Iowa in the 2026 election. Feenstra, a third-term congressman from Hull, Iowa, won his 2024 reelection with over 67% of the vote; if he proceeds with a gubernatorial campaign, it would create an open seat in the heavily Republican 4th District. Feenstra first came to Congress after defeating longtime incumbent Rep. Steve King in a Republican primary in 2020. Monday's filing of a state of organization form with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board allows Feenstra to raise funds for a gubernatorial campaign ahead of any public announcements. CQ Roll Call reviewed the public filing. Feenstra, who was also a tax writer in the Iowa state Senate, has been particularly active on tax and trade policy since joining the Ways and Means Committee in the 118th Congress. The Ways and Means panel is scheduled on Tuesday to begin marking up its portion of the budget reconciliation bill designed to implement President Donald Trump's tax policy agenda. Iowa's incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, made a surprise announcement last month that she would not seek reelection. Feenstra could be the first of many well-known candidates to enter the race. The widely reported names of potential candidates include state House Speaker Pat Grassley - grandson of Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa - as well as state Attorney General Brenna Bird and state Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig. CBS News first reported on Feenstra's intention to enter the contest. Rob Sand, the Democratic state auditor, also entered the race on Monday. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP Rep. Randy Feenstra files paperwork for Iowa gubernatorial run
U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, filed paperwork on Monday to run for Iowa governor in the 2026 election. Feenstra, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 2020, filed the paperwork for "Feenstra for Governor" with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, which is needed to launch a gubernatorial campaign, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch. The congressman is seeking to replace Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who said last month she would not run for a third term in 2026. Feenstra has been considering a gubernatorial run since Reynolds' announcement. This Longtime Republican Governor Will Not Seek Re-election In 2026 "I'll tell you right now, I'm focused on fulfilling and making sure that we get Trump's agenda completed," Feenstra told reporters on April 23. "However, I always want to do what's best for our state, and I will continue to look at all aspects of what that looks like." Feenstra has not publicly announced a campaign for governor. Read On The Fox News App The GOP primary in the Hawkeye State could potentially be crowded, although former state Rep. Brad Sherman is the only Republican to have officially joined the race after he launched his campaign in February. Doge Senator Tells Outdoors Group To 'Go Fish' After Discovering Massive Grant Tied To High Salaries But others have taken steps toward a gubernatorial bid, including Iowa state Sen. Mike Bousselot, who launched an exploratory committee last month, as well as Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and House Speaker Pat Grassley — the grandson of U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa — who each said they are considering a run for governor. Iowa Auditor Rob Sand filed paperwork on Monday to run in the state's Democratic primary. Feenstra is the only U.S. House member from Iowa considering a run for governor. The other three — U.S. GOP Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn — all said they will not launch a gubernatorial campaign. Before he was elected to the U.S. House in 2020, when he defeated then-incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve King in the Republican primary, Feenstra served as a state senator since 2009. Before that, he was Sioux County treasurer from 2006 until article source: GOP Rep. Randy Feenstra files paperwork for Iowa gubernatorial run
