KING WINS RE-ELECTION TO U.S. HOUSE

Republican Rep. Steve King has won a sixth term in the U.S. House, beating Democrat Christie Vilsack in Iowa's 4th Congressional District.

He released the following statement:

“Throughout this race we have run a positive, issues-based campaign that reflects our shared Iowa values and common sense.  In eleven contested races, I’ve never run a negative advertisement, we’ve always sought to inform voters with the objective truth and it has always paid off in the ballot box.

“We are committed to the full, 100 percent repeal of ObamaCare and replacing it with free market solutions, which preserve doctor-patient relationships. It is immoral for us to mortgage our children’s labor to force them to pay the debts we incur during our time.  We need a Balanced Budget Amendment to our Constitution so we pay down, and off, our National Debt.  We will harness all forms of American energy to become North American energy independent within eight years. Washington must provide stability and predictability for business to reinvest profit and grow.

“This has become more than a campaign. People knew to do what they could do and spontaneously put up signs, carved candidates’ names into their fields, made calls, knocked doors and made a difference. There is no way we could have directed this organic movement. It was a groundswell from the grassroots.

“To those who supported our campaign and drove us to victory, thank you.  Our message through this campaign was clear and tonight voters made it clear they agree – it’s time for conservative solutions to restore our American Dream.”

King had to campaign harder for re-election than in previous years because redistricting lessened the number of registered Republican voters in the district. King also faced a better-known opponent in Vilsack, the wife of former governor and current U.S. Agriculture Department Secretary Tom Vilsack.

King is known for his outspoken conservative positions on everything from immigration to the federal budget. He kept to those positions while campaigning but placed greater emphasis on his family and success as a businessman.

In her campaign, Vilsack emphasized solving problems with less partisanship. She accused King of being more interested in his status as a conservative firebrand than on helping his district.

From Associated Press & KSCJ Staff