THE INTERCEPT - Iowa Republican Steve King is a notorious bigot who has comfortably served in Congress since 2003, but a surprising challenger in the historically Republican district is proving he may have what it takes to unseat King in November. 

Former professional baseball player J.D. Scholten is a progressive who is one of four Democrats who have tossed their hats in the ring of Iowa’s 4th District. He witnessed a surge in fundraising at the end of last year, bringing in $174,344 to King’s $87,544 in the fourth quarter. (King has raised the most money overall, with $244,725 to Scholten’s $214,487, but last quarter’s results show the tide may be turning.)

DAILY KOS - ...It was also at this moment that I remembered an article that I read a couple of years ago. It said that life is not about the pursuit of happiness; it’s about the pursuit of meaningfulness. When I was thinking about the meaning of my life, I thought about some of the last words my grandmother told me: “You should move back to Iowa and take care of our farm.” It was in this moment of clarity that I realized the most meaningful thing in my life is my family and where I am from. I am defined by my Iowa roots. And it was standing there across from the Seattle downtown library while feeling the passion of the march that I decided that it’s time for me to move back home to Iowa. And it was time for me to fight.

DOWN WITH TYRANNY - Being uncomfortable in this district means going to where you are not invited, going to the counties that historically vote around 80% Republican. If you don’t, then you can’t expect change. This is the largest and most rural district in Iowa. It contains 39 counties, and is larger than the land area of the smallest 115 U.S. Congressional Districts combined.