King faces three challengers for U.S. House
By Bret Hayworth Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, October 13, 2006
The Iowa 5th District congressional race was looking like a retread of the 2004 contest, but a wrinkle arose when two candidates announced bids to run as independents.
Two-term Republican Congressman Steve King of Kiron initially was vying again with Democrat Joyce Schulte of Creston, whom he easily defeated two years ago. Then Orange City businessman Roy Nielsen entered the race in August as an independent, and Cheryl Brodersen of Denison decided to run as well.
Nielsen is seen as the more formidable independent, and he may have the ability to upset the dynamic of the two-party system, pulling votes from both King and Schulte.
Nielsen said he saw Schulte as a weak candidate who has no great amount of support among Democrats, while he contended King had turned off some Republicans.
Nielsen said he kept waiting for a Republican to come forward to challenge King in the primary. When that didn't happen, he decided "the families of the middle class" needed another alternative, since a King victory "was a foregone conclusion." Since Nielsen knows some Republicans would never vote for a Democrat, he figured an independent candidacy could pay dividends.
For his part, King says he's not paying much attention to his competitors, who have lambasted him for a refusal to debate or attend forums. King hews to the conservative base that has served him well since he first became a state senator in 1996. He's never lost a November election for state or federal office.
King has the biggest campaign war chest, while Schulte's fundraising by midsummer, the last reporting date, was a few thousand dollars. Nielsen, whose Revival Animal Health firm has 60 employees and sells in all 50 states, said he will pump about $100,000 of his own money into his campaign.
"This is David vs. Goliath, I am not fooling myself," said Nielsen, who has been both a registered Republican and Democrat.
Peggy Smalley of Audubon, chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party 5th congressional district group, noted Schulte won the party's primary by taking 28 of the 32 counties, making her a formidable candidate. Smalley said the task of beating incumbent King is "daunting," but added that "word on the ground is that people in the district are tired of the mean-spirited and insensitive outbursts coming from (King)."
Brodersen is staking her long-shot campaign on a dedication to securing peace in the world, helping family farms survive and re-establishing solvency to the federal budget. Brodersen said she entered the race in part out of disgruntlement with King for his refusal to debate opponents in 2004 and 2006.
King said he might be inclined to debate "if there were a single credible candidate out there," and if he got assurances that a debate wouldn't turn into an attack on him personally.
King said it is surprising to see Nielsen's candidacy emerge from Sioux County, since in 2004, "I carried 89 percent of Sioux County, and I don't know if there is anybody in America who has carried a higher percentage in any county."
The congressman said what he has focused on in the U.S. House is "helping people help themselves -- building the climate so that they can be successful themselves, with their own initiative. And that's the best thing we can do -- when people are taking care of themselves."
King takes credit for pushing the immigration policy issue nationally, citing his Aug. 22, 2005, hosting of two forums on the topic in Des Moines and Council Bluffs. He said his proposal to build a wall on the Mexican border was criticized as "a fringe issue," but after "an astonishing movement in the political center," both federal chambers within 13 months authorized funding for a wall.
He said his priority issues for another two-year term would be to get more funding to expand U.S. 20 to four lanes in western Iowa and for dredging Storm Lake to a greater depth, to "preserve marriage" by limiting it to only a man and a woman and "finding a way to move the global war on terror forward."
Schulte pointed to her diverse movement through life -- from widowed with two young boys at age 31, to earning three college degrees, working with juvenile delinquents at the Quakerdale facility in Manning and now working as director of student support services for Southwestern Community College in Creston -- as proof she's "been seasoned by life" and ready to serve.
Schulte said her top legislative priorities in Congress would be the 2007 reauthorization of the agriculture bill, addressing the Iraq/Mideast conflicts, immigration reform, providing sufficient infrastructure to push the economy along and "health care is a huge issue for people in western Iowa."
Compared to 2004, as measured by campaign finances, Schulte allowed, "I'm still the little kid on the block." But she contended "because you ran and know more, and because you have that seasoning, you are more viable."
Much of the 5th District race revolves around opponents attacking King for being too inflammatory. Another comment made news Tuesday, when the Carroll (Iowa) Daily Times Herald caught up to his Sept. 5 comments in Denison.
A transcript of King's comments made at a Republican fundraiser in Boulders Conference Center showed he compared illegal immigrants to stray cats that wind up on people's porches. King said at first stray cats help by chasing mice, so people feed them. King added that the stray cats then have kittens, which are liked for their cuteness, but eventually the strays, fed by the people, end up getting lazy, just like illegal immigrants. King would not comment on what he said on that day.
Said Schulte, "He verbally demeans people, groups of people, takes swipes at minorities, verbally tries to reinterpret history. We need somebody who works and acts as a congressman, for the people." She cited King's late-summer vote against raising the minimum wage.
Nielsen said western Iowans are really worried about high gas prices, college costs and being able to access health care at a time of escalating health insurance premiums. He said King isn't delving into those topics, but rather hitting hot-button social issues.
"Steve, to me, does not represent most of the people this district," he said. "There is probably no one more conservative in Congress. And I don't think that is reflective of where most of us are -- most of us are in the middle. ... Some of his rhetoric, the divisiveness of the way he talks -- he wants to build more than a wall on the southern border, he wants to build a wall between people. I am not that way, I am a bridge builder, I want to bring people together."
King said he often provided fodder for issues by throwing out calculated press releases or public statements, but never as a misstep.
Regarding calling the ill treatment of prisoners by U.S. personnel in Iraq as hazing in 2004, King said, "I looked (hazing) up in the dictionary. I put it out there as bait for debate. I did that as premeditated as it could possibly be."
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
Two-term Republican Congressman Steve King of Kiron initially was vying again with Democrat Joyce Schulte of Creston, whom he easily defeated two years ago. Then Orange City businessman Roy Nielsen entered the race in August as an independent, and Cheryl Brodersen of Denison decided to run as well.
Nielsen is seen as the more formidable independent, and he may have the ability to upset the dynamic of the two-party system, pulling votes from both King and Schulte.
Nielsen said he saw Schulte as a weak candidate who has no great amount of support among Democrats, while he contended King had turned off some Republicans.
Nielsen said he kept waiting for a Republican to come forward to challenge King in the primary. When that didn't happen, he decided "the families of the middle class" needed another alternative, since a King victory "was a foregone conclusion." Since Nielsen knows some Republicans would never vote for a Democrat, he figured an independent candidacy could pay dividends.
For his part, King says he's not paying much attention to his competitors, who have lambasted him for a refusal to debate or attend forums. King hews to the conservative base that has served him well since he first became a state senator in 1996. He's never lost a November election for state or federal office.
King has the biggest campaign war chest, while Schulte's fundraising by midsummer, the last reporting date, was a few thousand dollars. Nielsen, whose Revival Animal Health firm has 60 employees and sells in all 50 states, said he will pump about $100,000 of his own money into his campaign.
"This is David vs. Goliath, I am not fooling myself," said Nielsen, who has been both a registered Republican and Democrat.
Peggy Smalley of Audubon, chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party 5th congressional district group, noted Schulte won the party's primary by taking 28 of the 32 counties, making her a formidable candidate. Smalley said the task of beating incumbent King is "daunting," but added that "word on the ground is that people in the district are tired of the mean-spirited and insensitive outbursts coming from (King)."
Brodersen is staking her long-shot campaign on a dedication to securing peace in the world, helping family farms survive and re-establishing solvency to the federal budget. Brodersen said she entered the race in part out of disgruntlement with King for his refusal to debate opponents in 2004 and 2006.
King said he might be inclined to debate "if there were a single credible candidate out there," and if he got assurances that a debate wouldn't turn into an attack on him personally.
King said it is surprising to see Nielsen's candidacy emerge from Sioux County, since in 2004, "I carried 89 percent of Sioux County, and I don't know if there is anybody in America who has carried a higher percentage in any county."
The congressman said what he has focused on in the U.S. House is "helping people help themselves -- building the climate so that they can be successful themselves, with their own initiative. And that's the best thing we can do -- when people are taking care of themselves."
King takes credit for pushing the immigration policy issue nationally, citing his Aug. 22, 2005, hosting of two forums on the topic in Des Moines and Council Bluffs. He said his proposal to build a wall on the Mexican border was criticized as "a fringe issue," but after "an astonishing movement in the political center," both federal chambers within 13 months authorized funding for a wall.
He said his priority issues for another two-year term would be to get more funding to expand U.S. 20 to four lanes in western Iowa and for dredging Storm Lake to a greater depth, to "preserve marriage" by limiting it to only a man and a woman and "finding a way to move the global war on terror forward."
Schulte pointed to her diverse movement through life -- from widowed with two young boys at age 31, to earning three college degrees, working with juvenile delinquents at the Quakerdale facility in Manning and now working as director of student support services for Southwestern Community College in Creston -- as proof she's "been seasoned by life" and ready to serve.
Schulte said her top legislative priorities in Congress would be the 2007 reauthorization of the agriculture bill, addressing the Iraq/Mideast conflicts, immigration reform, providing sufficient infrastructure to push the economy along and "health care is a huge issue for people in western Iowa."
Compared to 2004, as measured by campaign finances, Schulte allowed, "I'm still the little kid on the block." But she contended "because you ran and know more, and because you have that seasoning, you are more viable."
Much of the 5th District race revolves around opponents attacking King for being too inflammatory. Another comment made news Tuesday, when the Carroll (Iowa) Daily Times Herald caught up to his Sept. 5 comments in Denison.
A transcript of King's comments made at a Republican fundraiser in Boulders Conference Center showed he compared illegal immigrants to stray cats that wind up on people's porches. King said at first stray cats help by chasing mice, so people feed them. King added that the stray cats then have kittens, which are liked for their cuteness, but eventually the strays, fed by the people, end up getting lazy, just like illegal immigrants. King would not comment on what he said on that day.
Said Schulte, "He verbally demeans people, groups of people, takes swipes at minorities, verbally tries to reinterpret history. We need somebody who works and acts as a congressman, for the people." She cited King's late-summer vote against raising the minimum wage.
Nielsen said western Iowans are really worried about high gas prices, college costs and being able to access health care at a time of escalating health insurance premiums. He said King isn't delving into those topics, but rather hitting hot-button social issues.
"Steve, to me, does not represent most of the people this district," he said. "There is probably no one more conservative in Congress. And I don't think that is reflective of where most of us are -- most of us are in the middle. ... Some of his rhetoric, the divisiveness of the way he talks -- he wants to build more than a wall on the southern border, he wants to build a wall between people. I am not that way, I am a bridge builder, I want to bring people together."
King said he often provided fodder for issues by throwing out calculated press releases or public statements, but never as a misstep.
Regarding calling the ill treatment of prisoners by U.S. personnel in Iraq as hazing in 2004, King said, "I looked (hazing) up in the dictionary. I put it out there as bait for debate. I did that as premeditated as it could possibly be."
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
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