Randy Feenstra
American politician (born 1969)
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Randall Lee Feenstra (born January 14, 1969) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative for Iowa's 4th congressional district. The district covers the state's western border and its northwestern quadrant, including Sioux City, Ames, Council Bluffs, and Marshalltown. Feenstra is retiring in 2026 to run for Governor of Iowa.[1] A member of the Republican Party, Feenstra served in the Iowa Senate from the 2nd district from 2009 to 2021. He was the Sioux County treasurer from 2006 to 2008.
Randy Feenstra | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 4th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Steve King |
| Member of the Iowa Senate from the 2nd district | |
| In office January 11, 2009 – January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Dave Mulder |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Taylor |
| Treasurer of Sioux County | |
| In office 2006–2008 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Hagey |
| Succeeded by | Randy Jacobsma |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Randall Lee Feenstra January 14, 1969 Hull, Iowa, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Lynette Feenstra (m. 1996) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Dordt University (BA) Iowa State University (MPA) Northcentral University (PhD) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Feenstra defeated incumbent Steve King in the primary election for the Republican nomination for Iowa's 4th congressional district in 2020. He defeated Democratic nominee J. D. Scholten in the general election by almost 25 points and was sworn into Congress on January 3, 2021.
Feenstra is a candidate in the Republican primary in the 2026 Iowa gubernatorial election.
Early life and education
Randy Feenstra was born on January 14, 1969,[2] to parents Lee and Eleanor Feenstra.[3][4] He is of Dutch ancestry.[5] In 1987, Feenstra graduated from Western Christian High School,[2] where he played basketball.[6][7] He received a Bachelor of Arts in business communications in 1991 from Dordt University,[2][8][9] then known as Dordt College. He later earned a Master of Public Administration from Iowa State University.[10][11] In 2022, Feenstra received a Doctor of Philosophy in business[12] from Northcentral University.[2]
Early career
Feenstra began his career as sales manager for the Foreign Candy Company,[3][13] known for being the first US company to import Warheads, later serving as city administrator of Hull for seven years.[14] In 2006, he was elected Sioux County Treasurer, replacing Robert Hagey.[14][15] Randy Jacobsma replaced Feenstra in a 2008 special election,[16][17] as Feenstra won his first term in the Iowa Senate that year.
While serving in the Iowa Senate, Feenstra worked for ISB Insurance in Hull, operated by Iowa State Bank. In 2017, he joined the faculty of Dordt University, after having taught there in an adjunct capacity since 2011.[18][19]
Iowa State Senate
Feenstra was elected to the Iowa State Senate in 2008 with 24,595 votes, running unopposed.[20] He was reelected in 2012, again without opposition.[21] He ran for a third uncontested term in 2016.[22] In the Iowa Senate, Feenstra served on the Capital Projects, Fiscal, Tax Expenditure, Transportation, Ways and Means, and State Government Committee.[23]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2020
In 2019, Feenstra announced that he would challenge incumbent Republican U.S. Representative Steve King in the 2020 Republican primary in Iowa's 4th congressional district. His State Senate district included much of the northwestern portion of Iowa's 4th congressional district.[24] King, a nine-term incumbent, had a record of making inflammatory remarks.[25] More specifically, King was stripped of his House committee memberships for asking why the term "white nationalist" was offensive. Feenstra noted King's inflammatory rhetoric in announcing his campaign, saying that King's "caustic nature" had left the 4th district "without a seat at the table."[26]
Republican Party leadership supported Feenstra in the primary.[27][28][29][30] Feenstra raised more money during the primary than King did, and was supported by the United States Chamber of Commerce and National Right to Life Committee.[31] Feenstra's candidacy was also supported by conservative political commentator and radio host Ben Shapiro, who donated and urged his Twitter followers to donate to Feenstra's campaign.[32]
Feenstra won the June 2 primary[33][34] with 45.7% of the vote to King's 36%.[35][36] Much of Feenstra's margin came from dominating his State Senate district, which he carried with almost 75% of the vote.[24] He went on to defeat J. D. Scholten in the general election by a large margin.[37][38]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Randy Feenstra | 37,329 | 45.5 | |
| Republican | Steve King (incumbent) | 29,366 | 35.9 | |
| Republican | Jeremy Taylor | 6,418 | 7.8 | |
| Republican | Bret Richards | 6,140 | 7.5 | |
| Republican | Steve Reeder | 2,528 | 3.1 | |
| Write-in | 176 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 81,957 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Randy Feenstra | 237,369 | 62.0 | |
| Democratic | J. D. Scholten | 144,761 | 37.8 | |
| Write-in | 892 | 0.2 | ||
2022
Feenstra ran for reelection in the district for the 2022 elections. He defeated Democrat Ryan Melton and Liberty candidate Bryan Holder by a wide margin.[40]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Randy Feenstra (incumbent) | 186,467 | 67.3 | +5.3 | |
| Democratic | Ryan Melton | 84,230 | 30.4 | −7.4 | |
| Liberty Caucus | Bryan Jack Holder | 6,035 | 2.2 | N/A | |
| Write-in | 276 | 0.1 | |||
| Total votes | 277,008 | 100.00 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
2024
In 2024, Feenstra defeated Kevin Virgil in the fourth district's Republican Party primary. In the general election, he faced Democratic candidate Ryan Melton for a second time.[42][43] Feenstra won a third House term.[44][45]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Randy Feenstra (incumbent) | 250,522 | 67.0 | |
| Democratic | Ryan Melton | 122,175 | 32.7 | |
| Write-in | 1,127 | 0.3 | ||
| Total votes | 373,824 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
Tenure and political positions
Foreign policy
In June 2021, Feenstra was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.[47][48]
Feenstra voted to provide Israel with support following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[49][50]
Trade
In January 2025, Feenstra praised President Donald Trump's proposals to implement 25% tariffs on most goods from Canada and Mexico, saying "Thank you, President Trump! Our country finally has an advocate for American farmers, families, and businesses in the White House!"[51] According to the New York Times, Feenstra's message "was starkly at odds with the one coming from major groups representing farmers throughout the country, who issued statements warning of dire impacts on the nation's food producers."[51]
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:[52]
Caucus memberships
2026 campaign for governor of Iowa
In May 2025, Feenstra filed paperwork allowing him to begin raising funds for a potential campaign for governor of Iowa in 2026. Incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced that she will not seek re-election.[12] Feenstra officially launched his gubernatorial campaign in October.[56][57]