Cook Political Report Downgrades King’s Chances in IA-04
A new poll from Change Research turned heads when it found that King is holding on to a tenuous 1% lead in Iowa’s Fourth District. FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver compared the race to Doug Jones’ victory in Alabama and hypothesized that Democrats “can compete against very bad candidates in districts like [IA-04] in a blue year.”
This poll helped spur a ratings change from the Cook Political Report, which upgraded the race from “Likely Republican” to “Lean Republican.” The election forecaster also cited the significant disparity in fundraising and ads, noting that Congressman King has failed to put up any kind of functional campaign:
“Unlike in 2012, when King ran a vigorous campaign to beat former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack, King isn’t mounting a serious defense. Of the $782,000 King has spent this cycle, most has been spent on fundraising or salaries. With a week to go, he’s yet to air an ad. And amid tariffs, the political environment in Iowa is much more challenging for the GOP than it was in 2016.”
“This comes down to hard work – who’s willing to do it and who wants to phone it in for Iowa’s Fourth District. J.D. Scholten has proven time and time again that he’s willing to hustle and fight for his community, while Congressman King wastes his taxpayer-funded salary on Twitter wars and trips to Austria to meet with Neo-Nazis. Those chickens are coming home to roost, and it’s looking like they may turn Northwest Iowa blue,”said Iowa Democratic Party Spokesperson Tess Seger.