Randy Feenstra | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIowa's4th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Steve King |
| Member of theIowa Senate from the2nd district | |
| In office January 11, 2009 – January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Dave Mulder |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Taylor |
| Treasurer ofSioux County | |
| In office 2006–2008 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Hagey |
| Succeeded by | Randy Jacobsma |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Randall Lee Feenstra (1969-01-14)January 14, 1969 (age 57) Hull, Iowa, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Dordt University (BA) Iowa State University (MPA) Northcentral University (PhD) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Randall Lee Feenstra (born January 14, 1969) is an American politician and businessman serving as theU.S. representative forIowa's 4th congressional district. The district covers the state's western border and its northwestern quadrant, includingSioux City,Ames,Council Bluffs, andMarshalltown. Feenstra is retiring in2026 torun for Governor of Iowa.[1] A member of theRepublican Party, Feenstra served in theIowa Senate from the2nd district from 2009 to 2021. He was theSioux Countytreasurer from 2006 to 2008.
Feenstra defeated incumbentSteve King in the primary election for the Republican nomination forIowa's 4th congressional district in 2020. He defeatedDemocratic nomineeJ. D. Scholten in thegeneral election by almost 25 points and was sworn into Congress on January 3, 2021.
Feenstra is a candidate in the Republican primary in the2026 Iowa gubernatorial election.
Randy Feenstra was born on January 14, 1969,[2] to parents Lee and Eleanor Feenstra.[3][4] He is ofDutch ancestry.[5] In 1987, Feenstra graduated fromWestern Christian High School,[2] where he played basketball.[6][7] He received aBachelor of Arts in business communications in 1991 fromDordt University,[2][8][9] then known as Dordt College. He later earned aMaster of Public Administration fromIowa State University.[10][11] In 2022, Feenstra received aDoctor of Philosophy in business[12] fromNorthcentral University.[2]
Feenstra began his career as sales manager for the Foreign Candy Company,[3][13] known for being the first US company to importWarheads, later serving ascity administrator ofHull for seven years.[14] In 2006, he was electedSioux CountyTreasurer, replacing Robert Hagey.[14][15] Randy Jacobsma replaced Feenstra in a 2008 special election,[16][17] as Feenstra won his first term in theIowa 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 ofDordt University, after having taught there in an adjunct capacity since 2011.[18][19]
Feenstra was elected to theIowa 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]
In 2019, Feenstra announced that he would challenge incumbent Republican U.S. RepresentativeSteve King in the 2020 Republican primary inIowa'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 theUnited States Chamber of Commerce andNational Right to Life Committee.[31] Feenstra's candidacy was also supported by conservative political commentator and radio hostBen Shapiro, who donated and urged hisTwitter 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 defeatJ. 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 | ||
Feenstra ran for reelection in the district for the2022 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 | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
In 2024, Feenstra defeated Kevin Virgil in the fourth district's Republican Party primary. In thegeneral 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 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
In June 2021, Feenstra was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal theAuthorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.[47][48]
Feenstra voted to provide Israel with support following the2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[49][50]
In January 2025, Feenstra praised PresidentDonald 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 theNew 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]
For the118th Congress:[52]
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]
Feenstra married his wife Lynette in 1996. They have four children.[58][59]
Feenstra is a Christian.[60]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIowa's 4th congressional district 2021–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 250th | Succeeded by |
