Republican Chris McGowan and Democrat Dave Dawson offered different ideas for handling tariffs, the war in Iran, healthcare and more during a debate in Sioux City Wednesday night. But they also made a point of showing respect for each other.
McGowan said that approach started with a chance meeting at the Woodbury County Fair in August.
“Both of us had a very civil conversation and agreed to run campaigns that were rooted in civil discourse and respect,” he said.
McGowan, of Sioux City, is a lawyer, Iowa National Guard veteran and former leader of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and Siouxland Initiative.
Dawson is a longtime Woodbury County prosecutor and former state lawmaker from Lawton.
They are running to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who unsuccessfully sought his party’s nomination for governor.
The 4th Congressional District follows Iowa’s western border and stretches east to Ames, Fort Dodge and Marshalltown.
Steel mill incentives
The debate opened with a question about a proposed $15 billion steel mill in Lee County and a special legislative session Gov. Kim Reynolds called for Friday.
Dawson said he supported good-paying jobs but questioned whether the large, Indian-owned corporation needed more incentives.
“We seem to always give the biggest tax breaks to the largest companies,” he said.
He called for guarantees that jobs would stay and pay good wages.
McGowan pointed to his economic development experience and urged lawmakers to move the project forward. He expressed confidence in Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham’s negotiations.
Asked about reports of past Russian financing involving the company, Dawson called for fully vetting businesses seeking incentives.
McGowan said those concerns were important but trusted Durham’s review.
Tariffs and energy costs
Dawson said President Donald Trump’s tariffs have hurt farmers and made business planning harder.
“If I were in Congress, I would be voting tomorrow to end these tariffs that have destabilized our markets,” Dawson said.
McGowan acknowledged the strain on agriculture but defended Trump’s goal of fairer trade. He said he would push to prevent tariffs from applying retroactively to negotiated deals.
McGowan also called for more domestic energy production and criticized Democrats for canceling the Keystone XL pipeline. Then-President Joe Biden revoked the project’s permit in 2021.
McGowan argued the project’s potential delivery of about 800,000 barrels of oil a day would have lowered fuel prices.
“Unfortunately, for political reasons, the opposition party killed that project,” McGowan said. “Now, they cited environmental concerns and other concerns, but the reality is, if we had access to that today, we wouldn't be paying the prices that we're paying at the fuel pump.”
Dawson supported restoring wind and solar tax credits.
Both candidates backed year-round sales of E15, gasoline containing 15% ethanol.
Differences over the war in Iran
Dawson called for an end to the war in Iran, linking the conflict to higher fuel costs. He called the war unconstitutional, saying Congress did not authorize it.
“We need to do better for the American people and have members of Congress who aren’t afraid to stand up and ask the hard questions,” Dawson said.
McGowan said five of his six children serve in the military. He pushed for a speedy resolution to the conflict, describing Iran as a rogue nation and saying its government killed between 25,000 and 50,000 of its own citizens.
He also outlined his conditions for military action.
“Number one, the threat must be imminent. Number two, the threat must be grave. And number three, we must have exhausted diplomacy,” McGowan said.
Tackling healthcare
Dawson supported restoring Affordable Care Act tax credits and creating a public insurance option.
“We should have healthcare as a right in this country for everyone who wants it,” he said.
He also warned that federal funding cuts could hurt rural providers and children needing mental health services.
McGowan called for a bipartisan overhaul of healthcare involving providers, insurers and other professionals.
“These problems will not be solved by one party or another. They will be solved by both parties working together on behalf of all Americans,” McGowan said.
McGowan differs from Trump on AI
McGowan said regulating artificial intelligence could be one area where he differs from Trump, who has endorsed his campaign.
“I do think there’s a need for some guardrails, and I don’t believe that we can defer all that to the private sector,” McGowan said.
He described AI as revolutionary and said the U.S. needs to lead in developing the technology while protecting against government surveillance.
Dawson also called for stronger oversight, saying current rules are too loose.
“We can’t have an industry regulating itself because it can become dangerous,” he said. “We need to have rules in place about when it’s appropriate to use AI and when it’s not.”
Dawson pointed to his work prosecuting child abuse cases and raised concerns about AI-generated sexual images of children and their use in harassment and bullying. He said protecting children needs to be a priority.
Finding common ground
Despite differences over immigration enforcement, both candidates supported expanding legal work visas to help employers fill jobs.
They also backed a balanced budget amendment and pledged support for Sioux City’s 185th Air Refueling Wing.
On data centers, both favor local input and protections against higher utility bills. McGowan also opposes development incentives.
“If data centers are going to come, they must pay their entire way,” McGowan said.
Dawson thanked McGowan for his military service during the discussion about the 185th. McGowan returned the gesture in his closing remarks.
“I also want to thank Dave for his decades of service as a county prosecutor,” McGowan said.
For Dawson, how they treated each other mattered, too.
“I think it was important that we set a tone that is different than many other political campaigns by staying positive and focusing on the issues,” he said.
Voters will choose between the candidates on Nov. 3, with early voting starting on Oct. 14.
