J.D. Scholten, the Democrat who came close to unseating Republican Rep. Steve King in November, rallied supporters in Sioux City Monday. The former minor league baseball player is taking another swing at flipping Iowa’s most conservative congressional district.
Standing in front of his Winnebago R.V. named “Sioux City Sue”, J.D. Scholten said hatred and racism have become common and divide the country. He said his campaign is about coming together. His motto: "fix, fight and secure."
“We’re going to fix health care. We’re going to fight for [an] economy that works for all of us. And we’re going to secure this democracy by getting rid of the special interest that is currently dictating our democracy,” Scholten said.
The former Sioux City Explorers pitcher and freelance paralegal came within 3 percentage points of defeating Republican incumbent Steve King, R-Kiron, in the 2018 U.S. House race. But Scholten said this race is not about King; it’s about fighting for the people of the 4th District.
“Whether it’s from Larchwood to Collins, Lake Mills to Missouri Valley, we have far too many people that are working their tails off and not getting ahead,” Scholten said. “We have too many Iowans that are being forgotten and being left behind in these towns and too many children moving away and too many teachers not having the resources they need to educate.”
Dave Curry, 60, of Le Mars, was one of a few dozen who came out to rally for Scholten. He voted for Scholten in 2018 and said he plans to vote for him again.
“I see he has the values that I think are so important in a politician and in a person, that he truly represents the core of believing in people, of bringing people together united to work to a common good,” Curry said.
Scholten said his grassroots campaign will be taking the same approach as he did for the 2018 election – getting out to the people. He toured the 39-county district three times, holding town halls in every county. In the November 2018 election, Scholten won the district’s most populous counties, Woodbury and Story counties, while King won counties in the northwest corner by large margins, including Lyon and Sioux counties, winning them by over 70 percent.
“We know where we can win,” Scholten said to media after the rally. “And in the other places where it’s going to be a little bit more challenging, maybe show up a few more times, really shrink the margin.”
King is running for a 10th term and currently faces three challengers from his own party.
Scholten will rally supporters in Ames Tuesday night.
