Seven-term Rep. Steve King, a rock-ribbed Iowa conservative, is being challenged in the Republican primary by state Sen. Rick Bertrand of Sioux City in a contest where ethanol may be the elephant in the room.
Bertrand described himself as a “new blood conservative” focused on economic development in announcing his candidacy, said KTIV-TV. King, who represents the heavily agricultural quadrant of the state, backed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz during Iowa’s precinct caucuses.
Cruz, who won the caucuses, called for a five-year phase-out of the federal mandate to use ethanol. Iowa is the No. 1 corn state and leads the nation in ethanol production.
Bruce Rastetter, “one of Iowa’s top Republican donors,” supports Bertrand in the race, said the Des Moines Register, which described the businessman as an agriculture and biofuels entrepreneur. “We need someone who is an active congressman for the constituents of the district and Sen. Bertrand has done that in his Senate district,” Rastetter told the Register’s editorial board.
Bertrand’s focus on economic development is meant to contrast with King’s national stature as hardline conservative and opponent of immigration reform, said the newspaper.
“No full-spectrum constitutional conservative has stood up to say I let have let them down,” King said in filing for his eighth term. He said Bertrand was recruited by “a couple of wealthy and petulant establishment Republicans who think they should own a congressman.”