×

Weighing in on King

Some area Republicans call for congressman’s resignation, but others still support him

-Messenger file photo
Fort Dodge Mayor Matt Bemrich talks with U.S. Rep. Steve King on the rooftop of The Warden in downtown Fort Dodge in 2018.

U.S. Rep. Steve King’s recent remarks about white supremacy and white nationalism have elicited scorn and even calls for his resignation from Republicans in the region with experience in government and politics.

Perhaps the harshest words for the veteran Republican from Kiron who represents Iowa’s 4th Congressional District came from Stan Watne, a former Wright County supervisor.

“It’s disgusting,” he said. “There’s just no room for that kind of talk in our Republican Party and in our nation.'”

“You just don’t build up the country with that kind of language,” he added.

Watne said he believes King should “seriously consider resigning.”

-Messenger file photo
U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, visits with attendees to the Ken and Jane Rasch annual Webster County GOP chili supper at Fort Frenzy in October 2018.

The United States, Watne said, is a nation of immigrants.

“Iowa is becoming populated with Latinos,” he said. “They’re working hard. I’d like to see them on the school board and the other government boards.”

Former state Rep. Dave Tjepkes, of Gowrie, also suggested that King leave Congress.

“My personal opinion is that Congressman King needs to seriously think about retiring,” Tjepkes said.

He said he’s disappointed that King spends time making controversial comments instead of working on things that directly impact the 4th Congressional District.

“The people of this district are open-minded to people of all races,” he said.

Tjepkes said he will be supporting state Sen. Randy Feenstra, of Hull, in the 2020 primary election. He described Feenstra as well-respected.

“I think they did a pretty good job of telling him this isn’t the way we want to conduct business,” former Webster County Supervisor Clark Fletcher said, referring to the decision by the U.S. House Republican leadership to strip King of all his committee assignments.

“You can argue how effective he was before, but now he’ll be even less effective with no committee assignments,” he added. “Are we getting our money’s worth?”

If King were to resign, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds would need to schedule a special election for his seat.

King still has supporters among area Republicans. Bill Horan, a Calhoun County farmer who went to the White House last year to talk to President Donald Trump about ethanol, is one of them.

“I’ve known Steve King since he went to Congress,” Horan said. “I do not believe he is prejudiced toward any race. The comments he makes are the things everyone thinks but is afraid to say. In today’s world, he’s not politically correct.”

“I think Steve King is good for the country in that way,” he added. “Whether you agree with him or not, he makes you think about issues.”

Horan said he would support King in the 2020 primary election.

Tom Hoefling, a conservative Republican activist from Lohrville who has twice sought a seat in the state House of Representatives, said he’s not a King supporter, but added that he doesn’t believe the congressman is racist. He also doesn’t think King should resign.

“I don’t think he’s going anywhere,” Hoefling said. “I think most of this stuff will die down.”

“I don’t think for a moment he’s a racist,” he added.

Becky Kepler, the Hamilton County Republican Central Committee chairwoman, said she voted for King in the November election. Would she vote for him again if the election were held today?

“That’s a toughy,” she said, pausing to consider the question. “But, yes, I probably would.”

Kepler said she wished King had chosen better words to use in his comments.

“I think if you read his statement (in The New York Times) carefully, he ends up just asking a question,” she said. “I’m afraid if he says anything out of place, they’ll jump all over him.”

She said she considers King to be a “good man.”

Kepler said she was disappointed that the state no longer has representation on the House Agriculture Committee.

Hamilton County Supervisor Rick Young also voted for King last November, but said he would “strongly question” if he would vote for him again.

“I haven’t read the comments and sometimes they can be taken out of context,” Young said. “But the words white supremacy — there’s no place for those kinds of words in the Republican Party or society.”

Young said he had the opportunity to spend a day with King not long ago and found him to be warm and personable.

“But his outbursts and comments are not helping anyone,” he said.

King has said controversial things before, but none of those comments provoked anything like the current storm of criticism.

Fletcher said he thinks there’s a general frustration with government now that’s prompting people to hold their elected officials responsible for their words and actions. The ongoing federal government shutdown is adding to that frustration, he said.

Tjepkes said the fact that King narrowly defeated Democrat J.D. Scholten in the November election has focused more attention on him.

“The fact that he did not even carry Webster County — that got a lot of attention,” Tjepkes said. “The saving grace for Republicans in Webster County was that Gov. Kim Reynolds did so well.”

Horan blamed the fact that people have apparently become easily offended for the current uproar.

“We’ve gotten to a point in this country that we’re so easily offended by anything anybody says,” he said.

Daily Freeman-Journal Managing Editor Anne Blankenship contributed to this story.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today