Democrat Ryan Melton announces 2024 campaign for Iowa's 4th District in northwest Iowa
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Democrat Ryan Melton will run again for Iowa's 4th District seat in the U.S. House.
Melton, a Nevada insurance supervisor, unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra in 2022. Feenstra won re-election with 67.4% of the vote, besting Melton by more than a 2-to-1 margin.
The 4th District covers the northwest corner of Iowa, which is historically a Republican stronghold in the state. Melton won only one county — Story, which includes his hometown and Iowa State University.
"I'm just going to keep on fighting the good fight, despite the odds, as best I can," Melton told the Des Moines Register on Tuesday. "We, as Democrats in red states and red districts, need to take pride in the fact that we're fighting."
Melton has never held political office. He previously served as a treasurer for a Story County Board of Supervisors candidate in 2018 and was a caucus precinct chair for Bernie Sanders in 2016.
He entered the 4th District race in January 2022, when it became clear no other Democrats would take on Feenstra. But with less than a year before the general election and little name recognition, Melton struggled to gain footing.
This time, Melton says he will focus more on fundraising, reaching out to young people and people of color, and consulting with scientific experts on issues of water quality and public health.
"I think we have a lot of momentum going into '24," Melton said.
Melton is the first Democrat to announce his candidacy for the 4th District in 2024.
The Feenstra campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Feenstra has yet to announce whether he will seek a third term in office.
More: What the 3 candidates running for Iowa's 4th Congressional District say about abortion, guns
Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Democrat Ryan Melton running for Iowa's 4th District seat in 2024
