KMEG 14 - News, Weather, Sports for Sioux City and Siouxland | Money Matters in Race for Iowa's 4th Congressional District

Money Matters in Race for Iowa's 4th Congressional District

With the Iowa Caucus well behind us folks are starting to turn their attention toward other political races.

Here in our corner of the state the race for Iowa's newly formed 4th congressional district is picking up steam.

The race between incumbent Steve King and Iowa's former first lady could come down to dollars and cents.

Iowa's 5th District has been represented by Congressman King since 2002, but in 2013 that district disappears.

With Christy Vilsack in the running, the race could really heat up.

In November voters won't only be choosing the nation's next President, in Northwest Iowa they'll be deciding who wins the newly formed 4th congressional district.

Of the counties that make up the new district, 18 of 39 are currently served by Congressmen Steve King, but this election King could have a fight on his hands with Iowa's former first lady.

"I'm applying for this job because I want to make sure that people can continue to live in small towns and small cities in the future," says Vilsack. "And in order to do that we have to figure out the economic strategy for keeping people here and bringing people here."

To voters she's a recognizable name, and with that recognition comes money and a possible battle for Steve King.

"Now it's perhaps the first time that he's really faced a contender who actually can raise those sorts of resources that can put a media contest with him," says Patrick McKinlay, a Political Science Professor at Morningside College in Sioux City.

As of September 2011 Vilsack has raised more than $700,000 for her campaign. King on the other hand has only risen just over $600,000, but so far those numbers don't have him worried.

"Each time that I've been involved in a campaign, we haven't gone out to raise any more money than we needed, says King.

He says he'll head into this election the same way he has for the past 9 years.

"I know that the campaign is going to be one where I learn things about me that I don't yet know," says King. "We have to brace up for that, we have to raise money, we have to run the grassroots campaign, we'll do all of that."

Vilsack says that she's recently surpassed the million dollar mark for campaign funds.

As the race heats up those campaign donations become more important each day.

So, just where is all that money coming from?

Check out this link: http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.php?id=IA04&cycle=2012