Steve King facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steve King
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa |
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| In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Greg Ganske |
| Succeeded by | Randy Feenstra |
| Constituency | 5th district (2003–2013) 4th district (2013–2021) |
| Member of the Iowa Senate from the 6th district |
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| In office January 13, 1997 – January 2, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Wayne Bennett |
| Succeeded by | Thurman Gaskill |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Steven Arnold King
May 28, 1949 Storm Lake, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Marilyn King
(m. 1972) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Northwest Missouri State University |
Steven Arnold King (born May 28, 1949) is an American businessman and former politician. He was a member of the Republican Party. King served as a U.S. representative for Iowa from 2003 to 2021.
King was born in Storm Lake, Iowa. Before entering politics, he founded his own construction company. In 1996, he was elected to the Iowa Senate, where he served until 2002. He was then elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Iowa's 5th district and later its 4th district.
During his time in Congress, King became known for his strong opposition to immigration and multiculturalism (the idea that different cultures can live together). He made many statements that were widely seen as offensive and supportive of white supremacist ideas.
For years, many Republican leaders did not speak out against his comments. But in 2018, his party began to withdraw its support. In 2019, after an interview where he seemed to defend the terms "white nationalist" and "white supremacy," Republican leaders removed him from all his positions on congressional committees. King lost his bid for reelection in the 2020 Republican primary election to Randy Feenstra.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Growing Up in Iowa
Steven Arnold King was born on May 28, 1949, in Storm Lake, Iowa. His father worked as a state police dispatcher. His mother was a homemaker. King graduated from Denison Community High School in 1967.
Education and Family Life
From 1967 to 1970, King attended Northwest Missouri State University. He studied math and biology there. In 1972, he married Marilyn Kelly. They have three children together. King later converted to his wife's Catholic faith.
Starting a Business
In 1975, King started his own company, King Construction. This business focused on moving earth for various projects. His involvement with a contractors' association helped him develop an interest in public policy.
Political Career
King's political career began in the Iowa state government before he moved to the national stage in Washington, D.C.
Iowa State Senate (1997–2003)
In 1996, King was elected to the Iowa Senate. He was reelected in 2000. While in the state senate, he supported a law that made English the official language of Iowa.
U.S. House of Representatives (2003–2021)
In 2002, King ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and won. He was reelected eight times, serving a total of 18 years in Congress.
For most of his career, he won his elections by large margins. However, after Iowa's voting districts were redrawn in 2012, his race against Democrat Christie Vilsack was much closer. He won with 53% of the vote.
His 2018 election was even closer. He won with just over 50% of the vote against Democrat J. D. Scholten. By this time, King's controversial comments had caused many groups to stop supporting him.
In 2020, King faced a strong challenge in the Republican primary from State Senator Randy Feenstra. Feenstra raised more money and had more support from the party. King lost the primary election, ending his career in Congress.
Time in Congress
King was known as a strong social and fiscal conservative. This means he generally supported lower government spending and traditional social values. He often voted against the leadership of his own Republican party when he felt they were not conservative enough.
On December 18, 2019, King voted against the impeachment of President Donald Trump, along with all other Republicans who voted.
Committee Assignments
In Congress, members work in small groups called committees to focus on specific topics like farming or law. King served on the Agriculture, Judiciary, and Small Business committees. In January 2019, he was removed from all of his committees by Republican leaders because of his controversial public statements.
Political Views
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Steve King held strong conservative views on many issues during his time in politics.
Healthcare
King was a strong opponent of the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare). He voted many times to repeal, or cancel, the law. He believed the federal government should not have a major role in health insurance.
Immigration
King was one of the strongest opponents of immigration in Congress. He supported building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and called for an electrified fence. He was also against multiculturalism, which is the idea of different cultures coexisting in one society.
King supported the Great Replacement theory, a belief that white populations are being intentionally replaced by non-white immigrants.
LGBT Rights
King opposed same-sex marriage. In 2009, after the Iowa Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in the state, King called for the judges to resign. He also led a campaign to remove three of the justices from the court, which was successful. In 2019, he voted against the Equality Act, a bill designed to protect LGBT people from discrimination.
After Politics
After losing the 2020 election, King wrote a book titled Walking Through the Fire: My Fight for the Heart and Soul of America. In the book, he defends his actions and says he was trying to warn America about what he saw as dangers to free speech.
He has also campaigned against the use of eminent domain for building carbon-capture pipelines in Iowa. In 2024, he endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy for the Republican presidential nomination.
