Iowa 4: Christie Vilsack Likely to Challenge King

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 15, 2011 · 11:39 PM EDT

Former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack (D) is likely to take on Cong. Steve King (R) in Iowa’s new 4th Congressional District, according to a Democratic source in the Hawkeye State. Vilsack, however, has not yet made a final decision.

There’s been a lot of movement in the delegation since the new map was unveiled.

On Friday, Cong. Tom Latham (R) announced he will run in the new 3rd District against Cong. Leonard Boswell (D) instead of facing King in a GOP primary in the 4th District. Boswell reiterated his intention to run for reelection in an effort to snuff out the retirement rumors.

Cong. Dave Loebsack (D) already announced he’d move and run in the new 2nd District even though he currently lives just over the border in the 1st District, where Cong. Bruce Braley (D) will run reelection.

Vilsack is from Mount Pleasant in the southeast corner of the state but with incumbent Democrats running in three of the four congressional districts, there weren’t a lot of options left, unless she wanted to take one of them on in a primary.

Vilsack, who is the wife of former governor and current Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, has long been talked about as a candidate in her own right. The 4th District includes the northwest portion of the state and is the most Republican district in Iowa, but Democrats believe that King is too conservative, even for that area.