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Steve King Challenger: Congressman Is ‘Mean-Spirited’ | #IA04

The candidate: Veteran Jim Mowrer, a Democrat
The member: Mowrer is challenging Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa.
The district: Iowa’s 4th District is rated Safe Republican by the Rothenberg Political Report/CQ Roll Call. The district is located in northwest Iowa and is the largest geographically of the state’s four House districts.
The candidate’s team: Ben Nesselhuf (campaign manager), Andrew Feldman (communications), Revolution Media (media), New Blue Interactive (digital media)

Veteran Jim Mowrer, a Democrat, called Rep. Steve King’s recent controversial comments on immigration “mean-spirited” and argued he would be a better fit for the Hawkeye State’s most conservative House district.

In a recent interview at CQ Roll Call’s office, Mowrer said it was hard to find humor in King’s comments, such as when he referred to the children of immigrants with “calves the size of cantaloupes because they’re hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert.”

“I think in some cases, if they’re just silly, they can be more humorous,” Mowrer said last week. “But I think too many times his comments are mean-spirited and divisive and it’s really hard to find too much humor in them.”

Mowrer faces an uphill battle unseating King. GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney carried the 4th District with 53 percent in 2012.

But Mowrer says his deep ties to the district and his military background will convince voters to eschew party ID and vote for him in 2014.

“I was born and raised on a farm in the 4th District, so I’m a lifelong resident of the district,” Mowrer said. “I’ve got a farming background and I’ve spent my entire life serving Iowa and my country, whether it was serving in the Iowa National Guard and deploying to Iraq, or working at the Pentagon to save taxpayer dollars. I’ve got a record of service and getting the job done; I think that we need more of that in Congress.”

This series questions the scores of congressional hopefuls who visit the CQ Roll Call offices each cycle. Responses and questions in the video have been edited and condensed. Have a question for a candidate? Follow us at @RollCallPols to learn about upcoming interviews.

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