Ahead of the Nov. 5 general election vote, the Times-Republican sent questionnaires to all of the candidates in contested races for county, state and federal offices. Today’s feature highlights the race for the U.S. House seat in Iowa’s Fourth District between two-term Republican incumbent Randy Feenstra of Hull and Democratic challenger Ryan Melton of Nevada, who previously ran against Feenstra unsuccessfully in the 2022 election.

The first half of the responses from Feenstra and Melton were printed in Monday’s T-R, and the second half can be found below. The next spotlight in tomorrow’s paper will feature the candidates for Iowa House in District 51, Republican Brett Barker and Democrat Ryan Condon.

Randy Feenstra: My faith teaches me that every person is born for a purpose and a reason. As a father of four and a Christian, I will always stand up for innocent life and defend the unborn.

Ryan Melton: Yes, if elected, I would defend reproductive rights by doing such things as codifying Roe. I’d also work to implement stronger social safety nets by advocating for a raised minimum wage, more affordable and accessible health care via a Medicare for All-style health care system, more worker rights protections by advocating for legislation such as the PRO Act, and more needs that would make it more likely that younger parents would feel they have the supports they need so they feel less pressured to turn to abortion. Regardless, legislative abortion bans don’t notably reduce the amount of abortions that happen, they just lead to more dangerous ones and have a lot of horrible downstream consequences, such as putting medical professionals in impossible situations when having their hands tied when dealing with emergency pregnancy complications.

8. Should the federal government pass any additional regulations on gun ownership and sales or loosen them?

Feenstra: I support the 2nd amendment 100 percent and will always be a strong voice for law-abiding gun owners. The right to keep and bear arms is a constitutional right of the American people that shall not be infringed.

Melton: I am in favor of common sense gun safety regulations, such as universal background checks, red flag laws (as long as they are carefully written to find the balance between privacy/2nd amendment rights and public safety), etc.

9. What is your position on the Biden administration’s student debt forgiveness policy, and how do you feel that the president’s executive powers should be regulated by Congress whether a Democrat or Republican is in the White House?

Feenstra: The Biden-Harris administration’s student-loan forgiveness policies are wrong, costly, and unfair. Iowa taxpayers who saved to put their kids through school or never attended college themselves should not be forced to pay for other people’s loans. Yet, to date, President Biden and Vice President Harris have circumvented the law and the courts to cancel obscene amounts of student loans on the backs of hardworking taxpayers. It’s why I have voted to overturn these bailouts time and time again.

Melton: Speaking with experts in our district, it’s clear that the massive college loan debt many of them carry make it less likely they’ll plant clinics or operations in our communities, as our district and state have a lower per capita household income than our surrounding midwestern states, and as such find they often struggle to get the income needed to pay their bills. The student debt crisis, as such, should be a top priority for us to address, as we are seeing a cratering of essential amenities and services out here. While Biden’s plans aren’t perfect as they don’t address the root causes of the debt crisis (i.e. rising college cost), something needs to be done and I’m glad he’s started the conversation.

10. What, if any, action do you believe Congress should take on issues related to the LGBTQ+ community?

Feenstra: My faith reaches me that every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. However, I do not believe that men should be allowed to play in women’s sports. It is fundamentally wrong and harmful to women and girls who have sacrificed to excel in their sport just to have a biological man threaten their opportunities. We must also ensure strong religious liberty protections for our communities of faith.

Melton: I would vote for the Equality Act, which would provide robust protections against discrimination for the LGBTQ+ community.

11. Are there any other major issues you would prioritize if elected to this seat?

Feenstra: On my 36 County Tour, Iowans tell me that they want a secure border and a strong economy. So do I. That’s why, like I’ve done during the 118th Congress, I will continue to support policies to finish the border wall, restore “Remain in Mexico,” end radical “catch-and-release” policies, and fully fund our border patrol agents. I’ll also work to get Sarah’s Law signed into law, which honors the memory of 21-year-old Iowan, Sarah Root, who was killed by an illegal immigrant who was driving while drunk. But, instead of being held accountable for his crimes, he posted bail and fled our country never to be seen again. Sarah’s Law ensures that illegal criminals who harm or kill American citizens are detained and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Additionally, we have to rebuild our economy after trillions of reckless spending authorized by the Biden-Harris administration fueled the worst inflation crisis in over 40 years. That starts with extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which lowered taxes across the board for our families, farmers, and businesses but expires at the end of 2025. Keeping these tax cuts in place will give Iowans breathing room in their budgets, grow our economy, and help us cut our $35-trillion national debt. As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, I will work to reauthorize these tax cuts and include provisions that are beneficial to Iowa like permanently repealing the death tax on our family farms and family-owned businesses. We also need to extend the 20 percent tax cut on qualified business income for our small businesses, maintain the doubled standard deduction and increased child tax credit for our families, and keep provisions in place that allow our farmers and producers to purchase new equipment and invest in their operations.

Melton: My top issues are fighting the carbon capture pipelines, getting to the roots of the state’s cancer crisis and mitigating them, reinvesting in our communities to stem the tide on the hollowing out of our congressional district that has seen 40-plus years of population decline, address the financial stress of our residents (of which for decades, 60 percent of Americans have been living paycheck-to-paycheck), address our inadequate health care system that makes us pay more for worse outcomes than our peer nations, defend public education by doing my best from a federal standpoint to address the fact there’s chronic underfunding of them in states like ours, see what I can do about addressing the water pollution crisis in our state by involving all stakeholders to find common sense solutions, and finding ways to get more farmers back into our district by lessening barriers to entry to prevent more consolidation of power and land ownership.

12. Why are you the most qualified candidate in this race?

Feenstra: Iowans know my record of delivering real, conservative results for our families, farmers, businesses, and rural communities. I have worked to pass a strong Farm Bill as a member of the Agriculture Committee, and I have worked to cut taxes, open new export markets for our producers, and keep our rural hospitals open and fully funded while serving on the Ways and Means Committee. I will continue to be a strong voice for secure borders, fiscal responsibility, and agriculture because that is what Iowans deserve and expect from me.

Melton: I have the relevant education (i.e. my undergraduate degree in History and Political Science and my M.A. in U.S. History), experience (I’ve led teams at a Fortune 100 company for many years), ability to speak truth to power and take on corruption (I’ve always rejected corporate PAC money and always will and don’t use party talking points), and experience running campaigns that I feel I can bring real change to our district, change that is sorely needed.