King announces…

"I will not be a candidate for governor in 2010."  Congressman Steve King, August 27, 2009.

Congressman Steve King (R-Kiron, Iowa) plans to run for reelection to his seat in congress, ending speculation he may run for governor. Read King's prepared remarks, released this morning, below.

Statement from Congressman Steve King

"Iowa is drowning in a pool of nearly a billion dollars of red ink.  Seven activist supreme court judges have defied the will of Iowans while our state’s taxes and regulations swallow so much production Iowa is at a competitive disadvantage in the Midwest and nationally.  We are a rich state with poor leadership.  Iowa needs a competent governor who will stick to principle and put us back on a prosperous and family friendly path.

"Our nation is in even worse condition.  Seven hundred billion in TARP funding, $787 billion in stimulus spending, the nationalization of three large investment banks, AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Chrysler and General Motors all swallow up part of the free market system.  All of which I have opposed and all of which could be reversed by the signature of the next president.  But the passage in the House of “Cap and Trade” followed by a strong Obama effort to pass a national healthcare act while faced with the likelihood of an attempt to pass a comprehensive amnesty bill, all are permanent decisions that, in my estimation, can never be effectively reversed.  America is on the brink of permanent transformation into the abyss far to the left of liberalism.  

"It is always a profound honor to serve Iowans in any capacity.  A sense of duty and of urgency is calling many leaders into public service.  Good candidates are stepping up to the governor’s race while I find myself well positioned to continue to effectively oppose the hard leftward lurch of the Pelosi Congress while working to refurbish the pillars of American Exceptionalism.  I have decided I can be of better service as a Member of Congress than as a candidate for governor and, barring unforeseeable and dramatic events, I will not be a candidate for governor in 2010."

King was re-elected to the 5th District for a fourth term in Congress last fall, winning all 32 counties and with a landslide margin of 60 percent of the vote in a three way race.  King has emerged on the national stage as a vocal conservative leader, ranked by the U.S. News and World Report in the top five in the nation as an effective critic of President Obama’s policies.  He is the Chairman of the Conservative Opportunity Society, an organization formed by Newt Gingrich and others credited with producing the core ideals that won the majority for Republicans in the House in 1994.   King serves on the Agriculture, Small Business, and Judiciary Committees.