Iowa state senator Lynn Evans pulls out of 4th Congressional District race

Iowa state Sen. Lynn Evans, a Republican from Aurelia, will not run for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District in western Iowa after launching an exploratory campaign in May.

Evans announced Wednesday that he will not run for Congress after he spent the last few weeks traveling the district and talking to voters.

Dausin Olberding, Evans’ senior adviser, confirmed with the Sioux City Journal that Evans is suspending his campaign for Congress and will seek reelection to the Iowa Senate in 2026 instead.

“Over the past several months, our team has thoroughly enjoyed traveling to more than 25 counties across IA-04, meeting with voters, grassroots leaders, and supporters from every corner of the district,” Olberding said in a statement. “While the encouragement and momentum have been phenomenal, the fundraising simply hasn’t reached the level necessary to run a competitive campaign at this time. After careful consideration, Senator Evans believes the best path forward — for himself, his family, and the constituents he proudly represents — is to continue serving in the Iowa Senate and seek reelection there.”

A former superintendent of the Alta-Aurelia Community School District and current adjunct instructor at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Evans was one of 12 state senators who pledged not to vote for state budget bills until legislation regarding the use of eminent domain for carbon sequestration pipelines was brought to the Senate floor for a vote in May.

Evans’ announcement follows a campaign launch by Iowa House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl on Monday. Windschitl, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Missouri Valley, has served in the Iowa House since 2007 and became majority leader in 2019.

Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan also joined the race in June.

Candidates have continued to launch campaigns in the district as three-term incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, of Hull, has been exploring a run for Iowa governor in 2026 after Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she will not seek reelection.

The 4th Congressional District leans heavily Republican with registered, active Republican voters outnumbering Democrats by more than 192,000, according to the latest state voter registration data.

Ryan Melton, who was the district’s Democratic candidate in 2022 and 2024, briefly considered a third run earlier this year but suspended his campaign in June. Democrat Ashley WolfTornabane, of Storm Lake, announced her candidacy July 4.