Christie Vilsack moving closer to run for Congress in northwest Iowa

Christie Vilsack, the former first lady of Iowa, is taking concrete steps toward a congressional bid in Iowa's 4th District.

Vilsack announced this morning she's moving to Ames, setting up a possible race against Republican Steve King in 2012.

In a statement Wednesday, Vilsack said:

“Serving Iowa is both a privilege and a responsibility. The decision to run for Congress deserves serious consideration. Next month, I will move to Ames and continue to explore the possibility of representing Iowa in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

The announcement comes after days of speculation about her plans.

Vilsack, whose husband, Tom Vilsack, is the U.S. secretary of agriculture, has made clear for a long time she's interested in running for office. But she hasn't tipped her hand about which office she might seek.

Some of the speculation recently has centered on whether she would challenge fellow Democrat, incumbent Rep. Dave Loebsack in the 2nd District.

Vilsack's hometown of Mount Pleasant is in the newly configured 2nd District, and Loebsack already has said he'll seek re-election there.

A race between King and Vilsack has the potential to bring more excitement in a year when the state also may be a presidential battleground. But it also would be a challenge for Vilsack.

The 4th includes much of northwest Iowa, a heavily Republican part of the state that King has held since winning election in 2002.

His winning margins have been big, too, although he's tended to face lesser-known rivals.

Vilsack would come into the race with high name recognition. She has been popular with her party's base from the time that her husband ran two successful gubernatorial campaigns.

Also, the outspoken King has so outraged Democrats in the state, and elsewhere, that a Vilsack candidacy has fired them up in recent days.