Windschitl withdraw name from Iowa’s Fourth District
Iowa Capital Dispatch
Republican Matt Windschitl (Missouri Valley), former Iowa House majority leader, was the latest candidate to announce his congressional campaign suspension Friday. Fields are narrowing in races for federal offices in Iowa, as fundraising reports show some candidates pulling ahead of primary challengers.
Windschitl, who began his bid for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District in July 2025, announced Friday he was suspending his campaign. The announcement comes two days after President Donald Trump endorsed Republican candidate Chris McGowan, Siouxland Chamber of Commerce president.
Windschitl has served in the Iowa House since 2006 and previously held a leadership role. He stepped back from leadership this session to focus on his congressional campaign. The Fourth District seat is open as incumbent Rep. Randy Feenstra is running for governor. Windschitl’s withdrawal leaves McGowan, Ryan Rhodes and Christian Schlaefer as the remaining Republicans in the race. Windschitl’s announcement came one day after President Trump endorsed McGowan, the president of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce.
“This was not an easy decision,” Windschitl said in a statement. “I entered this race to offer strong conservative leadership rooted in service, honesty, and hard work. With recent developments in the race, it became clear that continuing would not best serve our shared goals or the people of the 4th Congressional District.”
He endorsed McGowan for the position, calling him an “honorable man.”
The announcement comes as the most recent Federal Election Commission reports show Windschitl raising no money in the final quarter of 2025, while spending $19,664.
He raised a total of $67,425 since beginning his campaign, according to the filing, and ended the year with $46,811 cash on hand.
In comparison, McGowan reported raising $136,275 and ending the most recent reporting period with $354,164. Other Republican candidates in the field also reported higher fundraising amounts, with Iowa Tea Party founder Ryan Rhodes raising $131,612, while Christian Schlaefer, a 29-year-old software consultant from Lakota, raised $7,710.
Windschitl said he was grateful to supporters of the campaign, and said he plans to continue to engage in public service.
Open seats drew crowded primary fields, Windschitl was not the only candidate to leave the race early in 2026 and FEC reports show candidates in several contested races pulling ahead of their primary opponents across the state.
The 4th District, a longtime conservative stronghold, has many hopefuls aiming to become the Republican nominee in the upcoming midterms as U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra runs for Iowa governor. His shift came after Gov. Kim Reynolds’ announcement that she will not run for reelection.
The elections for Iowa governor and 4th Congressional District are not the only races with no incumbent in the 2026 election. Among the state’s federal elected offices, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst announced in 2025 she will not seek another term, leaving the U.S. Senate seat open, and U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson launched a campaign shortly after to become the Senate GOP candidate — leaving the 2nd Congressional District race open as well.
The campaign shake-ups heading into the midterms led to larger primary fields in many races than the state has seen in recent years, as state lawmakers, community leaders and others see a better opportunity for their campaigns to gain traction than in previous recent election cycles.
Though the June 2 primary is still several months away, the FEC reports from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025, show certain candidates emerging as top fundraisers in comparison to their primary opponents in several races — while additionally showing Republicans holding fundraising advantages in the congressional and U.S. Senate races.
When Trump came to Iowa in late January, he told a crowd of supporters that making sure Iowa continues to send Republicans to Washington, D.C., is vital for keeping GOP control of the Congress. He said policies that have positively impacted Iowans will be reversed if Democrats win majorities in the U.S. House or Senate.
“If we lose the midterms, you’ll lose so many of the things that we’re talking about, so many of the assets that we’re talking about, so many of the tax cuts that we’re talking about, and it would lead to very bad things,” Trump said.
