Iowa 4th District Congressional candidate Ryan Melton has suspended his campaign.
As part of a statement, Melton said he’s lost his longtime job due to company reorganization, and needs to focus on finding a new job to support his family.
Melton also said his wife and six-year-old son are having a tougher time dealing with him being on the road campaigning. Melton also said that he’s now dealing with a health concern that he needs to prioritize.
Melton says he doesn’t regret “a single minute” of his campaigning over the past several years and “it was an honor” to build up the Democratic Party in an area of the state that’s been dominated by the GOP.
Melton finished his 2024 race against Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra with nearly 33 percent of the vote, about 2.3 points better than his finish against Feenstra in 2022.
Feenstra, who was reelected last year to a third term in the U.S. House, has set up a committee to explore a run for governor in 2026. Republican State Senator Lynn Evans announced last month that he’s exploring a campaign in Iowa’s 4th District.
