WASHINGTON, D.C. – Republican Congressman Steve King says a poll showing his Democratic challenger just 1 point behind is “fake news” then asks for donations to “fight back against his “liberal, far left opponent”.
The headline from Conservative firebrand Steve King Wednesday morning reads, “BREAKING Fake News Poll: New poll shows anti-immigration firebrand Steve King up by just one point” (45-44).
King is referring to his Democratic Challenger, J.D. Scholten, who may be making headway in his campaign to unseat the 8-term Congressman in Iowa’s Fourth District. Scholten is running a well-financed, energetic campaign while King appears to be doing little but making headlines, as he always does. Those headlines have, in fact, lost King some donors and some newspapers who backed him in the past are now endorsing Scholten.
King said in the email received in the NIT newsroom, “I’ve got bad news: A newly released online poll puts my Democrat challenger just 1% behind me – that’s a virtual tie.” Then, however, he called the poll “another fake news attack” and pointed to his own internal polling which reportedly puts him up at least 10 points.
King asked for an “emergency donation” to “Enable me to fight back” against the “fake news, out-of-state special interests, and liberal dark money backing my far left opponent.”
King does not appear to be buying much advertising in his campaign, but does pay family members salaries to be associated with the campaign.
The election is set for November 6.
IA-04 (n=631)
J.D. Scholten @Scholten4Iowa (D) 44
Steve King (R) 45Movement: 26 points to D (was Trump+27)
Trump won IA-04 by 27 points in 2016; King won by 23 points.
Trump opinion is divided (51% fav, 46% unfav); opinion toward King is quite negative (38% fav, 48% unfav).
— Change Research (@ChangePolls) October 30, 2018