O’Brien County native to run against 4th District Congressman Randy Feenstra

SUTHERLAND — A Gaza, Iowa native who is a former Army Ranger and CIA operations officer announced he is running against Republican incumbent Fourth District Congressman Randy Feenstra.

Kevin Virgil says growing up in northwest Iowa’s O’Brien County, he has the conservative values need to represent the district. “One of the most conservative districts in America, certainly the most conservative in Iowa, and we need to have a true conservative running here who intends to uphold their oath to the Constitution,” Virgil says. “We don’t currently have that in the fourth district and I intend to fill that gap.”

Virgil says he doesn’t think Fenestra’s actions reflect the record of a true conservative. “His vote to support the renewal of the FISA court, giving 300 million dollars in funding to the FBI, despite all their failures with the American people over the last three years with the January 6th protesters, suppression of civil liberties and the first our First Amendment rights,” he says. ” I can go on and on, but I think that there is a pattern of voting in a way that represents his support of the special interests and his biggest donors, but not those of his constituents.”

Virgil says he will be more open to listening to the people he represents. “One of my core principles is I intend to be accountable to the voters here, to make myself available to them to hear them out, to be readily available and to always speak straight with them,” Virgil says. ” Even if they disagree with me, I’m going to make it very clear why I feel the way I do. And I don’t believe that they have that at the moment.”

Virgil was joined on stage by Former Congressman Steve King Thursday as he made his announcement. Feenstra defeated King in a primary four years ago and went on to win the Congressional seat. Virgil is 50 years old and a graduate of South O’Brien High School and West Point. He now lives in Sutherland where he started a tech company.