Steve King is an American politician and former businessman, best known for serving as the U.S. Representative for Iowa's 5th and later 4th congressional districts from 2003 to 2021. He gained national recognition for his staunch conservative stances, particularly on immigration and social issues.
Steven Arnold King was born on May 28, 1949, in Storm Lake, Iowa. He was raised in a politically engaged household in the small community of Sac County. He attended Denison Community High School in Denison, Iowa, where he met his future wife, Marilyn Kelly. King pursued higher education at Northwest Missouri State University, where he studied math and science, though he did not obtain a degree.
In 1975, Steve King founded King Construction, a small construction business he launched with a single bulldozer. Over the years, King expanded the company, gaining firsthand experience as an entrepreneur and business owner in rural Iowa. His background in construction and agriculture informed many of his policy views during his time in public office.
Steve King was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002, representing Iowa’s 5th Congressional District. Following Iowa’s redistricting in 2012, he began representing the 4th Congressional District, which includes communities such as Ames, Fort Dodge, Mason City, Sioux City, and Spencer. King served in the House from 2003 until 2021. He was known for promoting conservative positions on immigration, agriculture, and social issues.
However, King’s time in Congress was marked by several controversies. In January 2019, he was stripped of his committee assignments by Republican leadership after making comments widely criticized as racist. For example, he questioned why the terms “white nationalist” and “white supremacist” had become offensive. In another instance, he made a controversial remark suggesting that without rape and incest, human population might not exist. These statements attracted significant bipartisan criticism and calls for his resignation. Despite being a prominent figure in Iowa politics for years, he lost the Republican primary in 2020 to Randy Feenstra.
As of his time in office, Steve King’s net worth was estimated to be modest compared to other members of Congress. His finances were primarily tied to his small business ventures and real estate holdings in Iowa.
Steve King married Marilyn King in June 1972, the same day as the Watergate break-in. The couple met during high school—Steve as a senior and Marilyn as a junior. They have three adult children and eight grandchildren.
Marilyn King has had a career in education, initially working as a preschool teacher at a Lutheran church in Kiron and later at a Methodist church in Odebolt. She pursued a degree at Buena Vista University through night classes and eventually taught primary school. The Kings are practicing Catholics and are members of St. Martin’s Catholic Church in Odebolt, Iowa.
| Birth Date: | 28 May, 1949 |
| Age: | 71 yrs |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Storm Lake |
| Education: | Northwest Missouri State University |
| Gender: | Male |
| Description: | US Representative for Iowa (1949-) |
| Net Worth 2021: | 500 million |
