4th district candidates Chris McGowan (on left) and Dave Dawson in the KTIV studio for a debate on Sept. 30, 2026. (Photo courtesy of KTIV)
he two candidates running for Iowa’s fourth district seat in the U.S. House offered different approaches to lowering gas prices during a televised debate last night at KTIV in Sioux City.
Republican Chris McGowan, the former President of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, said completing the Keystone XL pipeline would have brought more oil into the U.S. “Unfortunately, for political reasons, the opposition party killed that project,” McGowan said. “Now they cited environmental concerns and other concerns, but the reality is if we had access to that today, we wouldn’t be paying the prices that we’re paying at the fuel pump.”
Democrat Dave Dawson, an Assistant Woodbury County Attorney, said there is a direct way to lower prices now. “The first thing that congress could do is vote to end the war in Iran,” Dawson said. “It has destabilized the fuel market and driven diesel prices to the highest level they have ever been in the United States.”
Both candidates expressed concerns about labor shortages.
McGowan said he supports temporary visas for foreign workers. “I recognize the need for temporary or seasonal labor in ag,” McGowan said, “but let’s not forget the importance of these visas in health care.”
Dawson agreed seasonal workers are needed. “Iowa’s population is aging and shrinking at the same time,” Dawson said. “so we need more young workers in our country to make sure they’re meeting the needs of our employers.”
In closing statements, the candidates thanked each other for running a positive campaign and focusing on the issues.
(By Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City)