(Radio Iowa) — Former Republican Governor Terry Branstad has donated to a Republican challenging Congressman Steve King’s bid for reelection. Branstad and King had been long-time allies. Two of Branstad’s top 2010 campaign staffers went on to help steer King’s 2012 reelection. Now, Branstad has donated a thousand dollars to Randy Feenstra, the state senator who is running against King in the 2020 primary.

King held a town hall meeting in the small community of Stanhope yesterday (Monday). King said the controversy that led Republican leaders to remove him from House committees derailed his plan to meet in January with Iowa’s two new House members. King says Iowa’s congressional delegation has flood recovery to work on together and he wants to set up a meeting with Congresswomen Abby Finkenauer and Cindy Axne.

“When we get geographical issues like this, they should be nonpartisan. We should lock arms and get these things done,” King says. “I don’t sense any friction or push back.” During yesterday’s town hall meeting, King was asked about his working relationship with the two new Democrats in Iowa’s congressional delegation.

“We lost two good representatives in this state. Now we have two freshmen and we need to communicate,” King said. “And I will take that as good advice. It is, I know.” King will hold a town hall meeting in Pocahontas County later this week. The event will be held at the Laurens Public Library on Wednesday afternoon.