IDA GROVE, Ia. — Barnstorming through Iowa's 4th Congressional District in a Winnebago recreational vehicle, Democrat J.D. Scholten has been spending more nights sleeping in Walmart parking lots than in his own bed in Sioux City.

His goal is to unseat U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, a blunt-talking, conservative politician who has won eight consecutive terms and is running in Iowa's most heavily Republican and most rural House district.

Iowa GOP leaders remain confident, and political analysts say King, who grabs headlines with his off-color comments and strong anti-immigration views, is a favorite to win again.

But Scholten is relentlessly campaigning and his supporters are betting his hustle and grit can lead to a long-shot upset. The former professional baseball pitcher has raised and spent more campaign cash than King has and, as of this summer, had more cash left to spend than did the incumbent.

"If you want change, this is the race to get in. If you are frustrated by what is happening in Washington, D.C., I am right there with you," Scholten told about 35 people who heard him speak recently at the Ida Grove Community Recreation Center.

Scholten said his crowds have been growing, including more than 180 people who heard him talk in Spirit Lake, and he claims internal campaign polls show him closing the gap with King. He's on his third campaign swing, holding town hall meetings in each of the district's 39 counties in northwest and north-central Iowa, including the towns of Sioux City, Mason City, Ames and Fort Dodge. He has gone from zero to 82,000 social media followers on Twitter since last year, compared to about 100,000 for King since 2009.

► Election Day 2018 voter guide: Everything Iowans need to know before you vote

Scholten, 38, who stands a towering 6 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs about 230 pounds, was a right-handed baseball pitcher at Morningside College in Sioux City and the University of Nebraska.

His subsequent baseball career included an independent league stint with the Sioux City Explorers and games in seven different countries. His four-year independent league record included 14 wins, 10 losses and 85 strikeouts in 166 innings pitched.

He has since worked as a paralegal in Minneapolis and Seattle.

As a congressman, Scholten promises better representation for Iowa workers and farmers. He supports a public option for health care, lower tuition costs for college students, high-speed internet service for every rural community, and a tax code that emphasizes the middle class.

More: VIDEO: J.D. Scholten meets with Register editorial board

King: 'I share beliefs with a super-majority of this 4th Congressional District'

King, 69, who formerly operated an earth-moving company, was elected to the Iowa Senate in 1996 and to the U.S. House six years later. He's as comfortable wearing blaze-orange hunting gear and toting a shotgun as he hunts for pheasants each fall in northwest Iowa as he is wearing a dark suit and white shirt and tie in Washington, D.C., as he pursues legislation in Congress. The lapel on his suit has not only a gold pin showing he is a member of Congress, but a red, heart-shaped pin showing his support for a federal version of a "Fetal Heartbeat" bill aimed a banning abortions.

King has repeatedly led efforts to repeal former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act and he's a strong supporter of gun rights and tough enforcement of immigration laws. He easily defeated his last two Democratic challengers with more than 60 percent of the vote in each campaign.

"I share beliefs with a super-majority of this 4th Congressional District as reflected by election results going all the way back to 2002," King said in an interview with the Des Moines Register. "They know I haven’t changed. They know I always give them the straight, truthful answer. I don’t equivocate. Some people don’t like hearing the straight, truthful, unequivocating answer. But they always know where I stand."

King isn't holding town hall meetings and he hasn't accepted offers to debate Scholten. But King said he regularly travels the 4th District, speaking at GOP events and Chamber of Commerce meetings, attending county fairs and other community activities. He recently accompanied a delegation of Taiwan trade officials as they toured Iowa farms after agreeing to buy more American soybeans. He spoke with the Register after walking in Algona's annual Band Day Festival parade in late September.

King said he has no intention of publicly announcing plans for town hall meetings. He said that liberal activists linked to the "resist movement" are calling for town hall meetings because they want to set the stage for demonstrations.

"But if they want a meeting, if they are serious about wanting to know where I stand, get ahold of me," King said. "We can talk to people and we do and we have that going on constantly, either me or my staff."

King has repeatedly provoked controversy with outspoken comments about immigration and multiculturalism, LGTBQ rights, affirmative action, climate change and a host of other issues. He and his supporters contend he's misquoted or quoted out of context, while his critics claim he's racist and bad-mannered.

Bobbie Clark, an Algona homemaker, said she supports King, because once he takes a stance on an issue he doesn't back down.

"If you are really strong about where you stand, you are going to be controversial," said Clark, who chatted with King at a meet-and-greet event at Kossuth County GOP headquarters in Algona.

Clay Miller, a retired Ida Grove banker, harshly criticized King during Scholten's town hall meeting in Ida County. He plans to vote for Scholten and wants King ousted.

“Steve King has been an absolute embarrassment. He has made us look terrible," Miller said. "I want somebody who is going to represent Iowa as a true Iowan and who has same values as all of us. I don’t believe Steve King is there. He is more of a white supremacist and a 'yes' man for Trump."

Could Scholten win? He says yes. Others are not so sure.

The Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball both rate the 4th District race as "likely Republican," while fivethirtyeight.com gives Scholten about a 1-in-9 chance of upsetting King. The district's voter registration leans strongly to the GOP with 39 percent Republican voters; 25 percent Democratic voters; and 36 percent independent or other voters.

Drake University political scientist Dennis Goldford said he won't flat-out say that Scholten can't unseat King. But he said the Democratic candidate faces "a pretty steep uphill climb."

However, Iowa State University political scientist Dave Andersen, whose research includes American elections and political behavior, said Scholten seems to be running a much more active campaign than King. He suspects King is coasting, which he believes could be a bad move this year, even though the Republican incumbent is in a district that he fits well.

While it may be hard to imagine King losing, it's not impossible, Andersen said, particularly if there is a Democratic wave on Election Day, coupled with a hard-working, quality challenger and an incumbent who doesn't campaign hard enough.

"I think there are big questions about where Steve King is. I have heard plenty of anecdotal reports about people within his district — who are traditional supporters — just kind of questioning their support for King this year," Andersen said.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican dean of the Iowa congressional delegation, believes King will be fine.

"I have absolutely no evidence that he is not working hard. And I think we have heard these rumors before in his eight terms," the senator said.

Penny Rosfjord of Sioux City, who chairs the 4th District Democratic Party organization, said she's cautiously optimistic about Scholten's campaign, but she's felt the same way about other Democrats in the past who have ultimately lost.

Cody Hoefert of Rock Rapids, co-chair of the Republican Party of Iowa, said he's seeing no lack of enthusiasm in the Iowa GOP's ranks and Republican crowds have been good at events. But, obviously, the party in power often faces difficulty in midterm elections like the one approaching in November, he acknowledged.

"People still have to turn out and vote. But I am not seeing anything that is making me nervous," Hoefert said.