Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) won reelection Tuesday, turning back a challenge from former Iowa first lady Christie Vilsack (D).

With 84 percent of precincts reporting, King led Vilsack 55 percent to 43 percent. The AP has called the race for him.

King, a favorite of the tea party, will begin his sixth term in the House next year.

Vilsack, the wife of former Democratic governor and current U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, ran a strong and well-funded campaign. But it wasn't enough to overcome the GOP tide of Iowa's 4th district in the western and central part of the state.