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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- One political race that is drawing a lot of attention: the U.S. House in the Second Congressional District of Iowa.

Steve Rathje, a businessman from Cedar Rapids, is seeking the GOP nomination to run against incumbent Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa.)

Rathje started out as a janitor in a machine shop, was laid off from work several times and worked to establish two companies in Cedar Rapids: International Procurement Systems, Inc. and the Genesis Group.

KTVO spoke with Rathje regarding his economic plan.

"We're going to begin with a 60-day federal income tax, payroll tax holiday. Now what will that do for you and everyone else, not only in our communities, but our state and our nation? That will create 2.6 million jobs that average $50,000 a year. And in the process put about $290 into the pockets of those earning paychecks for those 60 days," Rathje said.

He also discussed his proposal to reduce federal income tax rates, adding that his plan would put $173 billion back into corporations to invest in the economy. And he surveyed companies to see if they would, in fact, do that...

"194 companies said that they would take their share of the $173 billion and they would put it back into brick and mortar jobs, technology and machinery," Rathje said. "They do not want to send those jobs overseas. They are being forced to because they cannot compete in open markets today with the tax rate as high as it is."

Rathje discussed what he would do in his first day in office if elected. He responded: cut spending and eliminate waste.    

"You know as well as I do: you're in a business, you see waste that can be eliminated every single day. That's what I do for a living. We eliminate waste, we cut spending and in the process we bring jobs back home to America. That is first and foremost what my goal is going to be," Rathje said.

KTVO will be speaking with candidates of both parties throughout this campaign season.