[2] During World War I, Hoeven served in England and France as a sergeant in Company D, 350th Infantry, 88th Division, and with the Intelligence Service of the First Battalion.

[3] In 1940, Hoeven ran for the Republican nomination in Iowa's 9th congressional district (which was then represented by Democrat Vincent Harrington of Sioux City).

Hoeven finished a close second to Albert Swanson in the primary, who in turn lost to Harrington in the general election by fewer than 2,500 votes out of over 130,000 cast.

He won the primary, and received a significant boost when Harrington resigned his House seat and the Democratic nomination two months before the 1942 general election to serve full-time in the U.S. Army Air Corps in England.

He chose not to run in 1964, the year in which 48 Republican seats (including Iowa's Sixth District) were lost to Democrats.