Trump campaigns Thursday in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will visit Cedar Rapids on Thursday night, the evening that Democratic rival Hillary Clinton will accept her party's presidential nomination.

An 8 p.m. rally is planned at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 350 First Ave NE. Doors will open at 5 p.m.

It will be the second visit to the city by Trump, who held a campaign rally Dec. 19 at the Veterans Memorial Building that attracted more than 1,000 people.

Trump also will hold a 4 p.m. rally at the Adler Theater in Davenport.

As in past elections, Iowa is expected to be a closely contested state this fall.

The stops in Eastern Iowa puts Trump in front of some of the kinds of voters he's appealing to elsewhere in the country.

'Iowa isn't quite the Rust Belt,” said Dennis Goldford, a political science professor at Drake University. 'But in Eastern Iowa, you've got a lot more manufacturing than you have in other parts of the country.”

Trump, who has been critical of U.S. trade and immigration policies, has been courting Rust Belt voters, and his schedule this week reflects that. Today, for example, Trump will make campaign stops in Scranton, Pa., Waukesha, Wis., and Toledo, Ohio.

The Clinton campaign already has staffing in the state and is airing television advertisements.

Eric Branstad, Trump's Iowa campaign director, said the campaign will be making announcements 'very soon” about a campaign headquarters and staffing, though he didn't mention television advertising.

'Iowa is a priority to Mr. Trump and Gov. Pence,” Branstad said.

The public may register online for free tickets to the Thursday Trump event by going to donaldjtrump.com and clicking on 'schedule.”