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Campaign Almanac: National Republicans coming to Iowa for party events
Also, Democratic candidates announce endorsements for their 2026 campaigns
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DES MOINES — Rand Paul, Rick Scott and Sarah Huckabee Sanders are making their way to Iowa in the coming weeks.
All that, even though there is no presidential election next year.
Paul, a Republican U.S. senator from Kentucky, will speak May 29 at a state Republican Party of Iowa fundraiser in Cedar Rapids, the party announced Thursday.
Paul will deliver remarks “on current developments in Washington, D.C., and the broader effort to lead a great American comeback,” according to a news release from the Republican Party of Iowa. The Iowa Annual Corridor event is being held at Elmcrest Country Club. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.
Scott, a Republican U.S. senator from Florida, will speak May 30 at a similar event in the Quad Cities. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for the Iowa Annual Quad Cities Event, which will be held at Rhythm City Casino Resort.
Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann will join Paul and Scott at their respective events.
Sanders to speak at Iowa Family Leader event
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will speak at the Family Leadership Summit, the annual event hosted by the Christian conservative Family Leader Foundation, the organization announced.
The 14th annual event is scheduled for July 11 at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Des Moines. More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks, The Family Leader said in a news release.
Sanders is the first female governor of Arkansas and no stranger to Iowa: She helped her father, Mike Huckabee, win the 2008 Republican Iowa caucuses.
Additional information on The 2025 Family Leadership Summit, including how to get tickets, can be found at the organization’s website, thefamilyleader.com.
Willems for AG announces endorsements
Democratic candidate for Iowa Attorney General Nate Willems announced a slate of endorsements that includes former members of Congress, current and former state legislators, and previous state party leaders.
Among the dozens of endorsements, according to Willems’ campaign, are former U.S. Reps. Dave Nagle, Dave Loebsack and Bruce Braley; current state legislators Jennifer Konfrst and Claire Celsi; former state legislators Liz Mathis and Pat Murphy; and current and former state party leaders Scott Brennan and Troy Price.
“I’m proud to have the support of so many Iowa leaders who understand how critical it is to have an attorney general who’s committed to protecting Iowans and holding corporations accountable,” Willems said in a statement.
Incumbent Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has not yet said whether she will seek re-election. Bird is considering a run for governor.
Anti-dark money group endorses Sand
The anti-dark money political organization End Citizens United has endorsed Democrat Rob Sand for Iowa governor in 2026.
Describing itself as “one of the nation’s foremost anti-corruption organizations,” End Citizens United endorsed Sand because of “his career-long fight of uncovering waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars and his work rooting out corruption in state government,” according to a news release.
“I’ve spent my career fighting corruption — locking up scammers, taxpayer abusers, and thieves as Iowa’s chief public corruption prosecutor, and uncovering a record amount of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars for the last six years as Iowa’s State Auditor,” Sand said in a statement. “Now, I’m taking my fight to the governor’s office because for too long, our elected officials have fought for powerful insiders — not Iowa families.”
Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced she won’t seek re-election in 2026.
Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau
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