Former Vice President Mike Pence is returning to Iowa this week, kicking off a surge of presidential caucus activity after a quiet start to the year.
Iowa Republicans are set to hold their traditional first-in-the-nation caucuses in early 2024, which act as the starting line for the rest of the presidential primary cycle. A bevy of candidates are expected to compete, and they’ve been making inroads with the state’s Republican elected officials and activists for months, if not years, as they weigh their plans.
Now, with former President Donald Trump formally in the race and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley officially launching her campaign Tuesday, activity in the Hawkeye State is starting to ramp up.
Here’s a look at who’s in Iowa this month.
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More:Try the Des Moines Register Candidate Tracker
Kari Lake talks “election integrity” in Bettendorf, Ankeny
Arizona Republican Kari Lake, who is challenging her gubernatorial election loss in the courts, was in Bettendorf and Ankeny last week calling on Iowa caucusgoers to make “election integrity” a key issue in the 2024 presidential race.
Lake, who grew up in Iowa, ostensibly was in the state visiting family and decided to hold the two political rallies while she was here. She told the Des Moines Register she’s not in the state to campaign for office herself — she remains a big supporter of Trump — but saw an opportunity to elevate an issue she cares about.
Iowans can expect to see more of her this year, she said.
More:Judge tosses Kari Lake’s election-challenge in Arizona governor’s race
Mike Pence to hold parents rights’ rally in Cedar Rapids
Former Vice President Mike Pence will be in Cedar Rapids Wednesday to rally conservatives around a “parents’ rights” agenda targeting transgender-affirming public school policies, like one that drew controversy in the nearby Linn-Mar Community School District last year.
Parents are suing that district over policies that support students who identify as transgender without notifying their parents.
Pence’s organization Advancing American Freedom will spend $1 million on promotional strategies such as digital ads, rallies, canvassing and possibly radio and television spots, the Associated Press reports, marking an increased outreach to the state.
More:Exclusive: Mike Pence predicts ‘better choices,’ not Trump, as the GOP’s 2024 nominee
Nikki Haley to make first swing as declared candidate
According to a source familiar with her planning, Haley will make a formal presidential announcement Wednesday in Charleston, South Carolina, before making a stop in New Hampshire and arriving in Iowa for events beginning Feb. 20 — Presidents Day.
She has two public events on the calendar: a town hall at Royal Flooring in Urbandale and another at Legacy Manufacturing in Marion.
The trip will make her the first declared 2024 presidential candidate to appear in Iowa. Trump, who announced his campaign shortly after the midterms, has yet to travel to the state.
More:Nikki Haley will travel to Iowa after declaring she’s running for president
Tim Scott launches “Faith in America” tour
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott will travel to Iowa Feb. 22, his visit set to bump up against Haley’s, a fellow South Carolinian. Scott is speaking at the Polk County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Dinner in West Des Moines. According to a release, he’ll deliver remarks on the importance of faith in America.
Scott is making his first public appearance in Iowa since he attended a fundraiser for the Republican Party of Iowa just before the midterms. He has yet to say whether he will run for president, though Republicans say he has begun reaching out to potential staffers on the ground in Iowa.
Vivek Ramaswamy will talk ‘woke’ corporate ideology
More:Butler County native, ‘Woke, Inc.’ author Vivek Ramaswamy mulls 2024 presidential run
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy drew conservative fanfare after publishing the book “Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam,” which criticizes political correctness and identity politics in corporate America. He has previously traveled to Iowa to meet with Republican leaders and activists as he explores running for president.
He’s set to return to Iowa next week, holding at least two public events Feb. 23 — one with the Scott County Republican Women in Bettendorf and another with the Polk County Republican Party in Urbandale.
More:‘Woke, Inc.’ author Vivek Ramaswamy mulls 2024 presidential run
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.
Story Credit: usatoday.com