Pence to visit Iowa to headline event for congressman

Former Vice President Mike Pence will headline a fundraiser next month for Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), marking his third trip in recent weeks to an early primary state and fueling speculation about his 2024 plans.

Feenstra announced the former vice president would attend the first annual “Feenstra Family picnic” in Sioux Center on July 16. Tickets for the event start at $50.

Feenstra defeated controversial former Rep. Steve King (Iowa) in a GOP primary in 2020 and went on to win the congressional seat in Iowa’s 4th District in November.

For Pence, it marks his first foray into Iowa since leaving office and his first headlining role boosting a House GOP candidate. The vice president is expected to endorse and support conservative candidates leading up to the midterms in an effort to win back the House and Senate for Republicans.

The former vice president has been steadily ramping up his political activity in recent weeks. He addressed a conservative event in South Carolina in late April after undergoing heart surgery, and he spoke at the Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Republican Party dinner last week.

Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina are the first three states to vote in the Republican presidential primary.

Pence has spent his early speeches attacking the Biden agenda for being too liberal for the country and focusing on cultural issues that have animated conservatives such as critical race theory, election laws and support for law enforcement.

The former vice president has tied himself closely to the successes of the Trump administration in his speeches, highlighting accomplishments on the judiciary, foreign policy and the economy. Pence, in a rare break with former President Trump, said in New Hampshire the two may never agree about the events of Jan. 6, when rioters stormed the Capitol to halt the certification of President Biden’s electoral victory and threatened Pence.