CyHawk tailgates become battlegrounds as Iowa candidates court voters
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Candidates for state and federal office traded the campaign trail for the tailgate lots Saturday, working the crowds of Hawkeye and Cyclone fans before the annual CyHawk showdown at Kinnick Stadium.
The football rivalry took a backseat for a few hours as Republicans and Democrats alike pressed the flesh, hoping to turn game-day enthusiasm into November votes. The events highlighted just how much is at stake in Iowa this election cycle, from control of Congress to the governor's mansion.
Miller-Meeks hosts annual tailgate with GOP heavyweights
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, wearing a Hawkeye shirt, held her traditional Triple-M Tailgate with a who's who of Iowa Republicans, including U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, Rep. Ashley Hinson, gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn, Attorney General Brenna Bird, Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer, and congressional candidate Joe Mitchell.
The message from the GOP side was consistent: Republicans are the party of common sense on law enforcement, border security, and tax relief, while Democrats want to fundamentally change America for the worse.
“We know why we're running. We know we're here to serve you, and we know what we're going to do,” Miller-Meeks said. “You also know what the other side is going to do. Don't give them the opportunity to take away your opportunity.”
Turek says Iowans want change
Across the tailgate lots, Democrat Josh Turek, who is challenging Hinson for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Joni Ernst, worked the crowd in a Hawkeye shirt of his own. Turek said the fans he met are excited about both the game and his campaign.
Recent polls from Rasmussen Reports and YouGov show Turek with a narrow lead over Hinson. Rasmussen has Turek at 45% to Hinson's 40%, while YouGov shows Turek up by just one point, 44% to 43%.
Turek framed his campaign around preserving the American dream, saying young Iowans have told him they fear they'll never achieve it. He cited concerns over rising costs, affordable housing, healthcare, and clean drinking water.
“I want to make sure that the American dream continues, and I want to make sure we've got someone in D.C. that is fighting for the people, not just the billionaires and large corporations,” Turek said. “Or not going up to D.C. to make yourself more wealthy but actually doing the work of the people.”
Hinson, who wore an Iowa State shirt, said she's ready for the challenge of succeeding Ernst. She said she remains focused on the three priorities she set when she first ran for office: protecting taxpayers, giving rural Americans a voice, and keeping the country safe and secure.
Why Iowa races matter nationally
Miller-Meeks, running for reelection in Iowa's 1st Congressional District against Democrat Christina Bohannan, said Democrats no longer believe in Iowans or the promise of America. She said she and her fellow Republicans are proud of the nation and being “American-made.”
Lahn, the GOP gubernatorial candidate, pushed back against what he called Democrats' focus on negativity.
“Change is not a campaign platform,” Lahn said, while acknowledging there are things “we still need to work on.”
He said Democrats want voters to believe “your life is terrible and it's somebody else's fault,” but pointed to Iowa's strong rankings in affordability, opportunity, and quality of life for retirees. His priorities include keeping young people in Iowa, supporting family farms, ensuring quality education, and protecting Iowans' health.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who joined the tailgate, praised Miller-Meeks as the “epitome of the American woman,” citing her work ethic and her service as a doctor. He warned that Iowa's statewide races have national implications.
“If you want more jobs, you want school choice, you want to live in a safe community, if you don't elect your statewide candidates, it's going to change,” Scott said.
Scott claimed that if Iowa had a Democrat in the governor's office during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state's economy would have been ruined and children would have been kept out of school. He also labeled all Democrats socialists, a characterization no Iowa Democrat running for office accepts.
Scott stressed that Miller-Meeks' and Hinson's races are critical to maintaining Republican majorities in Congress.
“These statewide races matter,” Scott said. “If you want more jobs, you want school choice, you want to live in a safe community, if you don't elect your statewide candidates, it's going to change.”
Republicans hammer Democrats on immigration
Mullin went further than Scott, calling all Democrats “communists,” a label he attributed to President Donald Trump. He argued Democrats are trying to turn the U.S. into a communist country by sowing chaos, pointing to illegal immigration under former President Joe Biden. Mullin said Trump has provided the tools to fix things through policy and law enforcement, but Iowans must do their part at the ballot box.
Mullin also read an AI-generated summary from an internet search on how to turn “a red state blue,” which suggested shifting demographics through encouraging migration and investing in voter registration efforts for new and returning voters. The plan, he said, isn't to change minds with good ideas but to bring in enough people to drown out existing voters.
Republicans, Mullin said, are the party of “common sense” because they support not coddling criminals, securing U.S. borders, backing law enforcement, and providing tax relief for everyone.
“By them allowing or wanting open borders, and then not deporting those that are in this country (illegally), it's because they're trying to change the fabric of our country, the foundation of our country, and it starts and races just like Miss Miller-Meeks',” Mullin said.
With control of Congress and the Iowa governor's office on the line, Saturday's tailgates made one thing clear: the 2026 election is already in full swing in the Hawkeye State.