Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will rally in Des Moines on Wednesday night, stumping for Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn and House candidate Joe Mitchell just six days before Iowa voters go to the polls on November 3.
The Make America Healthy Again rally, first reported by Newsweek, runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and lands in the final stretch of a campaign season where both the governor's mansion and a U.S. Senate seat are up for grabs in the Hawkeye State.
Who Is Speaking at the Des Moines MAHA Rally
Kennedy headlines an event that also features Lahn, Mitchell, Iowa House District 43 candidate Nicole Hasso, Iowa House District 40 candidate Bill Gustoff and Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joe Ladapo, among other speakers, according to Newsweek's reporting. The rally is organized by MAHA PAC, the political arm of the health-focused movement Kennedy has championed since taking over the nation's top health agency.
The event comes one week after President Donald Trump visited Iowa to campaign for Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson, whose race against Democrat Josh Turek has become one of the closest Senate contests in the country. Trump is scheduled to return to Iowa on November 1.
Notable Absence From the Rally Lineup
Hinson is not listed among the speakers for Wednesday night's event, and it remains unclear whether the Senate candidate was invited at all. Newsweek reported that it reached out to MAHA PAC, Hinson's campaign, and the campaigns for Lahn and Democrat Rob Sand on Wednesday afternoon for comment.
The absence raises questions about campaign strategy in the closing days. Hinson is fighting to keep a Republican Senate seat in a race where polls have shown a dead heat for weeks, while Lahn is trying to close a gap in a governor's race that Democrats have led since the primaries.
Healthcare Rises as a Top Issue for Iowa Voters
The rally's health focus tracks with what Iowa voters say they care about most. An October survey by Emerson College Polling of 650 likely voters, conducted October 5-6, found the economy leads all issues at 42 percent, followed by healthcare at 18 percent, threats to democracy at 10 percent and education at 8 percent.
“Voters who find healthcare or threats to democracy to be the top issue facing the state break for the Democratic candidates by double digits,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a press release announcing the results.
That breakdown explains why Republicans are pushing the MAHA message into the final week. Democrats have hammered the GOP on Medicaid cuts, rising costs, rural care shortages and Iowa's cancer crisis, arguing Iowans are struggling to access care. The Kennedy rally gives Lahn and other Republicans a chance to reframe the healthcare debate around wellness, chronic disease and food policy, the issues Kennedy has made his signature.
As CommsTrader noted, healthcare has become a deeply personal issue in Iowa this cycle, with voters more aware than ever of how politics intersects with their doctor's office.
Rob Sand vs. Zach Lahn: Where the Governor's Race Stands
The governor's seat is open this year because Republican Kim Reynolds is not seeking reelection. Democrat Rob Sand, the state auditor, has held a consistent lead over Lahn since the primaries, according to polling aggregated by Yahoo News, a notable position in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor since Chet Culver in 2006.
The most recent numbers paint a challenging picture for Lahn:
- Echelon Insights (October 16-23, 403 likely voters): Sand leads 50 percent to 46 percent, with 3 percent undecided.
- YouGov (October 6-12, 2,244 likely voters): Sand leads 50 percent to 44 percent, with 6 percent undecided.
- Marist University (October 8-11, 1,100 likely voters): Sand leads 52 percent to 45 percent, with 3 percent undecided.
- Emerson College (October 5-6, 650 likely voters): Sand leads 49 percent to 45 percent, with 6 percent undecided.
- Suffolk University (October 1-4, 500 likely voters): Sand leads 55 percent to 43 percent, with 2 percent undecided.
Even Republican pollsters have shown Sand ahead, which makes Wednesday's rally a high-stakes play for momentum in the race's final days.
Ashley Hinson vs. Josh Turek: Senate Race Remains a Toss-Up
The Senate contest is far tighter, with recent polls splitting on who holds the edge:
- Echelon Insights (October 16-23, 403 likely voters): Turek leads 45 percent to 43 percent, with Libertarian Thomas Laehn at 7 percent and 3 percent undecided.
- InsiderAdvantage (October 21-22, 1,200 likely voters): Hinson leads 47 percent to 46 percent, with Laehn at 3 percent and 4 percent undecided.
- YouGov (October 6-12, 2,245 likely voters): Turek leads 47 percent to 46 percent, with 4 percent undecided.
- Marist University (October 8-11, 1,100 likely voters): Turek leads 48 percent to 45 percent, with 5 percent undecided.
- Emerson College (October 5-6, 650 likely voters): Hinson leads 47 percent to 45 percent, with 7 percent undecided.
- CNN/SSRS (September 29-October 5, 801 likely voters): Hinson leads 45 percent to 43 percent.
With the race inside the margin of error in nearly every survey, turnout in the final week will decide which party holds the seat, and with it, control of the U.S. Senate.
What Comes Next
Trump's November 1 return to Iowa will be the last major rally before Election Day on November 3. Kennedy's Wednesday appearance, combined with the president's weekend visit, gives Iowa Republicans two high-profile events in the campaign's final stretch as they work to energize their base and close the gaps in both races.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the RFK Jr. rally in Des Moines?
The Make America Healthy Again rally takes place Wednesday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Des Moines, six days before the November 3 midterm election.
Who is RFK Jr. campaigning for in Iowa?
Kennedy is headlining the rally to support Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn and House candidate Joe Mitchell, along with several Iowa House candidates.
Why is Ashley Hinson not at the MAHA rally?
It is unclear whether Hinson was invited to the event. Newsweek reached out to MAHA PAC and the Hinson campaign for comment but did not report a response by publication.