President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will hold rallies in Iowa on Oct. 22 and Nov. 1 to boost Republican candidates in a slate of competitive midterm races, returning to a state he has carried three times in presidential elections.
Trump made the announcement on social media, naming six Republicans he wants to see elected, including Ashley Hinson for U.S. Senate, Zach Lahn for Governor, Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the 1st Congressional District, Joe Mitchell in the 2nd, Zach Nunn in the 3rd, and Chris McGowan in the 4th.
“The reason I’ll be there is to get truly fantastic Warriors elected,” Trump wrote, according to AP NEWS.
High-Profile Visits Come as Early Voting Underway
The rallies land in the middle of the early voting period ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. More than 6 million voters nationwide had already cast ballots as of Thursday, according to data compiled by the AP from 39 states.
For Iowa Republicans, the visits are a chance to energize the base in races that will help decide control of the U.S. Senate and House. Hinson, currently a congresswoman, is running statewide, and the state’s four House districts are all on the ballot.
Trump has been crisscrossing the country for GOP candidates, telling a Rose Garden crowd Thursday that he arrived back at the White House from a western swing just before 5 a.m.
“We got a lot of them left,” Trump said of his remaining campaign stops.
FBI Investigates Suspicious Letters Sent to Election Offices
The campaign season is unfolding against a backdrop of threats to election workers. The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service confirmed Thursday they are investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and election offices.
“Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident,” the FBI said in a statement. “We are also working with our partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters.”
At least two state election offices, in Louisiana and Oklahoma, were evacuated this week after receiving envelopes containing white powder, according to AP NEWS. Authorities said no harmful substances were immediately identified.