Politics

Trump Returns to Iowa and Kansas Rallies Ahead of Midterm Elections

By AP and Reuters

President Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail, holding rallies in Dubuque, Iowa, and Salina, Kansas, after a brief pause at his Mar‑a‑Lago club in Florida. The stops come as Republicans seek to keep control of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Trump won Iowa by double digits in 2024, and the state’s 2nd Congressional District—home to Dubuque—has become competitive, with Republican Gen Z candidate Joe Mitchell facing Democrat Lindsay James. In Kansas, the race for the U.S. Senate is unexpectedly close, with incumbent Republican Roger Marshall competing against Democrat Adam Hamilton, a prominent pastor. The rallies were initially cancelled late Thursday but were rescheduled, and a source close to the administration confirmed that Trump will headline the events. Polls indicate that Democrats are tied with or ahead of Republicans in many state races, and Trump’s approval among rural voters fell to 45 percent in October. Republicans currently hold a 53‑47 majority in the Senate and a narrow edge in the House; losing either chamber would allow Democrats to block Trump’s agenda and potentially trigger investigations. More than 52 million Americans have already voted in the midterm election, a record for a midterm election and up from nearly 46 million who voted before Election Day in 2022.