Republicanii își fac griji pentru Iowa pe fondul unor alegeri de la mijlocul mandatului dificile

DES MOINES, Iowa — Vice President JD Vance lands here Tuesday in an effort to boost the re-election campaign of Rep. Zach Nunn — the latest development that underscores Republicans’ midterm jitters in a state that has moved to the right in recent years.In Iowa’s race for governor, the GOP is dealing with a jumbled June 2 primary field while the presumptive Democratic nominee, State Auditor Rob Sand, coasts without opposition.And in the battle for an open Senate seat, the mainRepublican-aligned Senate super PACin Washington is preparing to pump nearly $30 million worth of advertising into a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to the chamber in 18 years.Vance’s appearance with Nunn, meanwhile, is connected to the GOP’s scramble to keep control of the House, where the party has a slim majority heading into this fall’s elections. Nunn’s is one of at least two Republican-held seats in Iowa that could flip to Democrats this fall. Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Jan. 23.Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty ImagesJeff Kaufmann, the Iowa GOP chair, said he believes Tuesday’s visit to the state will be the first of many for Vance, a likely White House contender in 2028. Iowa is known for hosting the first presidential caucuses. “Iowa is in the crosshairs again this year,” Kaufmann said in an interview. “A wide-open Senate seat, potentially three — right now it looks like two, but potentially three — competitive congressional seats. Majorities in the Senate and the House pass through Iowa. And we’ve got an open governor’s race.”“I suspect we’re going to be seeing a lot of national leaders trekking through the Hawkeye State,” Kaufmann added. “And the welcome mat is open.”Democrats have thrown out the mat, as well. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., a potential presidential candidate in 2028, visited last month to campaign with Nunn’s challenger, state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott.“There’s a lot more in play here than Washington thinks,” Slotkin said then in an interview. “Eight years ago, this was a swing state, and I think a lot of people have written it off. And I think that’s ill-advised.”‘Grab the popcorn’ in the governor’s primaryIowa’s primary for governor has become a particular headache for Republicans. Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, chose not to seek a third full term as governor. Rep. Randy Feenstra has long been seen as the front-runner in the five-candidate GOP field. But Zach Lahn, a farmer and businessman, has turned heads with a self-funded campaign and an endorsement from MAHA Action, a group aligned with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement. Others in the race include former state Administrative Services Director Adam Steen, state Rep. Eddie Andrews and former state Rep. Brad Sherman. President Donald Trump hasn’t endorsed a candidate, disappointing some Republicans who were hoping his intervention might