Trump Heads to Iowa as Republicans Fight to Hold a Longtime Stronghold

President Donald Trump heads to Iowa on Thursday to shore up Republicans in a state he won by 13 percentage points two years ago. He will hold a rally in Sioux City, in the state's conservative northwest, as Republicans defend a Senate seat, three House districts and the governor's office in the November 3 midterm elections.

The visit was supposed to be a safe stop. Instead it lands in a state where Trump's weaker standing and voter anxiety over his policies have given Democrats an opening after years of Republican gains, Reuters reported. The Senate and House races in Iowa could help decide control of Congress, which would shape Trump's ability to pass his agenda in his final two years in office.

A balancing act for the Senate nominee

Republican Representative Ashley Hinson, the party's nominee for the open Senate seat, will join Trump at the Sioux City rally. She faces Democratic state Representative Josh Turek in a race that has stayed close. Hinson has tried to hold two groups at once: Trump's loyal voters, whose turnout she needs, and undecided voters who are unhappy with the president.

"I will be President Trump's ally when it is important for Iowa, but I will push back on him," Hinson said on the debate stage with Turek, according to the Associated Press. She repeated the message to supporters, saying Trump knows where she stands.

Hinson has called for an "immediate end" to the war with Iran, saying Iowans should not bear higher fuel or grocery prices because of it, Reuters reported. Two other Iowa Republicans on the ballot, Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn, joined Democrats last month in voting to limit Trump's war powers in Iran. Both face difficult reelection races.

Prices and farms drive the anxiety

The Associated Press reported that Iowans have been hit by manufacturing job losses, health care clinic closures and smaller farm profits since Trump returned to the White House. Farmers who powered his Iowa wins now face higher costs and trade uncertainty.

A Marist poll this month found that 42 percent of likely Iowa voters said their finances had worsened over the past year, including more than half of independents. Thirty-five percent said they saw their vote as a vote against Trump, compared with 21 percent who saw it as a vote for him.

What else is on the ballot

In the governor's race, Democrat Rob Sand leads Republican Zach Lahn in recent polling, Reuters reported. Democrats are also targeting an open House seat in Iowa's second congressional district. Republican losses in any of these races would be a setback for Trump in a state where his popularity helped the party build a commanding lead.

Trump is expected to visit Iowa again on November 1, two days before the election, the Associated Press reported. Thursday's rally is the first test of whether his presence still moves the voters Republicans need most.