Firebrand Arizona politician Kari Lake will return to Iowa for an event in West Des Moines this month, just weeks after being tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the government-funded Voice of America news agency.
Lake has lost two consecutive statewide elections in Arizona, first for governor in 2022 and then for U.S. Senate in 2024. She is a high-profile Trump loyalist, and she has been among the most prominent politicians supporting his unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against him.
Lake grew up in Donahue, Iowa and graduated from the University of Iowa.
Her Iowa ties have prompted some MAGA-minded Republicans in Iowa and across the country to suggest on social media that Lake would be a strong potential primary challenger to Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. And her appearance in the state could heighten that speculation.
More: What to know about former Arizona governor candidate Kari Lake’s ties to Iowa
Ernst has faced intense backlash from Trump supporters over her hesitation to endorse the president-elect’s nominee to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth. But, so far, Trump has not joined the calls for Ernst to face a primary challenge in response. She is up for reelection in 2026.
Confirmation hearings for Hegseth are set to begin Tuesday.
‘We are tired of the status quo in our state,’ organizer says
Clive resident BJ James McLaughlin said she is organizing the event. She said she reached out to Lake’s team late last year to see if she would be willing to come speak in Iowa, and she accepted.
“I reached out to her because we are tired of the status quo in our state, and we want our elected officials to know that we’re tired of form letters,” James McLaughlin said. “We’re going to watch everything they’re doing. And, you know, we voted for President Trump by 13 points. We expect that our elected officials will support his agenda.”
Lisa Dale, a senior adviser to Lake, confirmed the visit to the Des Moines Register. Promotional materials were also shared at the Republican Party of Iowa’s legislative breakfast Monday.
Former Arizona governor and Senate candidate Kari Lake, who went to school in Iowa, is back in the state for a political event.
Lake is scheduled to speak Jan. 30 at the West Des Moines Marriott. Tickets are available online and cost $75 for general admission and $145 for VIP tickets. Sales will benefit a fledgling political organization, MAGANation Network, James McLaughlin said, which will work to support MAGA and “America first” candidates and agendas.
James McLaughlin said she thinks that, second to Trump himself, Lake is “one of the highest profile ‘America first’ advocates that we have.”
She didn’t say whether Lake’s visit is intended to send a message to Ernst.
“I don’t know what Kari Lake’s intentions are, but I know she’s going to come here to reinforce President Trump’s agenda,” James McLaughlin said.
More: Key GOP holdout Joni Ernst says she will ‘support’ Pete Hegseth through nomination process
Lake has made previous public appearances in Iowa, including stops in Ankeny, Bettendorf and Iowa City. She said at a 2023 event that she was visiting her family in the state and decided that while she was in Iowa, she’d talk to caucusgoers ahead of the first-in-the-nation GOP caucuses.
Trump named her to lead Voice of America in December. Voice of America is a nonpartisan, government-owned news outlet aimed at an international audience. It’s part of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which has a mission “to inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy.
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She is also covering the 2024 presidential race for USA TODAY as a senior national campaign correspondent. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Trump supporter Kari Lake returns to Iowa for MAGA political event
