Beyond the Ballot
A trip to the presidential proving ground of Iowa is in Rep. Mike Pence’s future.
The Indiana Republican will be the keynote speaker at an Oct. 2 banquet in Des Moines for conservative activists.
Pence is addressing the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s 10th annual “Friends of the Family” banquet for the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition and the Iowa Christian Alliance Education Fund. The Faith and Freedom Coalition is a conservative grass-roots organization headed by Ralph Reed.
Pence has not ruled out a future presidential bid. But chief of staff Bill Smith said Pence’s trip is part of his duties as the No. 3 Republican in House leadership. Pence has been doing what he can to help Republicans win in November, and that includes raising money for candidates and party organizations and firing up grass-roots groups, Smith said.
Smith said he expects Pence to talk about “the importance of winning a conservative majority in the U.S. House,” as he’s been doing in other speeches.
Pence traveled to Iowa last year to raise money for Rep. Steve King and for the Iowa GOP. The Iowa caucuses are the first step in the presidential nomination process.
