Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was scheduled to visit Iowa on a Monday to participate in campaign activities and meet with veterans, according to sources who spoke with CBS News. The visit is part of a broader effort by Republican officials to support candidates in the state during the current election cycle. Hegseth's schedule included an appearance for Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA), a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve who has served in Congress since 2023.
The trip follows a series of visits to Iowa by other high-ranking members of the administration, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler. While Iowa has trended Republican in recent years, Democratic organizers have expressed confidence in their candidates for open seats in the U.S. Senate and the governor's office, as well as two competitive U.S. House districts.
Hegseth’s participation in campaign events marks a departure from the historical practice of U.S. defense secretaries, who rarely attend political candidate events while in office. Previously this year, Hegseth supported Ed Gallrein in a Kentucky Republican primary against incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the Secretary's scheduled activities in Iowa.
For residents in these districts, the outcome will determine who oversees federal policy affecting their local economy, healthcare access, and taxes starting in the next congressional term. The Cook Political Report currently classifies the 1st District as a "toss-up" and the 3rd District as "lean Republican," indicating that the political alignment of these seats is not settled. The involvement of the Pentagon head in these local races sets a new precedent for the executive branch's role in midterm and general election campaigning, shifting away from the traditional separation between military leadership and partisan politics.
What happens next depends on the upcoming election results and potential administrative reviews of campaigning protocols. In South Carolina, a runoff election between Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman is scheduled for later this month following a special Republican primary. In Iowa, candidates including Nunn and Miller-Meeks, who is facing a third challenge from Democrat Christine Bohannan, will head to the general election in November. The exact impact of these administration visits on voter turnout or fundraising totals has not yet been reported.