Turning Point Action has launched a statewide initiative in Iowa to organize for the 2028 Republican presidential caucuses. The effort, titled "Iowa 99," seeks to hire one county coordinator in each of the state's 99 counties to recruit and mobilize Republican Central Committee members. The group aims to increase voter participation in the caucuses.
The move comes as the organization undergoes a transition following the 2025 assassination of its founder, Charlie Kirk. Turning Point Action is now led in part by Erika Kirk, Charlie's widow, and Chief Operating Officer Tyler Bowyer. While the organization has not officially endorsed a candidate for 2028, Bowyer and Erika Kirk have indicated they are ready to support Vice President JD Vance if he chooses to run.
During the Iowa State Fair in August 2026, Turning Point Action activists engaged in heckling of Democratic politicians, videos of which received hundreds of thousands of views on social media. Inside the fair's exhibition center, the group focused on ground operations, including voter registration, distributing buttons, and signing up attendees for social clubs that host barbecues and volleyball games.
The organization reported hiring four staffers in Iowa last year and plans to double its manpower following Zach Lahn's primary victory over Representative Randy Feenstra. Turning Point Action has also expanded its presence in other early primary states, including New Hampshire and Nevada. While some local Republican officials, such as former Dallas County Republican chair Kelley Koch, have welcomed the group’s involvement, other Iowa strategists expressed uncertainty regarding whether the group's online presence will translate into electoral influence.
The scale of this effort involves doubling current staff levels and attempting to reach all of the state's counties. If successful, this creates a template for non-party organizations to influence the caucus process, which serves as the first-in-the-nation contest for the Republican nomination. While Democrats have removed Iowa from the top of their primary calendar, Republicans have maintained its status, meaning the groundwork laid by this group will likely set the early momentum for the national 2028 race.
A resident in Iowa would notice this change through increased local presence at events like county fairs and social clubs, as well as confrontational messaging, such as the organization's signs regarding gender identity. The knock-on effects could include a shift in how candidates like Vice President JD Vance or Senator Ted Cruz approach the state, as they may now compete for the favor of a mobilized grassroots network. The next major test for this infrastructure will be the 2026 midterm elections, where the group plans to demonstrate its clout before the presidential cycle begins.