(Picture credit Matt Johnson)
COUNCIL BLUFFS — Vice President JD Vance paid a visit to Council Bluffs on Friday afternoon, holding a “Midterm Rally” to highlight achievements by the Trump administration and to help campaign for some local Iowa candidates.
The event at the Mid-America Center was dubbed the “Republican National Committee Midterm Rally,” coming on the heels of the “Midterm Convention” held September 9-10 in Dallas.
Highlighting the Trump Administration
With a “blue wave” eagerly anticipated by Democrats in 2026, Vance used the occasion to highlight various wins by the Trump administration since beginning its second term, including job growth.
“Last month, we hit one million new jobs created under this administration,” Vance said. “But unlike the last administration, where all of the net job growth under Joe Biden and the Democrats went to the foreign-born, 100% of those one million jobs went to American citizens right here in the United States of America.”
Other highlights included roughly 16 months of near-zero illegal border crossings, the lowest U.S. murder rate in 126 years, the fastest drop in prescription drug prices in 60 years, a ban on Wall Street firms buying up American homes, and an end to federal taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security.
Stepping into the Iowa Governor’s Race
A significant portion of Vance’s speech was dedicated to the Iowa gubernatorial race, where Republican Zach Lahn is running against Democratic challenger and state auditor Rob Sand.
“Zach’s biography speaks for itself,” Vance said. “He’s a farmer. He’s a businessman. He’s this guy who actually signed a paycheck, not just received a paycheck. He’s also a sixth-generation Iowan, and above all, he is a person who wakes up every single day and thinks about how we can defend the jobs, the prosperity, and the public safety of Iowans.”
The Plains Sentinel asked Lahn how it felt to have the sitting Vice President step in to campaign for him in Iowa.
“That was a bit surreal, the Vice President talking so much about my race, about my candidacy,” Lahn said. “He knows what’s at stake. He’s paying attention to Iowa. He gets what’s going on, and he’s ready to fight to make sure we win this race. So it was an honor.”
Vance also had sharp words for Sand, framing the election as a choice between “common sense and crazy.”
“This election is a referendum on common sense versus pure, unadulterated crazy,” Vance said. “Don’t judge Rob [Sand] by what he says on well-produced TV advertisements. Judge Rob Sand by what he has done in 20 years. And by that standard, send him packing. Get him out of Des Moines, and get Zach [Lahn] to support the great state of Iowa.”
While Iowa has been a strong Republican state for the past several election cycles, recent polls show Lahn trailing Democratic challenger Rob Sand by around 5-6%. The Cook Political Report rates the 2026 Iowa gubernatorial race as “Lean Democrat.”
Lahn spoke to the media after the event and dismissed the current polls.
“Ann Selzer said Donald Trump was going to lose in the last election, and she was off by, I think, 16 points,” Lahn said. “Look, we see what’s happening in polling. It’s tightening, and we have 185,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats in this state. We have the numbers here to win. It’s about getting out the vote and getting our message out to make sure people understand what’s at stake.”
The Plains Sentinel asked what Lahn has in store from now until Election Day.
“Oh, man. A lot of town halls, a lot of meetings, keeping the team busy,” Lahn said. “We’re setting up events and going to every corner we can. We’re gonna spend a lot of time in the fourth district because we know we have a lot of votes coming right here.”
Vance Could Be Back Soon
Vance gave shout-outs to other Iowa candidates, including Brenna Bird, who is running for reelection as Iowa’s Attorney General, and Chris McGowan, running for the House in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District. Both also spoke at the event.
Brenna Bird is favored to win reelection by a margin of 60% in most betting markets, though some polls suggest a tighter race within the margin of error. District 4 is rated “Solid Republican” by the Cook Political Report, with betting markets giving McGowan around a 95% chance of holding the seat.
The choice of Council Bluffs might seem curious for a one-off event. Iowa, however, will be ground zero next year for candidates running for President in 2028, and with the “Blue Dot” right across the river, it suggests Vance may also be laying the groundwork for a run at the White House in 2028.
Candidates are expecting to begin announcing early next year in advance of the Iowa Caucuses, which remain for Republicans the first-in-nation vote for their nominee. The Caucuses are expected to be held sometime in January or February 2028.
— Matt Johnson is a freelance reporter with The Plains Sentinel.