RFK Jr. Rallies in Iowa as Healthcare Emerges as Key Midterm Issue

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is scheduled to address a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday night. The event aims to rally support for Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn and House candidate Joe Mitchell in the lead-up to the November 3 midterm elections. The governor's position is vacant, with Lahn and Democrat Rob Sand, the state auditor, vying for the role following Republican Kim Reynolds' decision not to run for re-election.

Sand has held a lead over Lahn in recent polls, a surprising result given that Iowa residents have not elected a Democratic governor since 2006. The rally coincides with healthcare ranking as one of the top concerns for Iowa voters, with Democrats arguing that Medicaid cuts, escalating costs, rural care shortages, and the state's cancer crisis are causing widespread struggles.

Notably, U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson, a Republican, is not present at the rally. The event is part of Republican efforts to maintain control over the House and Senate, with Iowa serving as a crucial battleground state for the Senate race between Hinson and Turek, as well as the gubernatorial race between Lahn and Sand. Additional speakers at the MAHA rally include Lahn, Mitchell, Kennedy, Iowa House candidates Nicole Hasso and Bill Gustoff, and Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joe Ladapo.

An October survey by Emerson Polling found that while the economy was the most pressing issue for Iowan voters at 42 percent, healthcare came in second at 18 percent, followed by threats to democracy at 10 percent and education at 8 percent. According to Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, voters prioritizing healthcare or threats to democracy favored Democratic candidates by double digits.

Recent polls have shown a closely contested Senate race between Hinson and Turek, while the gubernatorial race has seen Sand maintaining a lead over Lahn.