Comment DES MOINES — Mike Pence smiled through the rain and hail at the Iowa State Fair as he campaigned for a traditional conservative senator on the ballot this fall — and teased his own potential candidacy in a state that’s long been underway the GOP presidential nominating process. “My family and I will do as we have always done, and that is to think and pray about where we might serve next,” the former vice president said. That same day, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in the Pennsylvania battleground to field a far-right gubernatorial candidate. DeSantis recounted his battles with “establishment Republicans” and “the corporate media,” as well as the culture wars in which both have eagerly fought. As DeSantis’ event began, Donald Trump’s political organization announced its own “Pennsylvania Trump Ticket” rally over Labor Day weekend. The candidates he plans to promote are among a host of polarizing candidates, including more broadly election naysayers and newcomers, that the former president helped promote in the primaries. Some Republicans worry that their nominations could cost the GOP crucial seats. Across the country, potential 2024 GOP presidential candidates are emerging and stepping up their involvement in the midterms, boosting Republican candidates as they pitch themselves. They seek to strengthen their political brand and reach new audiences by helping like-minded candidates — who are also potential future supporters — and visiting early states where advisers know their words will get more attention. Their presence on the trail — along with positions on donors, expanding staffs and plans to publish a memoir — underscores the widespread interest in the party running for president, or at least to keep the option open. Even at a time when many Republicans say Trump has secured his hold on the GOP and would start as a heavy favorite for the nomination if he is nominated, the uncertainty surrounding his legal and policy challenges, combined with the full slate of of ambitious Republicans, has effectively launched a 2024 primary campaign. “It’s surprisingly common,” said Republican strategist Bob Heckman, a veteran of presidential campaigns, noting that Republicans are not “timid” or “frozen” in the face of Trump’s repeated suggestions that he may seek a second term in the White House. There’s good reason to make allies now, Heckman said — they might decide not to run on the road, but “if you haven’t done the preparation, you can’t recapture it.” The busy trips have highlighted potential strengths and challenges for the candidates ahead of 2024. Pence, who has faced fierce criticism from the 45th president and his allies for refusing to reverse Trump’s 2020 election loss, won cheers in state exhibition, but also met with some hostility. “Go home!” a woman shouted as Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and Pence spoke to reporters here in Iowa. In interviews, some Iowans insisted that Pence could have kept Trump in office. Much of the Republican primary season has revolved around Trump, who has used the infighting to try to weed out his grudges and elevate many inexperienced candidates who have bought into his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Many races have depended on which candidate is most associated with the former president’s divisive positions. The results were mixed. Trump failed in his bid to unseat Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (D) to certify Biden’s 2020 election victory, but found success in preventing House Republicans who voted to impeach him last year from returning to Congress. (Only two of the 10 who voted are running in the general election.) Trump’s influence will face a new test in the fall after his endorsements boosted candidates some Republicans believe could complicate the Democratic Party’s push to regain control of Congress. Among those candidates is Mehmet Oz, the celebrity doctor who is trailing in the polls in the Pennsylvania Senate race. Trump will campaign for Oz and Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano on Sept. 3. Taylor Budowitz, a Trump spokesman, supported Trump’s midterm endorsements and said in a statement that he “continues to reshape the Republican Party with fighters and defenders of his ‘America First’ agenda.” Activity in the midterm elections extends far beyond Trump, DeSandis and Pence. Other 2024 candidates were also active on the trail this summer and making plans for the fall. Sen. Tim Scott (RS.C.) has starred in ads supporting GOP candidates in Iowa and several swing states, all of which were aired by his political action committee. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley has endorsed a long list of candidates through her PAC. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) attended a fundraiser for Grassley the day before the Iowan’s fundraiser and state visit with Pence. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), a centrist Trump critic, was also at the event and criticized Dell. Dan Cox, the GOP nominee to succeed him — calling the Trump-backed candidate a “crazy guy.” Hogan’s visit came on the heels of a trip to neighboring Nebraska to support Rep. Don Bacon (D), who has clashed with Trump. Hogan plans to campaign for Kristin Drazan, the Republican gubernatorial nominee in an unusually competitive race in liberal Oregon, according to advisers to both. Hogan also bolstered other Republicans targeted by Trump, including moderate Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Kemp. Travel invitations have fallen for another GOP governor — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, whose upset victory last year made him a rising star in the party. Youngkin said he’s “humbled” by people’s interest in a possible presidential run, but hasn’t “even begun to make” that decision. “Our first invitations started coming in the week after he won last year,” said a Youngkin adviser who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private discussions. “We had invitations in probably 20 states.” His team has heard from Senate candidates, the adviser added, but is focused on the governor’s races for now given his limited travel time. This month she will head to Michigan for GOP gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon at her request, the consultant said, and expects to travel in September and October to more purple and blue states similar to Virginia. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) was to contact new GOP congressional candidates “immediately” to volunteer his advice and offer to hit the trail — including in Iowa, according to an aide. Cotton’s pitch to donors has emphasized that strong showings in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire may be more predictive of success than early name recognition. Cotton and others exploring a possible 2024 bid have stumbled on candidates up and down the ballot in both seats, even with the sheriff and senator candidates. Cotton’s aide said the main goal is “party building” at every level, but acknowledged the “additional benefit” of the 2024 grassroots. The strategists agreed that building a reputation in Iowa and New Hampshire is especially important for the many lower-polled candidates eyeing the nomination. National polls showed Trump dominating a hypothetical GOP vote, with DeSantis in second place and others far behind. But some Republicans said they are skeptical that anyone can successfully challenge Trump, no what matters is the work they did this year. GOP strategist John Thomas, who has been putting together a political action committee to support a possible DeSantis run, said those plans are on hold as it looks increasingly likely that the former president will run. GOP pollster Whit Ayres said he groups Republican voters into three categories: about 10 percent who are terrified of Trump, about 40 percent who “would go through a wall of fire for him” and another 50 percent who support Trump — and defensive when he was attacked — but open to other candidates. That dynamic has put the spotlight on a potential candidate that some in the party say they see as a potential future leader of the movement Trump has built: DeSantis. Strategists and donors said DeSantis is in high demand on the campaign trail this year. The governor has gained national prominence while decrying coronavirus restrictions and vaccine mandates and embracing battles over social issues that animate the Republican base, such as how schools teach children about gender and sexual orientation. DeSantis has gone on the trail for GOP candidates closely aligned with Trump — a pattern that underscores his competitive claim to the former president’s voters. Recently, DeSantis has rallied with Trump-endorsed candidates in New Mexico, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Ohio, including some of the far-right GOP candidates who have baselessly called for overturning or validating Trump’s 2020 election loss. While DeSantis shied away from Trump’s false claims that the election was rigged, he embraced the resulting GOP push for more election restrictions and this month announced the first arrests by a new election police force in his state. Mastriano — who played a prominent role in efforts to throw out the 2020 election results and would wield significant power in the 2024 election if he wins — DeSantis did not mention Trump last Friday in Pennsylvania. Hundreds gathered in a Pittsburgh hotel ballroom as DeSantis touted his nearly four years of conservative victories in Florida, from increasing GOP voter registration to legislation banning vaccine mandates. For 43 minutes, DeSantis reiterated his battles against “prosecutors who refuse to enforce the law” and “woke up” companies like Disney. He mocked the negative media coverage and…
