Republican presidential candidates, including former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Gov. Ron DeSantis, and seven more are speaking this weekend at the Iowa State Fair, and GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, who represents the state, tells Newsmax the fair is a "fabulous opportunity" for candidates to meet voters in person.
"We will have over 100,000 Iowans and others at the state fair, so it's a great time for them to press the flesh, shake hands, kiss some babies, [and] really stand up, whether it's at the Des Moines Register soapbox or participating in the governor's affair," she said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America."
The fair also allows candidates to share their ideas and objectives for making the United States better, especially following the "two, almost three tough years under President [Joe] Biden," said Ernst. "The Republican alternative is definitely the direction they want to go."
Meanwhile, Ernst said she's not endorsing any of the candidates in the GOP presidential primary, adding that it is a "tradition" for herself as well as Sen. Chuck Grassley and Gov. Kim Reynolds not to name endorsements.
"Iowa is the first-in-the-nation Caucus state," she said. "We kick off the caucus on Jan. 15, and because of that, and we want to maintain that status, we will not endorse. We will welcome all of these incredible candidates into our state and allow our Iowa voters to make their determination on who they want to support."
The candidates, meanwhile, are "everywhere" in the state, but this week will be at the state fair, and "nothing compares" to that, said Ernst.
Meanwhile, when asked if she has White House aspirations of her own, Ernst said she is proud to represent Iowa in the Senate, as she feels "this is my calling."
She also said she's looking forward to the fair and spending time with the presidential hopefuls, but also to meeting up with the people she grew up with in southwest Iowa.
"We're all now adults, adulting out there with children of our own, and many of them have their own children that will be exhibiting livestock here at the Iowa State Fair," said Ernst. "I've reached out to several of them and we're going to go catch up. It's great to see old friends and see the pride that their kids take, whether it's their steers or their hogs. They do a really great job, and I would encourage outsiders from outside of Iowa to come in and visit the state fair."
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