Sen. Cotton: seven events, four days in Iowa

Starting Saturday, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., will appear at seven events over four days in Iowa, home of the nation’s first presidential caucuses.

Cotton is the featured speaker at the Republican Party of Iowa’s Reagan Dinner in Des Moines Oct. 8 and will give the keynote address at the Scott County Republicans’ Reagan Dinner Tuesday, Oct. 11. Scott County is home to Davenport, Iowa’s third largest city.

Also, on Friday, Donald Trump announced that Cotton had been named a member of Trump’s national security advisory council.

Taylor Mason, Republican Party of Iowa communications director, said the RPI Reagan Dinner in Des Moines is one of the party’s two fundraising events and will feature speeches by the state’s governor, two U.S. senators, and two congressmen in order to rally the troops as the party begins its get-out-the-vote dinner. The event drew 1,100 last year, but about half that are expected this year because of this being an election year.

Cotton’s name is often mentioned as a potential future presidential candidate. His Senate term ends in 2020. A state law passed in 2015 would allow him to run for president and for the Senate at the same time.

Cotton spoke to the Iowa delegation at the Republican National Convention in July. The Des Moines Register reported then that Cotton called the Republican Party “America’s governing party” and said he pointed out the party’s majorities in Congress and in state legislatures.

“You get a lot of politicians coming in from other states and sometimes they’ll pander to Iowa a little bit,” the Des Moines Register reported him saying. “I’m not going to do that, but I’m just going to say I’m the only politician who will speak to you this week who loves Iowa so much that I married a girl born in Iowa.”

He added that his wife, Anna, was from Nebraska but was born in Sioux City because her hometown’s hospital didn’t deliver babies.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told reporters then that Cotton could be a potential presidential candidate because of his effectiveness in dealing with national security issues.

Cotton’s other scheduled events include a Sunday fundraising event for a state Senate candidate; a Monday event regarding veterans’ suicide hotline legislation and a fundraising event for a state Senate candidate; and a Tuesday business tour and newspaper interview with a state Senate candidate followed by a campaign event with Grassley.