Democratic Sen. Harris to make campaign trip to Iowa

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris of California has scheduled her first campaign trip to Iowa before Election Day, stoking speculation about a potential 2020 presidential campaign.

The first-term senator plans stops on Oct. 22-23 in what will be her first visit to nation’s leadoff presidential caucus state since she was elected in 2016. She was last in Iowa when, as San Francisco’s district attorney, she campaigned for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential bid.

Harris is among a large group of Democrats, including several senators, who are contemplating a challenge to President Donald Trump. She has won increased attention in recent weeks for her visible role on the Senate Judiciary Committee in opposition to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Harris, a former California attorney general, has campaigned actively for other Democrats running in the 2018 elections, raising and donating more than $6.5 million for candidates and committees this cycle, spokeswoman Lily Adams said.

Harris will hold campaign events in South Carolina on Oct. 19 and Wisconsin on Oct. 21. She has recently campaigned for Democrats in Ohio and Arizona.The senator will stop in Des Moines on Oct. 22 and end her trip in the Cedar Rapids area on Oct. 23 with stops also in between, Adams said.

During her trip, Harris is expected to speak at an event organized by the Polk County Democrats in Des Moines. She offered her first Iowa endorsement during the summer, announcing her support for Deidre DeJear, running for secretary of state. She is Iowa’s first black nominee for statewide office from a major political party.

Iowa has long been a prime destination for any potential presidential candidate.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., recently headlined a party dinner in Des Moines and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe recently campaigned for Fred Hubbell, the party’s candidate for governor.

Former Housing Secretary Julian Castro and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee were making appearances in the state during the weekend. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who challenged Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in 2016, has scheduled stops in Iowa later this month.