Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis to headline Iowa Republicans' annual Lincoln Dinner fundraiser

The two leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination will headline the Iowa GOP's annual fundraising dinner in July, the party announced Friday.

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, front-runners in national polling, are both confirmed to attend the Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines on July 28.

Barring a surprise announcement of another event featuring them both, the dinner will mark the first time Trump and his most prominent challenger have shared the stage in Iowa during the 2024 election cycle.

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A number of other Republican presidential hopefuls have also confirmed they will attend the dinner: former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina governor and U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, author and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, conservative commentator Larry Elder and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson.

Trump has visited the state twice since announcing his third presidential campaign in March, opting to skip the major "cattle call" events such as U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst's "Roast and Ride" and Iowa Faith and Freedom's spring forum. DeSantis attended Ernst's event after formally joining the race in May and beginning to frequent Iowa.

The event will give both candidates the opportunity to address Republican leaders and voters across the state. Trump seeks to maintain his grassroots support built during his two earlier presidential campaigns in Iowa while also battling legal trouble. DeSantis aims to usurp him as the head of the party.

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Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 2024 election: Trump, DeSantis headline Iowa GOP annual fundraiser