A key Iowa Republican plans to endorse in the 2024 presidential race. Who may follow:

LE MARS — U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra says he plans to endorse in the crowded race for the Republican presidential nomination — just not yet.

"I do plan to endorse," said Feenstra, who represents the deeply conservative 4th Congressional District in western Iowa. "I’m not sure when that will be, but I’m just looking forward to spending time this summer with all the different candidates that want to come through Iowa and want to come through western Iowa."

Feenstra spent Wednesday showing former Vice President Mike Pence around Sioux Center, Le Mars and Sioux City, making stops at Casey's, Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor and Pizza Ranch.

Like many Iowa leaders, Feenstra has been in demand among presidential candidates looking to make inroads with Iowa conservatives.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis headlined his annual Feenstra Family Picnic fundraiser in May. And he’s also made appearances with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott.

Feenstra’s endorsement will be coveted in a state where many top elected officials have pledged neutrality. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann and U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst have said they do not plan to endorse in the 2024 Republican primary race.

Feenstra's support may carry particular weight in a corner of the state that is home to so many Republicans and evangelical caucusgoers.

Know where to go: Des Moines Register's 2024 Candidate Tracker

Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks could endorse as well

Two other members of Iowa’s Republican congressional delegation have signaled they could jump into the endorsement pond before Caucus Day as well.

U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who is considered a rising star among her caucus in Washington, D.C., is set to host both DeSantis and Haley at her annual BBQ Bash fundraiser in August. And she’s previously hosted Scott and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz at the same event.

“For now, Ashley plans to be a neutral ambassador for all presidential candidates coming to Iowa,” Hinson's spokesperson, Sophie Seid, said in a statement. “She and our team have been in contact with all the contenders, and she is happy to introduce them to voters in her district. She may be open to endorsing prior to the caucus, and we will keep you posted on any developments over the next few months.”

U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who represents the 1st Congressional District in southeast Iowa, told the Register in March that she didn't plan to endorse anyone "in the near future."

"We're first in the nation for a reason," she said at the time. "We want to be able to have candidates come. And what's important about the caucus is that you can be a lesser-known individual and rise to the top and propel a campaign. Whereas, what the Democrats have done with South Carolina, you have to be a well-funded candidate, you have to be known."

But she didn't rule out endorsing a candidate at some point.

"I'm leaving the door open for, yes, later in the year," Miller-Meeks said at the March event.

So far, former President Donald Trump continues to dominate the field. Polls show him with a consistent double-digit lead over his closest opponent.

A Real Clear Politics rolling average of Iowa polling shows Trump leading with 46% of the vote to DeSantis’ 25%.

Haley, Pence, Scott and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are the only other candidates topping 1%, though none claims more than 5%.

Other Iowa Republicans plan to remain neutral

Top Republicans like Reynolds, Kaufmann, Grassley and Ernst have said it's important for Iowa to be welcoming to all the candidates as it seeks to maintain its first-in-the-nation status in the presidential race, especially as national Democrats have booted Iowa from the front spot in their party's nominating order.

U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, who won a first term by flipping Iowa's purple 3^rd Congressional District in 2022 by less than a percentage point, has said he also plans to remain neutral in the caucuses.

"Congressman Nunn looks forward to welcoming all candidates to Iowa and being an ambassador to Iowa for any candidate that wants to make their case to Iowans," Nunn's campaign manager, Kendyl Parker, said in a statement. "Iowa's first-in-the-nation status affords Iowans a front-row seat to the presidential race, and Congressman Nunn looks forward to encouraging Iowans to attend events to meet candidates and make their own decision in the caucus."

Nunn’s seat is expected to be the most competitive of Iowa’s four congressional races in 2024, according to a Cook Political Report analysis.

Unlike Feenstra, who represents a solidly Republican district, Nunn could risk alienating key constituencies he’ll need to win reelection if he chooses to jump into a potentially fractious Republican presidential primary.

Still, he’s planning to host DeSantis at his veterans-focused “Operation Top Nunn” fundraiser in July. DeSantis is the only veteran currently running for president.

Feenstra said beyond endorsing, his role is to show all the candidates what Iowa has to offer.

"I see myself as an ambassador," he said Wednesday in Le Mars. "I see myself as showing what Iowa has to offer, whether it be agriculture, whether it be our small main streets. We were in a coffee place this morning in Sioux Center and now an ice cream shop here. That’s what our main streets are all about, and we want to make sure that we show all the candidates what Iowa has to offer and how they can help us grow our economy right here."

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Randy Feenstra to endorse in Iowa caucuses. Will other GOP leaders?