Former Vice President Mike Pence is leading an effort to oppose the adoption of transgender-affirming policies in Iowa schools ahead of a possible 2024 presidential campaign. Pence’s group, Advancing American Freedom, is set to launch a $1 million campaign to fight for parental rights and overturn a gender support policy adopted in the Linn-Mar Community School District in 2020. Pence’s move comes as school policy and gender identification have become an early focus for potential 2024 Republican presidential candidates.
The gender support policy allows students in the Linn-Mar school district to request a gender support plan, which would allow them to begin socially transitioning at school without the permission of their parents. The push by Pence’s group will include digital ads, canvassing, rallies, and potentially radio and television spots, and is expected to last several months. Pence’s campaign comes before a trip to Iowa to headline an event next week in Cedar Rapids, where other potential Republican presidential candidates, including Nikki Haley and Tim Scott, are also expected to campaign.
While the focus on school policy and gender identification has become an early priority for potential 2024 presidential candidates, it is particularly relevant in Iowa, where Republicans control the state legislature and are advancing legislation barring schools from supporting a student’s social change in gender identity. Pence’s outreach to the state ahead of his campaign seeks to solidify his conservative base by appealing to parents concerned about transgender-affirming policies.
