Elizabeth Warren is heading to Iowa.
The popular Massachusetts senator, whom some liberals want to run for president, will campaign for Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Braley Sunday. The two Democrats will appear together at two events, one in Iowa City and the other in Des Moines.
“From issues like protecting Social Security and an affordable college education to supporting middle class tax relief and an increase to the minimum wage, Warren will contrast Braley’s commitment to supporting all Iowa families with state Sen. Joni Ernst’s special interest agenda that benefits the wealthy few,” the Braley campaign said in a press release.
The race is one of the tightest in the countries, and could decide control of the Senate.
Republican Ernst holds the narrowest of leads — 1 percentage point, according to the most recent poll, which was conducted for the Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics. That’s up 3 points from two weeks ago, but still within the margin of error.
Warren has been crisscrossing the country campaigning for Democrats this year, but has so far avoided Iowa, the first state in the presidential nominating convention, for fear of stoking 2016 rumors, Iowa Democrats have told msnbc.
Warren has repeatedly said she is not running for president.
She has also avoided New Hampshire thus far, though she held a fundraiser in Boston for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who is hoping to hold her seat against a challenge from Republican Scott Brown, whom Warren defeated two years ago.
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who is also considering a presidential run, was in Iowa this past weekend to campaign for Braley and other Democrats. Hillary Clinton, another likely candidate, will return to the state later this month or in early November.
Alex Seitz-Wald