Mike Pence visits northeast Iowa to meet with voters

(ABC 6 News) – Former Vice President Mike Pence made his way through Iowa as part of his 2024 election campaign tour.

He stopped by a number of communities in the Hawkeye state, pitching his agenda to voters, hoping to be the Republican party’s nominee in 2024.

While in Charles City, Pence tackled a top-of-mind issue for voters in Iowa — U.S. Energy production.

He stressed his support for fossil fuels while leaving the door open for renewable energy options.

“If I become your president, we can not only achieve energy independence again, but I believe in the next 10 years we can reclaim our historic role as the number one producer of energy in the world,” said Pence.

He also took on the Green New Deal, a policy that Pence says has been defining for the Biden administration.

He said the mandates locked into the wide-ranging policy hurt consumers, narrowing down on California’s mission to have electric only cars on the road by 2030.

“You want to have an electric car, great, it’s your decision, but I don’t want to create a mandate and incentives that would cause you to have to pay $15,000 more for a car,” said Pence.

Pence’s next stop was in Cresco, where he was welcomed by the Howard County GOP.

During a town hall at the Cresco Country Club, Pence spoke directly to voters who said they’re happy to have the chance to speak directly with the former vice president and make their concerns heard by a high-profile presidential candidate.

“This is grassroots, how much more grassroots can you get than to have local people in your community turn out on a nice evening to visit with a candidate for the most powerful nation on the world,” Cresco resident Neil Shaffer said.

Pence’s presence in Iowa was felt in these communities and he continues to make his way through the state to garner support ahead of the Iowa Caucuses in January.