To Win in Iowa, Joe Mitchell Is Campaigning in Florida

Joe Mitchell, a Republican congressional candidate, says he’s fighting to “keep Iowa strong and free for generations to come.”

His campaign in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District is also spending lots of time and money in Florida — specifically, at Mar-a-Lago, the Trump-owned private club at the epicenter of MAGA politics.

Mitchell’s campaign spending at Mar-a-Lago — $77, 390.18 — tops that of any other Republican running for Congress this cycle entering April, according to a NOTUS analysis of Federal Election Commission records. The only entity that has reported spending more money at Mar-a-Lago since January 2025 than Joe Mitchell for Congress is the Republican National Committee.

In addition to spending campaign cash at Trump’s club on events, catering and travel, Mitchell also appears to have spent significant time there.

On Nov. 1, Mitchell posted a photo of himself with Bill Pulte, the chairman of Freddie Mac (Mitchell has a background in real estate). Trump hosted a Halloween party the same day and spent the weekend there.

For the next few days, Mitchell continued to post photos of himself at the Palm Beach club, with everyone from Ben Carson to Rudy Giuliani to Jim Jordan and Benny Johnson.

Mitchell attended a Turning Point USA event at Mar-a-Lago in December.

He also hosted a fundraiser at Trump’s club in March. The campaign event was attended by Republican heavyweights including Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith. Federal finance records show his campaign spent about $75,000 at the property on facility rental and catering fees in February and March.

Mitchell is running to succeed Rep. Ashley Hinson, who is campaigning for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Joni Ernst. He’s expected to win the Republican nomination in Iowa’s primary Tuesday.

Mitchell, whose campaign did not respond to requests for comment, is a Trump-aligned candidate in every sense. Trump is mentioned throughout the Iowa candidate’s campaign website, which also features numerous photos of Mitchell with Trump. Prior to running for Congress, Mitchell briefly served as a regional administrator in Trump’s Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“Iowa needs fighters in Congress who will have President Trump’s back,” Mitchell’s website says of why he is running. “As a trusted voice in the MAGA movement, Joe Mitchell will always fight for the hard-working Iowans who have made their support for President Trump loud and clear.”

But Mitchell’s potential general-election opponents in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes the cities of Cedar Rapids, Dubuque and Waterloo and has a median household income of about $75,000, were critical of his campaign’s spending.

Clint Twedt-Ball, one of the Democrats running, said that the spending was at odds with the values of everyday Iowans.

“There is no country club in the entire state of Iowa that is gilded in the way that Mar-a-Lago is,” he told NOTUS. “Iowa is a place where we believe in practicality, and stretching our dollar. Blowing wads of cash at Mar-a-Lago is offensive, and not representative of the people he represents.”

Jackson Smith, a campaign manager for Lindsay James, another Democratic opponent, accused Mitchell of using his “insider connections to bankroll a lavish lifestyle.” “Typical for a guy who moved into IA-02 to try to buy a seat in Congress and jump-start his life in the D.C. social scene,” Smith told NOTUS.

Mitchell isn’t the only candidate spending heavily at the Palm Beach, Florida, club, which offers candidates proximity to the president and his political allies and enriches Trump and the Trump brand in the process.

Team Ronny, a joint fundraising committee led by Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas, spent $58,500 on food, beverages, and site fees at Mar-a-Lago in January.

Last year, NOTUS reported that Republican political spending at Trump properties topped $1 million in 2025. That spending has continued, with federal political committees spreading around more than $551,000 so far this year at Mar-a-Lago, according to federal records.