{"id":2611363,"date":"2026-06-06T07:17:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T11:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maha-flexes-political-might-ahead-of-midterm-elections\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T07:21:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T11:21:11","slug":"maha-flexes-political-might-ahead-of-midterm-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maha-flexes-political-might-ahead-of-midterm-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"MAHA flexes political might ahead of midterm elections"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmaha-flexes-political-might-ahead-of-midterm-elections%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2611363&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Make america Healthy Again (MAHA) movement scored a major win in the Iowa GOP gubernatorial primary when its endorsed candidate, businessman Zach Lahn, defeated Rep. Randy Feenstra-despite former President Donald Trump\u2019s backing of Feenstra.The race is framed as evidence that MAHA is willing to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/escalating-tensions-between-russia-and-u-s-imperil-wrongfully-imprisoned-americans\/\" title=\"Escalating Tensions Between Russia and U.S. Imperil Wrongfully Imprisoned Americans\">spend political capital<\/a>, even when it runs against Trump\u2019s preferences.<\/p>\n<p>To support Lahn, MAHA PAC mounted intensive outreach in Iowa, including mass text messages, voicemails, phone calls, and multiple rounds of robocalls aimed at likely GOP voters. MAHA\u2019s coalition, associated with figures tied to RFK Jr.\u2019s 2024 campaign before ultimately endorsing Trump, is portrayed as seeking a larger long-term role beyond 2026, looking toward 2028 and after.<\/p>\n<p>A central tension driving MAHA\u2019s independence is policy-especially its stance against glyphosate (the herbicide at issue in the Monsanto Company v. Durnell case and RoundUp). MAHA-backed support for Lahn depended on opposition to glyphosate, which the article links to conflicts with the Trump administration, including an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-rules-ca-gov-overstepped-his-authority-with-covid-order-issues-permanent-injunction-restraining-newsom-from-further-issuing-unconstitutional-orders\/\" title=\"Judge Rules CA Gov Overstepped His Authority with Covid Order, ... Permanent Injunction Restraining Newsom From Further Issuing Unconstitutional Orders\">executive order<\/a> shielding manufacturers and calling glyphosate essential to the food supply.<\/p>\n<p>The article argues that Lahn\u2019s victory could signal the beginnings of a broader political movement focused on child health, safety, and \u201chealth-conscious\u201d lawmakers, while also risking complications for both parties. even some Democrats express interest in courting MAHA voters, but the piece notes that disagreements on issues such as COVID-19 vaccines make alignment difficult. Analysts quoted in the article suggest MAHA voters may be more similar to Republicans and MAGA on many core instincts, even if they sometimes break from Trump on key issues like vaccines and glyphosate.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maha\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11799\">Make America Healthy Again<\/a> movement scored one of its biggest wins of the cycle this month after its endorsed candidate, businessman Zach Lahn, defeated Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA), whom President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> backed, in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iowa\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"468\">Iowa<\/a> GOP gubernatorial primary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The win was a rare moment when a Trump-endorsed candidate lost their primary and a clear indication that MAHA is willing to spend its political capital, even if it means going against the president.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4597629\/platner-bar-harbor-rally-controversies-khanna\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Platner shrugs off <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newly-named-jeopardy-host-mike-richards-quits\/\" title=\"Newly-Named Jeopardy Host Mike Richards Quits\">mounting controversies<\/a> as \u2018politically motivated\u2019 and \u2018false\u2019 at rally<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4597396\/watch-live-platner-ro-khanna-rally-amid-controversies\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>WATCH LIVE: Platner rallies with Ro Khanna for get-out-the-vote event as controversies mount<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4596955\/guy-benson-rips-nyt-platner-story\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Guy Benson rips NYT over Platner story: Ex\u2019s claims were selectively reported<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the final stretch of the campaign, MAHA PAC, an outside <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >group backing movement-aligned candidates<\/a>, launched a text message campaign reaching nearly 350,000 likely Iowa GOP voters and a voicemail campaign that reached more than 83,000 cellphones. The PAC also made 40,500 get-out-the-vote phone calls and conducted three rounds of robocalls to more than 36,000 landlines on behalf of Lahn.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The diverse coalition that makes up MAHA began under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  during his 2024 presidential campaign, first as a Democrat, then an independent, before eventually endorsing Trump\u2019s campaign. But as tensions with the Trump administration have grown, MAHA wants to assert a larger role not just in 2026, but in 2028 and beyond.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe don\u2019t tell people how to vote, but moms have clearly demonstrated that we are not beholden to a political party,\u201d said\u00a0Zen Honeycutt, the founder and executive director of the Moms Across America Movement. \u201cMAHA is not owned by one particular person. It\u2019s not owned by Kennedy; it\u2019s not owned by Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur mission is to champion policy and public servants who put children, health, safety, and America\u2019s future first. And that\u2019s exactly what Zach Lahn is doing, and why we\u2019re so thrilled that he won,\u201d Honeycutt said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MAHA\u2019s support for Lahn was contingent on his opposition to glyphosate, an issue that led to frustrations with the White House as the Supreme Court considers the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oyez.org\/cases\/2025\/24-1068\"><em>Monsanto Company v. Durnell<\/em><\/a> case. The Trump administration supported Bayer, the maker of RoundUp, which manufactures the herbicide glyphosate, the main chemical in RoundUp. The president also previously signed an<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2026\/02\/promoting-the-national-defense-by-ensuring-an-adequate-supply-of-elemental-phosphorus-and-glyphosate-based-herbicides\/\"> executive order<\/a> shielding manufacturers from liability related to glyphosate. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith Trump signing his executive order, where he said that glyphosate is essential to our food supply, it kind of pissed a lot of people off,\u201d said Claire Dooley, a prominent MAHA mother and documentary filmmaker, who praised Lahn for opposing toxic chemicals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lahn\u2019s victory over the establishment could be the start of a new political movement as MAHA looks to races to boost health-conscious lawmakers. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think this is just the beginning, really,\u201d said Dooley. \u201cAnd as we move into the next election and whoever is [in] the next presidential race \u2026 I think things are really going to kick off, and we\u2019re going to see a lot of this happening, which could be great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike the Make America Great Again coalition, MAHA has shown a willingness to break with Trump and the broader GOP. It could complicate efforts for the GOP to keep control of the House and Senate after Trump widened the coalition in 2024 to win back the White House. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some Democrats, such as Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), have begun publicly<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4581578\/congressional-democrats-maha-maga-verse\/\"> pushing the party to woo MAHA voters<\/a> ahead of the midterm elections. Booker says MAHA\u2019s advocacy for healthier nutrition and combating chronic diseases is an admirable effort. But differences over key MAHA issues such as COVID-19 vaccines also complicate that effort.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think that the MAHA movement is not strictly aligned with President Trump in the same way as his base is,\u201d said Lawrence\u00a0Gostin, a Georgetown University public health law professor who was previously removed from a National Institutes of Health advisory board. \u201cBut MAHA still supports the president and Secretary Kennedy on most issues. Yet it is fully prepared to break on its core issues like vaccines and glyphosate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt the margins, MAHA voters could cross over to the Democrats,\u201d Gostin added. \u201cBut their views and political inclinations align much closer to the GOP and especially the MAGA movement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">GOP strategist Matt Dole similarly suggested that voters likely view MAHA and MAGA in the same vein, and he cast doubt that Democrats could win over the MAHA cohort.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI know the group may have nuance, but the average voter in a Republican primary this year sees it as an extension of Trump,\u201d he said. \u201cMAHA may be setting itself up as a place where displaced MAGA coalition members can come and have real influence on really important issues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Focus groups that Cygnal data and insights pollster Brent Buchanan has conducted show that millennial and Generation X women and men, who are likely to decide key electoral races, are amenable to MAHA issues, although the coalition\u2019s vaccine skepticism is not popular.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the nation, a breakdown in trust has fueled sentiment like MAHA\u2019s anti-institutional fervor, a factor that helped propel Trump to power. The November midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election could present opportunities for MAHA to boost lawmakers who rebel against the establishment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4581578\/congressional-democrats-maha-maga-verse\/\">CAN CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS CO-OPT MAHA FROM THE MAGA-VERSE?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt really is a movement of the people against the institutions, and that has been the defining factor of most political battles,\u201d said Buchanan. \u201cThey\u2019re fed up. They\u2019re fed up with the media, they\u2019re fed up with government, they\u2019re fed up with big corporations.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Republicans are going to keep their relationship with MAHA, Buchanan suggested GOP lawmakers tailor their MAHA messaging to \u201cthe parts that are broadly popular, not the parts that only speak to small portions or actually repel people, like the anti-vaccine stuff.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MAHA\u2019s Zach Lahn beats Trump-backed Feenstra in Iowa GOP primary, a major win<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2658,"featured_media":2611364,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AP25240592243323_430ddc.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[35835,51418,34250,5894,34832],"class_list":["post-2611363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-campaign-strategy","tag-governance-2","tag-midterm-elections","tag-politics","tag-public-opinion"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AP25240592243323_430ddc.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2611363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2658"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2611363"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2611363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2611367,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2611363\/revisions\/2611367"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2611364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2611363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2611363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2611363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}