As the weather heated up in Iowa this summer, so did the Democratic presidential race. During the last two months, the nine candidates vied for Iowans’ support in the first leg of the race for president: the Iowa Caucus on Jan 19.

Some candidates spent a majority of their summer in Iowa — such as former Vermont governor Howard Dean, who spent over a month — while others were only in the state a few days, such as Carol Moseley Braun, who was in Iowa for three days.

A poll in Iowa conducted by the Des Moines Register last July showed Dean, Missouri congressman Dick Gephardt and Massachusetts senator John Kerry at the top of the pack of Democrats. The three candidates have each made significant time investments campaigning in Iowa.

Dean spent 36 days in Iowa during the summer, visiting at least half of Iowa’s 99 counties. Robert Lowry, associate professor of political science, said Dean made himself known to Iowans and has shown he’s a viable candidate.

“Howard Dean has followed in the footsteps of Jimmy Carter,” Lowry said. “Carter was also a former governor who camped out in Iowa prior to the caucus.

“Carter followed this strategy and won the Iowa Caucus in 1976, even though he was virtually unknown in Iowa before the caucus.”

Gephardt, who made the earliest visit by a candidate to Iowa in 1997—more than 3 1/2 years before the caucus night — spent 17 days on the Iowa campaign trail. During a five day tour in mid-August, he visited with activists and teamsters, crossing 20 counties and traveling 1,500 miles.

Kerry has made his own tours throughout Iowa. On Aug. 12, Kerry took a four day swing through rural counties in northern Iowa, speaking out against large hog confinements and stressing the need for action on health care and education.

John Norris, Kerry’s campaign manager in Iowa, said Kerry’s visits to Iowa will become more frequent. Kerry’s scheduled events include joining the Story County Democrats at a pre-game homecoming breakfast before the Iowa/Iowa State football game.

Some candidates are preparing large-scale fundraising events for the fall. Dennis Kucinich, who is in the bottom tier of candidates in terms of fund-raising and national polls, plans to host a Des Moines fundraising concert featuring Willie Nelson.

Originally scheduled for Labor Day, the concert has been rescheduled for later in the fall. According to www.kucinich.us, the change will “put [the concert] closer to the start of the primaries, and allow the campaign to make better use of the concert’s momentum.”

The caucuses in January launch the presidential nominating season and create momentum for the White House race, Lowry said.

“The caucus will show us who’s a serious contender [for the presidential nomination] by weeding out the weaker challengers,” he said.