Presidential campaigns sprint to finish line with just days until caucuses remaining

On Feb. 1, 2016, Iowa State campus residents crowd into the Pioneer Room at the Memorial Union in order to register for the caucus.

Mallory Tope

With the Iowa caucuses less than a week away, campaigns are pushing to get potential caucusgoers out to caucus for their candidates. 

Many candidates are spending the last few days before the caucuses touring Iowa and visiting as many counties as possible.

The presidential debate hosted on Jan. 14 in Des Moines was the last big chance many Democratic candidates had to put their message in front of thousands of potential caucusgoers and millions of voters nationwide before the Iowa caucuses on Monday. Despite no remaining political event having the same TV ratings draw, candidates are trying to put their message in front of caucusgoers however they can before the caucuses.

With the ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate, senators seeking the presidency including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Michael Bennet are unable to tour as much of Iowa as other candidates. However, those candidates aren’t letting the impeachment trial slow down their campaigns in Iowa.

Klobuchar announced on Tuesday afternoon she would host an event at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Council Bluffs, flying in from Washington D.C. in a campaign push ahead of the caucuses. Warren and Sanders are using campaign surrogates to encourage people to caucus for them.

Candidates Andrew Yang, John Delaney, Tom Steyer, Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg are not in Congress for the trial and are able to put in the ground work themselves across Iowa.

“Yang is [undertaking] a 17-day bus tour across Iowa where he’ll meet with thousands of Iowans and share […] his plans,” said Yianni Varonis, Iowa communications director for the Yang campaign.

Other candidates have taken to Iowa’s university campuses to appeal to younger voters and rally caucusgoers.  

Sanders hosted a rally on Saturday in Ames on a tour alongside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and “Portugal. The Man.” He will return to Iowa alongside the band “Vampire Weekend” in the final weekend before the caucuses.

Campaigns have increased their volunteer work to help their candidates gain voters.

“We have organizers knocking on doors, making calls and making the case that Tom Steyer [is the best candidate],” said Leah Haberman, a Steyer spokesperson. 

Talking to everyone and engaging with Iowans is how to gear up for the caucus, Haberman said.

Campaigns with younger-trending support are working to turnout the student-aged caucusgoers.

“Our passionate volunteers on Iowa’s college campuses and in cities and rural areas continue to talk with Iowans about why they caucus for Yang,” Varonis said.

Campaigns are also working to make sure their infrastructure is in place for Monday.

“We are making sure our volunteers and precinct captains are energized and supported to turnout of caucus night,” Haberman said.  

Other campaigns are using the last few days ahead of the caucuses to push Iowans to go caucus and ensure they turnout and have their say on who the next president should be.

“Our campaign believes in the Iowa caucuses and wants to let Iowans have their say as to who gets to participate in this race,” said Brent Roske, the Iowa State director for John Delaney’s campaign.