Two-dozen conservative politicians and activists gathered in Des Moines on Saturday, speaking to a sold out crowd of over 1,200 at the Hoyt Sherman Place.

Here are some highlights from the event.

-U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

“I’m Chuck Grassley and I’m a farmer from Iowa,” the longtime Senator said near the start of the event. “It’s quite obvious I’m not running for President, but I will chair the judiciary committee. I know some in our economy get tired of me saying this, but I’m not a lawyer!”

-Dr. Ben Carson

“Whoever wins in 2016, I’m pretty sure it is going to be a Republican. I think they should make it their goal to seal that border within year,” Carson said on immigration, but also called for an expanded guest worker program.

-Gov. Scott Walker

“The measure of success for government should not be how many people depend upon it, but how many are no are longer dependent on it,” Walker said.

-Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich

“The United States today is losing the war with radical Islamists,” Gingrich said, also adding he believes “government lies to us everyday” on the subject.

-U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

“I’m looking for someone who has won big, difficult fights after Election Day, in office,” Lee said. “The principled candidate is not necessarily the guy who yells ‘Freedom!’ the loudest.”

-Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa.

“We need to be the party of the worker,” Santorum said. “What percentage of American workers owns their own business? Less than 10 percent. So when we go out and we talk about entrepreneurs and businesses, we’re talking to 10 percent of the public. And then we wonder why we don’t win.”

-U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

“There are 110,000 employees at the IRS. We need to padlock that building and put everyone of those 110,000 on our southern border,” Cruz said. “Now I say that somewhat tounge-in-cheek. But think about it for a second, imagine you would travel thousands of miles through central America, through the heat, you’re swimming across the Rio Grande and the first thing you see is 110,000 IRS agents. You’d turn around and go home, too!”

-Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina

“Liberals believe flies are worth protecting, but the life of an unborn child is not.,” Fiorina said, mixing abortion and regulations, and what she called “liberal hypocrisy”

-Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

“Last time I was here to campaign, it was for one of those friends we made. You know her as a soldier, a farmer and a neighbor. Back then, I called her a “pistol-packing, Harley riding, momma-grizzly,” Palin said when speaking about Iowa’s new U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst.

-Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry

“America can experience a season of economic revival if we extend our energy production, if we reformed the tax code, if we reduce regulations on small businesses, and we control the size and scope of government, starting with spending,” Perry said.

-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

“You want a candidate who agrees with you 100 percent of the time? I’ll give you a suggestion: Go home and look in the mirror,” Christie said. “You are the only person you agree with 100 percent of the time.”

-Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee

“One of the critical things to do is redistribute the power, because our founders never intended that so much power would be centralized in Washington with the federal government. Washington D.C. has become the roach motel, they go in and never come out,” Huckabee said before calling for term-limits on both the legislative and judicial branches.

For the full recap, click here.