Iowa Democrats fret before caucuses
Feel pressure to pick best hopeful
AMES, Iowa — Iowa Democrats are cramming for the test.
The night before their first-in-the-nation caucuses, many Iowa Democrats are confused, overwhelmed, anxious and fretting over choosing the right candidate in what many see as the most consequential caucuses in recent memory.
“I think it’s really difficult because we need change from the current leader and we need to choose the right candidate,” said Jenny Flint, 40, who was waiting on Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts to arrive at a town hall at the Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, on Sunday afternoon.
Ms. Flint decided in the last week to caucus for Ms. Warren. With so many candidates competing for votes in Iowa, the decision wasn’t easy. She ultimately decided that Ms. Warren’s policies would be the best for a middle class family.
Across the state, undecided voters were doing their caucus homework: scrambling to see the candidates at their final rallies and town halls, hoping to hear something that might sway them one way or another before 7 p.m. Monday, when the doors close at caucus sites and Iowa Democrats commit to whom they want to unseat President Donald Trump.
“I think Warren is who I’m for. I really like [former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg], too. I liked Kamala Harris, too, but she dropped out,” said Sara Hughes, 52, who saw Ms. Warren at a town hall in Indianola. “It’s going to be very interesting to see what happens tomorrow night.”
“It’s going to be a gametime decision,” said Amy Tagliareni, 44, who was deciding among three candidates when she saw Mr. Buttigieg in Ankeny last week. She said all the candidates have strengths, and she was most concerned with choosing one who would be strong on education.
In more than two dozen interviews at candidate events in the Des Moines area, the most populous part of the state, caucus-goers cited a few reasons for their last-minute hemming and hawing: The field has several qualified candidates with competing visions for the country. Or can’t decide between the candidates they like best and the candidates with the best shot of beating a president deeply disliked among Democrats.
“I feel like people were pretty fired up in the last election, but there’s more candidates this year. There’s a lot of indecision among Democrats,” said
Sami Villwock, a 32-year-old from Des Moines who’s supporting Ms. Warren. “In 2008, everyone was caucusing for [then-Sen. Barack] Obama. I think my entire caucus site was for Obama.”
Ms. Warren is locked in a tight four-way race against Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, and Mr. Buttigieg. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and entrepreneur Andrew Yang are also fighting for strong finishes.
Many caucus-goers reported feeling existential pressure to make the right choice, noting the responsibility of being the first voters to actually weigh in after months of speculation and debate over the direction of the Democratic Party.
“There’s a lot of pressure this cycle,” Ms. Villwock said.
Not every voter sees the primary as an either-or proposition.
“I don’t have any big issues with Biden, I just don’t know if he’s the candidate for me,” said Jacob Ludwig, a 19-year-old student, who says Ms. Warren, Mr. Sanders, and Mr. Buttigieg are most popular among new college-age voters. “He would probably have any easier time than some candidates getting elected, but I think if we fight hard enough for the candidates we believe in we can get them elected.”
“I think we’re totally blessed to have so many candidates. It just comes down to what I want to see in a candidate,” said Terry Gray, 68, a volunteer for Mr. Buttigieg in Marshall who said she was swayed by the fact he’s moderate, ethical, and “doesn’t come with a lot of political baggage.”
Candidates fanned out across the state this weekend to make their final pleas to voters. Mr. Sanders said he’s the candidate to lead a movement of big change in the Democratic Party. Mr. Buttigieg emphasized his voice as a young, new leader.
At her Ames town hall in front of several hundred people, Ms. Warren made a final plea to potential supporters: “This is the moment to dream big, fight hard, and win.”
In a hot Des Moines middle school gymnasium with more than 1,100 people, Mr. Biden argued he’s the best candidate to unite the country. “We have to be able to pull Democrats, Independents, and Republicans together,” he said.
Outside Hiatt Middle School, small, one-story homes had signs for Mr. Sanders and Mr. Buttigieg displayed on their lawns.
Inside the school, Mr. Biden’s supporters donned his campaign swag and waved Biden signs.
“I wanted to give everybody a chance, there’s so many good candidates. But Joe’s the best,” Jill Sornson, a 62-year-old retiree from Des Moines. “There are policies, policies, policies — they’ll come and go — and they’re important. But we need the soul back in our nation.”
Depending on their top candidate, caucus-goers could be making two choices on Monday. If their first choice doesn’t receive at least 15% of votes at the start of the night, they can reorganize and pick a second favorite, leaving some with not one, but two decisions to make in the next 24 hours.
Caucus-goers may not be married to their first choices. A recent Monmouth University poll found 45% of likely caucusgoers named a first pick, but said they were open to supporting another candidate.
Further confusing matters on caucus night, the Iowa Democratic Party for the first time is releasing three sets of results: whom voters align with at the start of the night, whom they choose after voters who supported nonviable candidates get to pick again, and the number of state delegates each candidates receives. The new numbers will give candidates who don’t win the majority of delegates the ability to put a positive spin the outcome.
Most Democrats interviewed said they’ll support the eventual nominee even if it isn’t the person they wanted to see taking on Mr. Trump. They’re looking for change in the White House.
“We’ve barely made it through three years of this,” said Betsy Rubiner, a 60year-old freelance writer from Des Moines. “I will be knocking on doors for whoever the candidate is.”
The Block News Alliance consists of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Blade of Toledo, Ohio, and television station WDRB in Louisville, Ky. Liz Skalka is a reporter for The Blade.