2020 Presidential Campaign Blog

Iowa Republicans Commit to Defending Iowa’s First-In-The-Nation Caucus

Iowa Republicans Commit to Defending Iowa’s First-In-The-Nation Caucus

DES MOINES, Iowa -- In response to DNC Chairman Tom Perez’s recent comments, Iowa Republican leaders Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Joni Ernst, Gov. Kim Reynolds, Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, David Young, and Randy Feenstra renewed their commitment to preserving Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses:

“The Iowa Caucuses provide an indispensable service to the nominating process. Iowans take seriously their civic duty to vet a field of candidates who meet and listen to voters through retail politics, not by buying elections. The Iowa Caucuses are an example of grassroots democracy in action, and they give everyday Americans -- not insiders or billionaires -- an integral role in the selection of our president,” Senator Chuck Grassley said.

“Iowans play an important and unique role in our nation’s politics, and I’m going to fight to make sure it stays that way in the face of the Democratic Party’s attempts to eliminate our caucuses,” Senator Joni Ernst said.

“The Iowa Caucuses are an important first step in the presidential nominating process,” said Governor Kim Reynolds. “Iowa is a level playing field for candidates to come test their message and share their vision for our country. We take this responsibility seriously, our people are engaged, and Iowans aren’t afraid to ask tough questions to vet the candidates.”

“In Iowa, we value hard work and dedication, and that’s why it’s so important the presidential nominating process begins with the Iowa Caucuses,” said First District Congressional Candidate Ashley Hinson.

“Iowans take their role in the presidential selection process very seriously -- devoting hours to researching issues, meeting with candidates and asking them the tough questions,” said Second District Congressional Candidate Mariannette Miller-Meeks. “Democracy can be rowdy and noisy from time to time but at the end of the day, Iowa shows the world that grassroots democracy is a system that works. That is what the Iowa Caucus embodies and it should remain first in the nation."

“It takes a grassroots-driven effort to do well in Iowa -- one where every candidate meets with Iowans where they are,” said Third District Congressional Candidate Congressman David Young. “That’s why I’ll continue fighting to preserve Iowa’s incredibly unique and important first-in-the-nation caucuses.”

“If the Iowa Caucuses do not exist, the voice of rural America becomes silenced,” said Fourth District Congressional Candidate Randy Feenstra. “Our country is more than just big cities on either coast, and the Iowa Caucuses preserve the notion that anyone can be president by simply connecting with voters.”

“I’m committed to doing my part to preserve the caucuses, and I will continue working closely with the RNC and Pres. Trump to ensure Iowa retains our decades-long tradition,” said Jeff Kaufmann, Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa. “It’s our hope that Democrats will join us in defending our first-in-the-nation status and reject calls from national Democrats to dismantle the caucuses.”

Bernie Sanders Campaign Declares Victory in Iowa and Releases Discrepancies

Bernie Sanders Campaign Declares Victory in Iowa and Releases Discrepancies

DES MOINES, Iowa – Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign on Thursday celebrated winning the popular vote in the first and second round of the Iowa caucus and released publicly discrepancies in the State Delegate Equivalent data it submitted to the Iowa Democratic Party.

“Tonight's release of data by the Iowa Democratic Party confirms Sen. Bernie Sanders won the Iowa caucus,” Sanders’ Senior Advisor Jeff Weaver said. “We also feel confident that the discrepancies we’re providing tonight, in addition to those widely identified in the national media, mean that the SDE count will never be known with any kind of certainty. Given the rules changes we fought for that required the release of the popular vote count, SDEs are now an antiquated and meaningless metric for deciding the winner of the Iowa caucus.”

Below is the list of discrepancies in the State Delegate Equivalent calculations that were submitted to but not yet considered by the party.

14 instances for a total of 2.50383 SDE

Storm Lake 1 - Sanders down 1 delegate (.0785 SDE)
In this 7-delegate precinct, according to IDP data, Buttigieg’s 1.974358974 was correctly rounded up to 2. However, Warren’s 1.256410256, which was tied with Yang, was incorrectly rounded up to 2 despite Sanders’ 2.333333333 being closer to 3. The correct allocation should be Sanders 3 delegates, Buttigieg 2, and Warren and Yang with 1.

Warren County Norwalk Precinct 1 - Sanders down 1 delegate, Buttigieg over 1 delegate (0.23333)
In this precinct, Buttigieg received an extra 3rd delegate after already rounding up to 2. Sanders, at third place with 1.346938776, should have received the extra delegate, bringing him to 2 alongside Biden and Buttigeig. The correct allocation should be Buttigieg, Biden and Sanders 2 and Warren and Klobuchar with 1.

Des Moines 7 - Sanders down 1 delegate, Buttigieg over 1 delegate (0.2798 SDE)
In this 9-delegate precinct, Sanders was at 4.826815642, Warren was at 2.463687151 and Buttigieg was at 2.664804469 before rounding. Sanders’ 4.8 was closer to 5 than Buttigeig’s 2.7 was to 3. Therefore, Sanders should have 5 delegates while Buttigieg has 2.

Woodbury 6/Sioux City 6 - Sanders down 1 delegate (0.2125 SDE)
The 9 delegates in this precinct are not distributed properly. Before rounding, there is Sanders at 2.668965517, Warren at 2.110344828, Buttigieg at 1.675862069, Biden at 1.613793103, Klobuchar at 1.551724138. Two delegates must be lost after rounding everyone up. With 2.67, Sanders is closer to 3 than Biden is to 2 at 1.61 and Klobuchar is to 2 at 1.55. Sanders should have 3 delegates instead of 2, with Warren 2, Buttigieg 2, Biden 1, and Klobuchar 1.

Ocheyedan - Sanders down 1 delegate (.1 SDE)
Each of the 3 candidates who reached viability in this 3-delegate precinct should have received a delegate. Before rounding, Sanders and Klobuchar were both at 0.6, which rounds to 1. However, Sanders was not awarded his only delegate, which instead went to Buttigieg as his second delegate. This should be reversed to make it Sanders 1, Klobuchar 1, and Buttigieg 1.

Bellair/Lincoln - Sanders down 1 delegate (.08 SDE)
Each of the 4 candidates who reached viability in this 4-delegate precinct should have received a delegate. Before rounding, Sanders and Klobuchar were both at 0.6153846154, which rounds to 1. However, Sanders was not awarded his only delegate, which instead went to Biden as Biden’s second delegate. This should be reversed to make it Sanders 1, Klobuchar 1, Biden 1, and Buttigieg 1.

Sioux 6 Orange City 1 - Sanders down 1 delegate (.0875 SDE)
The 10 delegates were misassigned following a rounding interpretation error. Second alignment had Klobuchar 15, Buttigieg 20, Sanders 23 and Warren 26. Before rounding, it was Klobuchar 1.61290, Buttigieg 2.15053, Sanders 2.47312 and Warren 2.79570. Warren was awarded a 4th delegate after rounding up to 3. Instead, that final delegate should have gone to Sanders, who was closer to 3 than Warren was to 4. The final count should be Warren 3, Sanders 3, Buttigieg 2 and Klobuchar 2.

Guthrie Gold - Sanders down 1 delegate (.0857 SDE)
Before rounding, Biden, Klobuchar and Buttigieg were all at 2.93548 with Sanders at 2.48387 and Warren at 2.25806. Buttigieg was already rounded up to 3 when awarded a 4th delegate. Given IDP rules, that final delegate should have been awarded to Sanders after rounding up his 2.48 to 3 alongside Biden, Klobuchar and Buttigieg. Warren would still have 2.

Independence 2 - Sanders down 1 delegate (.1368 SDE)
Only 5 of the 6 delegates were awarded. After rounding, Biden recieved 3 delegates while Sanders and Klobuchar only received 1 each. Sanders’ 1.2 is higher than Klobuchar’s 1.09, so the last delegate should go to Sanders, making the final count Biden 3, Sanders 2, Klobuchar 1.

Adair 04 SE - Sanders down 1 delegate (.0784 SDE)
The following has been corroborated with Adair County Chair Thadeus Hawley. All 10 delegates were awarded, but the distribution is incorrect. According to IDP data, the second alignment has Warren 9, Biden 7 and Sanders, Klobuchar and Buttigieg each with 6. However, Sanders receives only 1 delegate when the other two candidates at the same level received 2. Sanders, Klobuchar and Buttigieg’s 1.7647 is closer to 2 than Warren’s 2.6471 is to 3. Given this, each candidate should be awarded 2 delegates, including Sanders.

Muscatine 9 - Sanders down 1 delegate (.1667 SDE)
In this precinct, only 8 of the 9 delegates were awarded. According to IDP data, the second alignment has Sanders 44, Buttigieg 42 and Biden 26. This calculates to 3.5357 for Sanders, 3.3750 for Buttigieg and 2.0893 for Biden, yet Sanders and Buttigeg were both awarded 3 delegates and Biden awarded 2, with the 9th delegate never awarded. According to rounding rules, Sanders should be awarded the 9th delegate for a total of 4. Buttigieg would remain at 3 and Biden at 2.

Des Moines 14 - Sanders down 1 county delegate (.2798 SDE)
In Des Moines 14, per IDP data, the second alignment left Buttigieg with 52, Sanders with 50, Warren with 31 and Biden with 25. This should have resulted in 2 delegates for Buttigieg and Sanders and 1 delegate for Warren and Biden. However, according to the information listed by the IDP, Warren was awarded 2 delegates while Sanders was awarded 1, despite having more caucusgoers. We ask for this to be reversed for a final count of Buttigieg 2, Sanders 2, Warren 1 and Biden 1.

North Liberty 6 - Sanders down 1 delegate (.405 SDE)
In North Liberty 6, the IDP lists second round results as Sanders 107 to Warren 105. The raw delegate total should have been 2.97 to 2.92 per the IDP data. However, the caucus chair decided to call this lead a tie and hold a coin flip, which landed in Warren's favor. In IDP rules, a tie is only when candidates have the same exact number. Per those rules, this result was not a tie and the delegate should have been awarded to Sanders, who had a larger number. Final count should be Buttigieg 4, Sanders 4 and Warren 3.

Des Moines 80 - Sanders down 1 delegate, Buttigieg over 1 delegate (.2798 SDE)
Only 9 of the 10 delegates in this precinct have been awarded with 2 for Biden, 4 for Buttigieg and 4 for Sanders. Before rounding, it is Biden 2.0, Buttigieg 2.75 and Sanders 4.2, which would round to 5 in a 10-delegate precinct. The chair decided there was a tie for the 10th delegate and called for a coin flip, that went for Buttigieg. There was not a tie and that delegate should be awarded to Sanders to make the final count Sanders 5, Buttigeig 3 and Biden 2 for a total of 10 delegates.

Iowa Democratic Party Statement on the 2020 Caucus Developments

Iowa Democratic Party Statement on the 2020 Caucus Developments

DES MOINES — Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price released the following statement on the 2020 Iowa Democratic Caucuses developments:

“While I fully acknowledge that the reporting circumstances on Monday night were unacceptable, we owe it to the thousands of Iowa Democratic volunteers and caucusgoers to remain focused on collecting and reviewing incoming results.

“Throughout the collection of records of results, the IDP identified inconsistencies in the data and used our redundant paper records to promptly correct those errors. This is an ongoing process in close coordination with precinct chairs, and we are working diligently to report the final 54 precincts to get as close to final reporting as possible.

“Going forward, we are fully committed to the integrity of the preferences expressed by dedicated, passionate, and fervent Iowa Democrats. This caucus opened new opportunities for accessibility that were never available before – including over 1,500 caucusgoers attending satellite caucuses in senior living centers, Mosques, and overseas, and first-of-their-kind Spanish language and hand sign sites. This process will not be complete until we honor them.

“Since the beginning of the process, we have taken unprecedented steps to gather redundant reports to ensure accuracy of all underlying data. The IDP is nearing completion in collecting redundant materials from all 1,756 precincts, including hand-collecting materials from all 99 counties which are securely stored in Des Moines.

“Should any presidential campaign in compliance with the Iowa Delegate Selection Plan request a recanvass, the IDP is prepared. In such a circumstance, the IDP will audit the paper records of report, as provided by the precinct chairs and signed by representatives of presidential campaigns. This is the official record of the Iowa Democratic caucus, and we are committed to ensuring the results accurately reflect the preference of Iowans.”

ON BACKGROUND:

The Iowa Democratic Party has 48 hours to respond to a valid, written, request for recanvass, signed by the candidate. Any request for recanvass must include the scope and credible explanation of the reasons of the request.

Statement from DNC Chair Tom Perez on the Iowa Caucuses

Statement from DNC Chair Tom Perez on the Iowa Caucuses

DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement on the Iowa caucuses:

"What happened last night should never happen again. We have staff working around the clock to assist the Iowa Democratic Party to ensure that all votes are counted. It is clear that the app in question did not function adequately. It will not be used in Nevada or anywhere else during the primary election process. The technology vendor must provide absolute transparent accounting of what went wrong.

“Our immediate goal is to ensure that every vote is counted as quickly as possible. Accuracy is our guidepost.

“As frustrating as the last 24 hours have been, let us not lose sight of our ultimate goal: To defeat Donald Trump, to take back our democracy, and to improve the lives of millions by electing Democrats up and down the ballot."

Bernie Sanders Campaign Statement on Partial Results from Iowa

Bernie Sanders Campaign Statement on Partial Results from Iowa

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Bernie 2020 Senior Advisor Jeff Weaver on Tuesday issued the following statement after the Iowa Democratic Party released partial results from the Iowa caucus:

“We want to thank the people of Iowa. We are gratified that in the partial data released so far it’s clear that in the first and second round more people voted for Bernie than any other candidate in the field."

Donald Trump Campaign Statement on Iowa Caucuses

Donald Trump Campaign Statement on Iowa Caucuses

“Democrats are stewing in a caucus mess of their own creation with the sloppiest train wreck in history. It would be natural for people to doubt the fairness of the process. And these are the people who want to run our entire health care system? Tonight President Trump posted a record performance in the well-run GOP Iowa caucuses with record turnout for an incumbent.”
- Brad Parscale, Trump 2020 campaign manager

Elizabeth Warren Delivers Remarks on Iowa Caucus Night

Elizabeth Warren Delivers Remarks on Iowa Caucus Night

Des Moines, IA - Elizabeth Warren delivered remarks tonight.

Her remarks are below as prepared for delivery:

Thank you, Iowa! Thank you so much.

So listen, it’s too close to call. So I’m going to tell you what I do know.

As the baby daughter of a janitor, I’m so grateful to be up on this stage tonight.

Tonight as a party, we are one step closer to defeating the most corrupt president in American history.

Tomorrow Donald Trump will make a speech about the state of the union.

But I have a message for every American: Our union is stronger than Donald Trump. And, in less than a year, our union will be stronger than ever when that one man is replaced by one very persistent woman.

Donald Trump and I see America from very different viewpoints -- and we have since we were born. Trump grew up in New York City in a 23-room, nine-bathroom mansion. I grew up out in Oklahoma in a two-bedroom house with one bathroom and a converted garage where my three brothers slept.

By the time he was three, Donald Trump was getting a two-hundred-thousand dollar allowance every year from his dad’s real estate empire. In total, he got nearly half a billion dollars from his dad. Me? I took on small jobs to make money, baby sitting, waitressing, sewing dresses for my aunts.

Donald Trump claimed bone spurs to avoid the draft. All three of my older brothers signed up for military service, and the oldest spent five-and-a-half years off and on in combat in Vietnam.

Before he became a reality TV host, Donald Trump spent most of his career running one company after another into bankruptcy -- stiffing small businesses, ripping off workers, and scamming students. I spent most of my career studying why families go broke and fighting to make it easier for them to get back on their feet. Before I was even elected to office, I built an entire federal agency to stop big banks and financial institutions from cheating people.

A person’s values matter. A president’s values matter. And the only thing Donald Trump values is Donald Trump.

He believes that government is just one more thing to exploit -- a tool to enrich himself and his corrupt buddies at everyone else’s expense. I believe that government should work for everyone.

Tonight showed that Americans have a deep hunger for big, structural change to make our economy -- and our democracy -- work for everyone.

Tonight showed that our path to victory is to fight hard for the changes Americans are demanding -- changes that Democrats, Independents and Republicans are demanding.

Tonight showed that our agenda isn’t just a progressive agenda. It isn’t just a Democratic agenda. It’s America’s agenda.

Throughout our history, when moments of crisis have called on us to meet big challenges, Americans have answered the call.

Even when the doubters and critics say our dreams are too big, and the fights are too hard, we persist.

In the 1700s, when people said we could never overthrow a king and form a new republic, farmers and merchants came together and fought side-by-side until we won our independence.

In the 1800s, people said that slavery would endure forever and African Americans would never see liberation. But abolitionists, enslaved and formerly enslaved people formed an underground railroad and more than two million people waged a war to defeat the tyranny of slavery.

In the 1900s, people said we could never rescue our economy from the depths of the Great Depression or defeat fascism. But we forged a New Deal, mobilized to defeat fascism, expanded unions, built a middle class, and marched for civil rights.

Americans do big things. That’s who we are. We don’t settle. We don’t back down. We meet big problems with even bigger solutions.

Iowa, tonight, you showed that big dreams are still possible in America.

Tonight you showed that when you imagine an America that lives up to its ideals, you can set in motion the process of making it a reality -- all it takes is some hard work.

Here in Iowa, that’s what happened. You came together. You organized. You showed that we are united in our conviction that hope defeats fear. That courage overcomes cynicism. That we will always be a stronger party and a stronger nation when we unite around our shared values to advance justice and expand opportunity for everyone.

Right now across America, there are folks standing with a group of friends, or sitting on the couch with loved ones, or watching this quietly on their phone because everyone else in the house is asleep -- watching and thinking, “Maybe I could help out. Maybe I could volunteer some time. Maybe I could get in this fight.” And that’s how we’re going to do this.

I am here tonight to tell you: if you have hope that America can be better than it’s been in these last few years, and if you have courage to speak out and do a little organizing with us, this campaign is for you.

If you can imagine an America where corruption doesn’t block our ability to reduce gun violence, urgently tackle climate change, or bring an end to the opioid epidemic, this campaign is for you.

If you can imagine an economy where every job has dignity, where people are paid a livable wage, and where everyone has a real chance to thrive, this campaign is for you.

If you can imagine a democracy where people, not money, come first, this campaign is for you.

And if you can imagine an America of moral clarity that lives its values every day, this campaign is for you.

Tonight we are one step closer to winning the fight for the America we imagine is possible.

Tonight is for you. Tonight is for every volunteer who put their feet to the pavement to fight for change. For every organizer who braved the blistering cold to knock on doors. For every person who made a call or sent a text to spread the word. I’m going to tell you about some of our volunteers.

Tonight is for the veteran who came back diagnosed with PTSD and who volunteered every week to help us become a nation that honors its promises to its veterans.

Tonight is for every undocumented, unafraid organizer and volunteer who proudly knocked on doors to let the world know that the path to progress runs through courage, not fear.

Tonight is for the innovative, persistent women who organized babysitting clubs so they could put in more hours volunteering.

Tonight is for the single mother, who had been homeless, and who was so determined that her twin daughters grow up in a better world that she found spare moments to make calls.

Tonight is for everyone who believes that no matter the color of your skin, who you love, how you worship, where you were born, or what zip code you live in, you should be safe and your opportunities should be pretty much as good as everyone else’s.

In every day and every way, this movement is made up of people who know that the only way to make progress and build power is to fight from the heart.

So tonight, Iowa, I want to say thank you. Thank you for living your values. Thank you for standing together, fighting together, and persisting. You have made me a better candidate and you will make me a better president.

And while I’m at it, I want to thank my sweetie Bruce -- I couldn’t do this without you. And thanks to Bailey. He truly is a good-boy.

Together we have built a movement powered by hopeful, courageous people who will do the work to make the change we need.

And we are just getting started.

This race will be decided by people like you. And if you believe something should be done, I’m asking you to do something: go to Elizabeth Warren Dot Com right now. Pitch in a few bucks, sign up to volunteer, get involved with our campaign near where you live.

Because this race started here in Iowa, but from tomorrow it will run ocean to ocean, east to New Hampshire, and then west to Nevada, then down to South Carolina.

This fight will stretch across all 57 states and territories that make up this great nation until we unite together as a party in Milwaukee. The road won’t be easy. But we are built for the long haul.

Yeah, we still have a fight on our hands, but we are fueled by the hope in our hearts. Our optimism and our determination run deep.

And no matter what lies ahead, we are not afraid. This is our moment. The moment we’ve been called to.

Our moment to make history.

Our moment to dream big, fight hard and win.

Amy Klobuchar Photos, Iowa Caucus Night Party, Marriott Des Moines, February 3, 2020 #IAcaucus

Iowa GOP Launches Caucus Results Website

Iowa GOP Launches Caucus Results Website 

DES MOINES -- The first votes are being cast for president as we kick off the caucus-to-convention process. The Iowa GOP launched their caucus results site which can be found at iowagopcaucusresults.com.

The Iowa GOP's iowagopcaucusresults.com is the official site for results and is the ONLY site associated with the state Republican Party.

Reminder: The page will update periodically as results are reported. 

Joe Biden Photos, Community Event, Des Moines, Iowa, February 2, 2020