Flood of presidential hopefuls expected in Iowa in coming week for candidate cattle calls

DES MOINES - Drawn by a pair of significant multiple-candidate events, at least 14 presidential hopefuls - a mixture from both political parties - will visit Iowa in the coming week.

On Friday evening in Cedar Rapids, all five Democratic candidates will be together for the first time, at the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Hall of Fame dinner and fundraiser.

Next Saturday in Ames, nine Republican candidates will participate in the Iowa Family Leader's Leadership Summit.

The events are important for unique reasons.

Friday night will provide Iowa Democrats the first opportunity to see their candidates side-by-side.

'The stakes are huge,” said Brad Anderson, who ran Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign in Iowa and ran unsuccessfully for Iowa Secretary of State in 2014. Anderson spoke about the event and other issues Friday during filming for this weekend's episode of 'Iowa Press” on Iowa Public Television.

Anderson said the Democratic event takes on extra importance with the recent retirement of longtime Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin and thus the end of his fundraiser, the Harkin Steak Fry, which often attracted presidential candidates.

'We've got some events, but the stakes are really big,” Anderson said.

On the other side of the aisle, the field of Republicans is expected to grow to 16 this week with the official declaration of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who plans to attend next Saturday's event. Walker has been the front-runner in most of the polls, with a large and packed group close behind.

Could this be the event at which one of the candidates emerges from the pack?

'It could happen,” said Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the Family Leader, during Friday's taping. 'What (Iowa GOP voters) are looking for, again: Who is the bold and courageous leader who can bring this country back to the foundations, principles and then cast an exciting vision for the future.”

Hillary Clinton, a former first lady, U.S. Senator and Secretary of State, continues to hold a dominant lead in Democratic caucus polls. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has been her closest challenger, and he has drawn huge crowds at recent rallies.

Vander Plaats, whose organization advocates on behalf of Christian conservatives, was asked during filming how difficult it will be to rally that sect of voters around just one candidate in a field so large.

'Well, from our perspective it's going to have to be prayer and divine intervention for everybody to unite around one candidate,” Vander Plaats said.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, and former Rhode Island Governor and U.S. Senator Lincoln Chafee round out the Democratic field.

'I think in an election, in a caucus where second choice matters, which on the Democratic side it does, I think probably at this point the stakes are highest for Martin O'Malley to really make his case and have voters who haven't had a chance to hear him take a second look,” Anderson said.