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Caucuses in the Corridor: A look at what happened Monday night
Washington High School, Cedar Rapids
Republicans showed up on a bitter cold Monday night at caucuses in Iowa to support former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy or someone else.
Gazette and Daily Iowan reporters fanned out through the Corridor to file these reports. You can read more of the action by going to thegazette.com and clicking on “Live updates.”
Katie Karamitros, 28, who finished her tour of duty with the military last month, was “pumped” to be caucusing for the first time at Washington High School in southeast Cedar Rapids.
Karamitros said she moved back to Cedar Rapids after a decade on the East Coast to “reestablish my roots,” saying she’d forgotten “how much attention (presidential) candidates pay to Iowa.”
Karamitros cast her vote for Ramaswamy, a “fresh face for my generation,” but the majority of the 100 or so voters in Precincts 16 and 17, supported Haley, with 39 votes. Trump came in second with 29 votes, followed by DeSantis.
Ron and Debbie Smith caucused for Trump.
“Everything I dislike about him is why I like him,” said Ron, 58, a remote contract worker. “He makes you feel uncomfortable, but he does the uncomfortable things that need to get done. Everyone else is all talk.”
— Grace King
Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids
About 200 Republicans gathered at Kirkwood Community College in southwest Cedar Rapids, which hosted Republican caucuses for six precincts.
The precincts voted 101 for Trump, 34 for DeSantis, 27 for Haley and 22 for Ramaswamy.
Richard Reysack, 68, of Cedar Rapids, saying he’s voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past, caucused for Haley, saying he liked her plan for "where we are going." The most important issue for him is securing the nation’s southern border with Mexico.
A Trump supporter, speaking to one precinct, said Trump knows what to do on Day One and also cited border security as a top issue.
— Trish Mehaffey
Linn-Mar High School, Marion
Marion caucusgoers in Precincts 4 and 6, wearing heavy winter coats and dodging mounds of snow in the Linn-Mar High School parking lot, made their way to the school’s Little Theater. Some wore merchandise sporting their favorite candidate. Several brought their children; an infant cooed in the back row.
The crowd chatted with each other up until 7 p.m. Then, they fell silent. It was time to reason with each other. Speakers praised Trump, Haley, DeSantis and Ramaswamy at the front of the room, hoping to sway their peers.
David DeLayo, 40, of Marion Precinct 4, caucused for Haley because she’s the "adult in the room" — a realistic and balanced candidate — compared to the other options.
“I honestly think Donald Trump is a threat to our democracy. I think he would change the Constitution," DeLayo, an Army veteran, said. "I took an oath to defend that Constitution, so I thought it was my duty to come out here and show my support for someone who I think will defend the Constitution."
When it came down to the votes, though, there was a clear winner: Trump was the favored candidate in Marion Precincts 4 and 6, with 37 and 34 votes, respectively. Haley was a close second, earning 28 and 26 votes, followed by DeSantis, with 18 votes in each precinct.
— Brittney J. Miller
Palmer House, Solon
In Solon, pledge and prayer preceded voting
The voices of 111 people filled the first floor of Palmer House Stable in Solon as Republican caucusgoers recited the Pledge of Allegiance and the Lord's Prayer, followed by “God Bless America,” to kick-start the caucus. An American flag, draped on a wooden arch typically intended for small weddings, acted as a backdrop for the night's speakers at the front of the room.
Trump won the Big Grove precinct with 40 votes, followed by DeSantis with 30 votes, Haley with 29 votes and Ramaswamy with 11.
Four speakers voice support for their preferred candidate and took a few shots at Joe Biden.
“I like Vivek (Ramaswamy). I like Ron DeSantis. I'm lukewarm on Nikki Haley, quite frankly. But, hey, if she gets the nomination, I will not only support her, I will give her money," Jim Shymansky, 80, of Solon, told the crowd, "because it's such a demand. We have to vote Republican and get the jerk out of the White House."
The remarks by Shymansky, a retired professor, were met with applause.
— Emily Hawk
Salvation Army, Cedar Rapids
Precincts 19 and 20 at The Salvation Army in northwest Cedar Rapids broke strongly in favor of Trump, with 63 of 134 caucus-goers voting for Trump. Haley was second with 28 votes. DeSantis was a close third with 25 votes. Ramaswamy netted 17.
As the gymnasium filled up, volunteers set up extra tables and chairs. One precinct official said the attendance for Precinct 20 was twice the attendance in 2016.
“He’s the only person I can trust that he’ll do what he says he’s going to do,” Trump supporter James Junkins, 49, of Cedar Rapids said. “Every election cycle, (candidates) say they’re going to change this, change that — they tell us what we want to hear. But they (can’t withstand) the highest bidder when they get to Washington, D.C.”
Haley supporter Dave Anderson, a lifelong Republican and retired AT&T technician, was unswayed by arguments in favor of DeSantis’ or Trump’s record on the economy. Electability is his top concern, he said, adding he would vote for Biden over DeSantis or Trump.
“If it weren’t for Mickey Mouse, (DeSantis) wouldn’t have much of an economy,” said Anderson, 71.
Those in favor of DeSantis often said they liked Trump’s policies, but disliked Trump.
“(Trump) is far too volatile, and there’s too much to deal with that could take away from what he’d do in office,” financial analyst Jacob Cuellar, 30.
“He’s Trump without the drama,” said caregiver Toni Overton, 61.
— Elijah Decious
Central City High School
Around 200 people from the Jackson, Maine and Boulder-Buffalo townships caucused at Central City High School. Trump won all three precincts. DeSantis was second
Several people spoke before on behalf of Trump and DeSantis.
Trump supporters said they appreciated what he did during his last presidency, while those who voted against him said they were concerned about the way he conducts himself. Border control and the economy were the topmost concerns.
“Gas was a lot cheaper under Trump,” said Brian Jerome, 44, of Boulder Township. “My car insurance was about half what it is now.”
— Emily Andersen
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