Party survey shows Iowa Democrats split on whether to ‘go rogue’ in 2028 nominating process

DES MOINES — Iowa Democrats are divided on whether the party should split from national party leadership on how to hold the 2028 Democratic caucuses in the state, while most agree that Iowa should play an influential role in the presidential selection process.

This sentiment among party members came from a survey put out by the Iowa Democratic Party in August in an attempt to gauge how Iowa Democrats believe the party should navigate the 2028 presidential nominating process after they were stripped of their first-in-the-nation status in 2023 by the Democratic National Committee.

IDP Chair Rita Hart said the results from the survey, which had more than 750 respondents, will help inform party conversations around the presidential nominating process in the lead-up to 2028.

“The results of the survey are not surprising and they reflect what I've been hearing from my fellow Democrats all across the state,” Hart said in a video statement. “The bottom line is that Iowans must have an early role in the 2028 Democratic presidential nominating process and our party's run process needs to be more accessible and inclusive.”

The survey results come as IDP weighs whether first-in-the-nation status would help strengthen Iowa Democrats in 2028 and if it should defy the national party while Iowa continues to lose its political influence within the DNC.

In June, Scott Brennan, Iowa's sole representative on the panel, lost his seat on the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, which oversees the party's presidential nominating process.

The results from the survey released by the IDP Central Committee at its Dec. 6 meeting show that a strong majority of party members want Iowa to play a key role in selecting the 2028 Democratic presidential nominee and make the caucuses more accessible.

According to the survey, 65.3 percent of respondents said they support Iowa Democrats being first or early in 2028 and prefer that Iowa play an “influential role in the 2028 presidential selection process.” More than half, or 74.4 percent, said they want an inclusive party-run process and to provide more accommodations for Iowans who cannot participate on caucus night.

While there is consensus around increased accessibility, there still is hesitation around “going rogue” and ignoring the outcome from the DNC’s selection of states in the early window if Iowa is not chosen.

According to the survey, 51.1 percent of respondents believe the IDP should work within the DNC process and accept the outcome of its selection regardless of if Iowa is in the early window, while 34.4 percent believe the state party should work with the DNC but ignore its selection if Iowa’s plan is not accepted.

In response to a question regarding whether the party should commit more resources to running the caucuses or to general election organizing, 54.7 percent said it is OK for the party to devote resources to the caucus because the “national attention of the Caucuses is valuable and sets the stage to do the necessary organizing work to win.” Nearly half, or 45.3 percent of respondents, said that the caucuses “divert attention from winning elections” and the party should spend the money on candidates and organizing in the state, even if it means presidential candidates won’t come to the state.

Next steps

The IDP said it will submit a waiver for participating in the early presidential nominating window to the DNC by Jan. 16 to “emphasize the value of a party-run process and the importance of states like Iowa being in the early window,” according to the survey.

National Democrats reshaped their presidential nominating calendar ahead of the 2024 election, removing Iowa and New Hampshire from their leadoff spots in favor of a calendar that benefited then-President Joe Biden. South Carolina was promoted to the head of the pack.

After struggling in Iowa and New Hampshire in 2020, Biden won the South Carolina primary, setting him on the path to the Democratic nomination and the presidency.

When she was reelected party leader in January 2025, Hart said she would lead a “family conversation,” holding listening sessions across the state with Democrats to gain a sense of how the party should approach the future of the Iowa caucuses.

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Hart said while she plans to have continued conversations with Iowa Democrats and the DNC ahead of 2027, when the 2028 calendar will be finalized, she plans to prioritize the 2026 midterm elections next year.

“There still is a long way to go before an early window calendar is finalized and there's still a lot of conversations with the DNC and with my fellow Democrats that need to be had,” Hart said in a video statement. “So while I'm looking forward to having those discussions, my primary focus right now continues to be making sure that we win elections in 2026.”

Download: IDP Survey Results.pdf

Gazette Deputy Des Moines Bureau Chief Tom Barton contributed to this report.