Republicans, Democrats plan minority forums for presidential candidates

DES MOINES - Leaders of the nation's longest-running presidential forum focusing on minority issues announced Monday events will take place again in Des Moines later this year with Republicans joining Democrats for the first time in inviting candidates to participate in discussions in five focus areas.

Former state Rep. Wayne Ford and Hispanic activist Mary Campos, co-founders of the Brown-Black forum, joined top Republicans and Democrats in Iowa to announcing plans for a Dec. 3 GOP forum and a Jan. 11 event for Democrats - both in Des Moines - to discuss education, immigration, economic opportunity, health care and criminal justice issues of concern to minority Americans.

'This is really going to be pretty fantastic,” said U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa City, who is serving with Republican Gov. Terry Branstad as honorary co-chairmen of the 2016 forum. 'I think this is an event all Iowans can take pride in.”

Branstad and others noted that Iowa historically has been a leader in promoting civil rights. The governor said the bipartisan approach to the 2016 forum will continue Iowa's reputation as a welcoming and inclusive state while giving voice to minority concerns on a national stage at the start of the presidential nominating process.

'This is a great bipartisan effort to maintain Iowa's leadership position in the nation in the presidential selection process,” the governor said. 'Today is a special day because once again Iowa is demonstrating how we will continue to earn our first-in-the-nation status by discussing and debating issues that are important to all 50 states and to all communities in Iowa and across the country, especially the minority communities.”

Iowa GOP state party chairman Jeff Kaufmann said invitation went out Monday to all GOP presidential hopefuls to participate in a forum that got its start in 1984. Andy McGuire, chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party, said she expected invites will go out soon to her party's presidential contenders for an event that both political parties' rules say must be a forum format, not a debate.

'What is so sorely needed in this country on these issues is a dialogue - a conversation and a civil dialogue,” Kaufmann told a Statehouse news conference announcing the two forums. 'This will place these issues in the forefront.”

Campos said the forum was founded more than 30 years ago 'not to build walls but to take down walls that strive to deprive us as citizens of being educated and well-informed of our voting rights.”