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Campaign Almanac: Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman to headline Iowa Democratic Party celebration
Also, DeSantis and Haley campaigns expand Iowa footprint
Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. John Fetterman will headline the Iowa Democratic Party’s 2023 Liberty & Justice Dinner, the party announced Tuesday.
Fetterman, the former lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, won election to the Senate in 2022 in one of the most hard-fought Senate races that year.
"I’ve always believed that Democrats need to be making our case to voters in every part of the state and every part of the county,” Fetterman said in a statement Tuesday. “I ran on a slogan of ‘every county, every vote’ — and I think that’s how Democrats can still win in rural areas, whether in Pennsylvania or in states like Iowa.”
Fetterman, who regularly dons gym shorts and a sweatshirt at official functions, drew some criticism from Republicans earlier this year after the Senate briefly ditched its informal dress code. Shortly after, the Senate passed a formal dress code rule requiring business attire.
The annual fundraiser has in the past been a place for Democratic presidential candidates to garner support ahead of the first-in-the-nation caucuses. Iowa Democrats lost their spot in the national party’s nominating calendar earlier this year, and last week the party approved a new system that will have Democrats announce the results of a mail-in presidential preference process on March 5, Super Tuesday.
“(Fetterman’s) well-earned victory in his Senate race last year is proof that Democrats can win rural voters as well as urban ones by sticking to our values,” Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said in a statement Tuesday. “John is just the kind of authentic, passionate leader Iowans are drawn to — and we can’t wait to hear from him in person.”
Haley, DeSantis expand Iowa footprint
Former United Nations ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is expanding her campaign operations in Iowa, following a pair of well-received debate performances that have helped invigorate her presidential campaign.
Haley has made gains in recent months, both in fundraising and polling. She has surged into second place ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the early nominating states of New Hampshire and South Carolina, which follow the Iowa caucuses.
A Real Clear Politics rolling average shows Haley surpassing several of her rivals to move into third place in Iowa, with 8.8 percent support, behind former President Donald Trump and DeSantis, who is at 16 percent. Trump, though, continues to hold a commanding lead at 49.2 percent support.
The Republican presidential candidate also picked up the endorsement of former Texas U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, who suspended his 2024 presidential campaign on Monday and endorsed Haley for the GOP nomination.
First reported by the Des Moines Register, Haley’s campaign is opening its first headquarters in Clive, adding two staffers with Iowa political experience and actively hiring others.
According to the campaign, it has added Hooff Cooksey, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ campaign manager in 2018, as an Iowa adviser. Cooksey also worked for the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Republican Governors Association during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles.
Team Haley also hired Troy Bishop, who served as field director for Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley in 2022, to serve as the campaign’s organization director in Iowa. A Haley campaign spokesperson, in an email, said it is actively bringing on other Iowa campaign veterans as regional directors across the state.
DeSantis’ presidential campaign said last week it will move about one-third of its staff from Florida to Iowa, underscoring the critical importance he is placing on Iowa’s leadoff caucuses.
“We currently have an office in Des Moines but will have a presence across the entire state,” a campaign spokesperson said.
DeSantis has invested heavily in Iowa, conducting a flurry of local media interviews in addition to intense campaigning. As of Monday, DeSantis had visited 74 of Iowa’s 99 counties, according to his campaign.
His campaign employs 56 people, including four Iowa staff members. The shift would give DeSantis the biggest organizational footprint in Iowa by far. Much of DeSantis’ organizational work in Iowa has largely been carried out by Never Back Down, a super PAC supporting his campaign, which has about two dozen Iowa staffers.
Hinson reports raising more than $740,000 in third quarter
Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, of Marion, reported raising more than $740,000 from July through September, with more than $1.3 million cash on hand.
Hinson also contributed more than $50,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee and targeted races across the country to help Republican candidates win key seats.
Hinson is running for re-election to a third term representing Eastern Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. She is currently running unopposed.
Hinson, a former state lawmaker and former KCRG-TV news anchor, won re-election last year to a second term by eight percentage points against Democratic former state lawmaker Liz Mathis of Hiawatha in Iowa’s new 2nd District. Hinson unseated first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer in 2020.
Teamsters union supports Cedar Rapids school bond measure
The Future Ready Schools Committee, which collected signatures to place a $220 million Cedar Rapids Community School District bond referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot, announced it has earned the support of Teamsters Local 238.
“It’s no secret that strong schools lead to thriving communities. To attract the workers of the next several decades, we must ensure that our communities’ priorities reflect our values — that means investing in sustainable education infrastructure that meets the needs of tomorrow,” Teamsters Local 238 Business Agent Scott Punteney said in a statement. “Working together to build our communities from the bottom up is a centerpiece of sustainable growth and prosperity for working people not only in Cedar Rapids, but across the state of Iowa. We’re proud to offer our support to the ‘Vote Yes to Invest’ effort.”
Teamsters Local 238 represents more than 5,000 members working in industries ranging from transportation and warehousing to manufacturing and public service.
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