Longshot challengers to Biden to be included on Iowa Democrats’ new caucus cards

DES MOINES — Iowa Democrats will have the opportunity in the state’s 2024 presidential caucuses to express their preference for either of two longshot candidates challenging incumbent President Joe Biden.

The Iowa Democratic Party’s leadership committee during its meeting Saturday approved a plan to include former Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson in addition to Biden on the formerly first-in-the-nation caucuses’ by-mail presidential preference cards.

Iowa Democrats scrapped their long-standing system of in-person caucuses and instead, for the first time in 2024, will gauge grassroots support for presidential candidates by selections marked on a card that will be conducted via the mail.

The reform was an attempt by Iowa Democrats to address criticism of their complicated caucus system and maintain their leadoff spot in the quadrennial process of selecting U.S. presidents.

While that effort failed — the national Democratic Party opted nonetheless to reorder its candidate nominating calendar and removed Iowa from the early voting window — Iowa Democrats have proceeded with their new caucus format.

Instead of gathering in school gymnasiums and organizing supporters in huddles, Iowa Democrats will simply nominate a presidential candidate via mailed preference cards.

The state party at Saturday’s meeting determined which candidates would appear on the cards; there had been some question whether the cards would include anyone other than Biden, since he is an incumbent president and the party’s unofficial leader.

With Saturday’s action, the Iowa Democratic caucus cards will include Biden, Phillips, Williamson and an option to remain “uncommitted” to a candidate.

There was no discussion about the candidate list during Saturday morning’s meeting. When the list was made official, Iowa Democratic Party chairwoman Rita Hart issued a statement saying she plans to caucus for Biden.

“President Biden has done more in his first two years than some presidents have done in two terms, and I believe he will win our 2024 Iowa Caucuses,” Hart said in the statement.

Incumbent presidents rarely face serious challenges from within their political party during their re-election campaigns, and no incumbent president has ever lost a primary challenge.

Biden finished fourth in the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses before going on in other states to earn the party’s nomination and win that year’s general presidential election. Biden finished fifth in the 2008 Iowa Democratic caucuses, which were won by Barack Obama, who then selected Biden as his running mate. Biden then served as vice president for both of Obama’s two terms in the White House.

The Iowa Republican caucuses remain first-in-the-nation in 2024. The Iowa Republican caucuses also are scheduled for Jan. 15, which will be the first official step in the party’s nomination of a challenger to presumably face Biden in the 2024 presidential election.

How to participate in the caucuses

Anyone registered as a Democrat in Iowa can participate by completing a form that can be found on the state party’s website, iowademocrats.org. The form can be completed online, or printed and returned to the state party via mail or email.

Democrats can request a card through Feb. 19. The state party will begin mailing out cards on Jan. 12. Cards must be returned or postmarked by March 5.

While the in-person caucuses will be conducted on Jan. 15, there will be no tallying of presidential preference that night; only party business will be conducted. The locations of those caucuses has not yet been announced.

The results of Iowa Democrats’ presidential preference will be announced by the state party on March 5.

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