Iowa GOP leadership pledges 2016 caucus neutrality

CEDAR RAPIDS - The top leadership and staff of the Republican Party of Iowa have signed a pledge not to endorse any candidate in Iowa's first-in-the-nation precinct caucuses in 2016.

The move for leadership and state party employees to remain neutral in the caucus process in early 2016 that kicks off the presidential nominating process is unprecedented, state party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said Wednesday.

'I think everybody understands that our caucus has to be as flawless as human beings can make it,” Kaufmann said. 'I'm hoping we're sending a very strong and very loud message to all the presidential candidates.”

Kaufmann said the pledge was signed by him, Co-Chairman Cody Hoefert and all of the members of the State Central Committee to send a clear signal that all potential candidates are welcome and the Iowa caucus process will be fair and impartial.

'2016 is just around the corner,” Kaufmann said, and he already is hearing from potential candidates.

'Iowa has an important stake in the nominating process, and it is an honor we take very seriously every four years,” Kaufmann said. 'This pledge is a reflection of our commitment to neutrality and openness towards all the candidates and their supporters.

According to the pledge, 'No member of the Republican Party of Iowa State Central Committee, its officers, or its staff shall publicly endorse a U.S. presidential candidate during the 2016 Iowa caucuses.”

The pledge applies only to the 2016 GOP presidential nomination race. However, Kaufmann thinks there may be conversation about expanding it to any contested race, such as a potential primary for the 2018 gubernatorial nomination.

After the 2014 election, Kaufmann said, he was approached by a few Central Committee members about caucus neutrality.

'My policy has been that if I sense people want to discuss something I put it on the agenda,” he said. 'I didn't know if they would be ready for a vote. There was a lot of discussion and it turns out there was consensus.”

The pledge as passed around at the meeting and all committee members present signed it, Kaufmann said. State party employees have been asked to sign it, too.

David Chung, a Central Committee member from Cedar Rapids who has been advocating for neutrality for 12 years, called the decision a step in the right direction. It comes on the heels of the committee amending its bylaws to prohibit members from being paid by campaigns.

'So this was the next step,” said Chung, who resigned from the committee in 2009 when he endorsed a candidate for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

In 2012, four Central Committee members were paid staff of candidates' campaigns and a couple more members endorsed candidates.

'I think we would have real problems getting candidates to come to Iowa” if that practice continued in 2016, he said. 'So I hope it makes a difference.”

After the trouble the GOP had in 2012 - declaring the wrong winner on caucus night and then delaying the announcement of the winner for nearly two weeks, Kaufmann said 'there is anything more important than strengthening our position as first in the nation.”