2024 Caucus Talk- The Best State Fair in the State

The decision from the Democratic Party has been to delay the announcement of the Primary Order for the 2024 Election

Will that mean rising political candidates will still come to Iowa or will they skip it? I suspect that there will still be some moments.

There are still a couple of big Party fundraisers and these are the kind of moments where someone like a Barack Obama or Pete Buttigieg can launch themselves.

The September Steak Fry is the premier event and the marquee speaker is US Representative (from NY-8) Hakeem Jeffries. Jeffries in just under a decade in Congress has been a rising star- is a fromt runner to replace Nancy Pelosi when she retires and steers a more moderate path than other more well known young leaders.

Not quite to the level of that annual Des Moines event, the Wing Ding in the Northern Iowa town of Clear Lake took place in the first part of August. In this case, the keynote speaker was Mallory McMorrow. McMorrow currently sits in the Michigan legislature but has been a Party fundraising star and has been able to attract a bipartisan crowd.

On the Republican side, without the party in the White House and the caucus still first in the nation, it’s business as expected.

That means my favorite thing- politicians making cringeworthy photos.

There will likely be worse photo ops but for now, Sen Tom Cotton (Ark) is surely the front runner for 2024.

Cotton came to Iowa to fundraiser for some state races in July, but he went to Social Media to say he was just in Iowa to get Casey’s Pizza




Trainspotters were quick to point out there are a couple of Casey’s just in driving difference of his office in Arkansas (and certainly would have had plenty of options closer in Missouri if he went that route)

Vanity Fair reported that Cotton eats Cake and Ice Cream almost every day, so he has some unusual habits when it comes to eating. He has also been to Iowa 8 times since 2019, so he clearly has been giving a Presidential Race some thought.

While others were quick to point out the atypical (for the chain) wimpy slice.

Next up is the Iowa State Fair. This is often the launching spot for Presidential races. There’s no guarantee, of course. I was there in 2011 when Sarah Palin visited, but she ultimately didn’t enter the race.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan made it the first day to flip pork chops with Iowa Gov Kim Reynolds.

Hogan won’t be the only one. Mike Pence will be here next week, with the whole gauntlet of State Fair, local party fundraisers and house parties. He will be side to side with a wealth of important Iowa Republicans - Sen Charles Grassley, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley and former Gov Terry Brandstad. Pence headlined the Family Leader Summit last year in Des Moines- always a big stop on the road to a campaign (North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and former CIA Director Mike Pompeii also spoke). This year’s event lacked that 2024 vibe going mostly local for speakers (or did it- Tucker Carlson was the headliner)

The fantastic IowaCapitalDispatch has been tracking potential candidates and report Lindsay Graham is headed here soon as well.