To All the Candidates I’ve Met Before (the Iowa Caucus)

13 min readDec 16, 2019

Hello, it is me, a proud Planned Parenthood supporter, feminist, and registered Democrat who is also an Iowan voter and uncommitted caucus-goer. I am one of the 2,034,278 active voters in one of Iowa’s 99 counties, which means at least a dozen Democratic presidential candidates are coming here to meet me and be one step closer toward becoming America’s Next President.

In case you are unaware, the Iowa Caucus’s first-in-the-nation status means that anyone who wants to be president will make plenty of trips to visit all of Iowa’s 99 counties at least once. Spoiler alert: Iowa is the place for politics because as students we don’t just study politics, we live it and shape national conversations.

Although the Iowa Caucus is on February 3, 2020, Iowans like me have been visited by presidential candidates since 2017. If you think that that is early, you are correct. By April 25, 2019, 20 Democrats had announced their candidacies. To compare, Hillary Clinton announced her run for president on April 12, 2015.

From L-R: Hillary Clinton, me, Hillary’s husband

In 2016, I was just waiting for Hillary to announce, so I could join her team. From May 2015 through November 2016, I was a dedicated Hillary for America volunteer including serving as an Iowa Caucus Precinct Captain. Since 2020 is only the second time I will be an Iowa resident during the caucuses, it is the first time that I will be considering every Democratic candidate. That’s why I decided to document meeting each candidate and interacting with her/his/their staff and developed a spreadsheet to determine how likely I am to caucus for any candidate.

All of the candidates I’ve met before the Iowa Caucus.

Likely to Caucus Methodology

In order to help me translate how I feel about each candidate as well as hers or his policies, I developed a spreadsheet with the following criteria.

I Side With 2020 Presidential Quiz: I took the full I Side With quiz, and those scores (out of 100) are part of the Likely to Caucus total.
Inspirational: This category is a combination of the intangibles, such as how much a candidate inspires me with their oratory skills and messaging, and where they stand on supporting reproductive rights, funding Planned Parenthood, repealing the Hyde Amendment, and post-secondary educational paths. Between the Iowa Democratic Party’s two largest cattle calls, the Hall of Fame Celebration on June 9 and the Liberty & Justice Celebration on November 1, I have heard every major candidate speak, except for billionaire and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Governor Deval Patrick. Supporting reproductive rights, funding Planned Parenthood, and repealing the Hyde Amendment are all fairly cut and dry as to whether a candidate and I agree or not. Post-secondary educational paths is where most candidates falter for me. So many focus on only one post-secondary path, 2- and 4-year colleges and universities. Most candidates fundamentally misunderstand the higher education system in the U.S. in addition to omitting post-secondary educational paths such as apprenticeships and bootcamp-style programs from the conversation. I have a hard time supporting any candidate who wants free 2- and 4-year public college because those plans leave out small private liberal arts colleges, a vital part of our higher education system (especially here in Iowa).
Response to my question: I was able to ask a number of candidates the same question, “In your first 100 days in the Oval Office, what would you do to support women?”. I’ll include an overview and/or a link to their responses in their sections below.
Campaign organizers: A candidate is the face of their campaign, but their organizers are the heart and soul. That’s why I have a category to recognize the important work of our field organizers on the ground here in Iowa.
Endorsements & surrogates: In addition to campaign organizers, candidates have a collection of endorsements from current and former elected officials, influential activists, and celebrities.

After I mentioned my Likely to Caucus spreadsheet to Crooked Media’s Tommy Vietor, he asked if he could interview me about it. You can catch me on Pod Save America “Iowa Episode 4: The final sprint” at 10:30, which is part of Tommy’s five episode limited series on the Iowa Caucuses. You can also see the spreadsheet and me in the LA Times and The New Yorker.

The Candidates

Below are all the candidates that I’ve met prior to the Iowa Caucus in chronological order of when I first met them.

We volunteered at the 36th Annual Harkin Steak Fry, got featured in CNN b-roll, and took this photo with then-Vice President Joe Biden.

Former Vice President Joe Biden
Announced April 25, 2019
Met on September 15, 2013
Distance from where I live(d): 1.5 miles
Likely to caucus for Biden: -3.4%

I heard and met then-Vice President Joe Biden after he spoke at the 36th Annual Harkin Steak Fry. Fast forward six years and he’s running for president for the third time. Biden is Biden, and I’m with her.

Mayor. Midwesterner. Millennial. Pete Buttigieg impressed me with his perspective and experience as the chief executive of South Bend.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Launched exploratory committee January 23, 2019
Announced April 14, 2019
Met on March 4, 2019
Distance from where I live: 0.7 miles
Likely to caucus for Buttigieg: 42.2%

I met Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the small front room of a now closed bar with about 40 other Cedar Rapidians in March after he launched his exploratory committee but before he officially announced his candidacy (and before he had any frontrunner status). You can see me tweeting about Mayor Pete on KCRG and CBS2 and catch us cheesin’ it up on Good Morning America (see photo below).

Just a couple of millennial Midwesterners taking a photo that would eventually end up on Good Morning America.

When I asked Mayor Pete my question about what he would do for women in his first 100 days of office, I could tell that he hadn’t had as much media training as other candidates, but he took a second to mull it over and gave a solid response. He said that he would have a diverse cabinet and appoint women to multiple positions, and he would protect the courts by nominating and appointing justices who would uphold Roe v. Wade. I liked his answer because it was realistic, albeit less extensive than other candidates’ responses.

Senator Amy Klobuchar goes green for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and to tackle climate change. 💚🍀♻️

Senator Amy Klobuchar
Announced on February 10, 2019 (during a blizzard)
Met on March 17, 2019
Distance from where I live: 0.3 miles
Likely to caucus for Klobuchar: 57.4%

I met Senator Amy Klobuchar on St. Patrick’s Day in Cedar Rapids (fun fact: Cedar Rapids is consistently ranked one of the best places in the nation to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day) at Raygun (Raygun stores are a popular stop for presidential candidates). She impressed me with her effectiveness as a legislator and ability to raise money from her exes.

When I asked Senator Klobuchar my question about what she would do for women in her first 100 days of office, she said that would get rid of the “gag rule” and make Title X inclusive again, and she would also return funding to Planned Parenthood. I liked this answer because it’s realistic and its positive effects would be immediately felt by women (and really all Americans) across the country.

Senator Elizabeth Warren is the woman with a plan for this, that, and the other thing, and she knows how she’s going to pay for it. You can catch her dropping policy proposals faster than Beto O’Rourke can jump on a piece of unsuspecting furniture.

Senator Elizabeth Warren
Announced February 9, 2019
Met on April 25, 2019
Distance from where I live: 0.3 miles
Likely to caucus for Warren: 86.0%

I was excited to meet Senator Elizabeth Warren because of her work establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as well as her plethoria of iconic moments, including “Nevertheless, She Persisted” (I even own a shirt with that phrase and a shirt with her face on it). I have heard her speak in person at least half a dozen times this caucus season and she never fails to rile up the crowd.

Part of the reason that Warren has the second highest likely to caucus percentage for me is because of her top notch grassroots organizing team (I gave them 100 out of 100 total possible points on my spreadsheet). I have been impressed with these liberty green warriors since day 1, whether it’s their thoughtful and organized crowd control and selfie lines, their dedication to getting local candidates elected in 2019’s municipal elections, their local events to support various groups and voting populations, or their shared love of Dolly Parton (FYI: Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 is Elizabeth Warren’s campaign walk up song).

When I asked Warren my question about what she would do for women in her first 100 days of office, she started off with, “Can we start by talking about what it would mean for women to have the first female president?”. She also focused on affordable childcare and stated that “healthcare is a basic human right,” so she would protect the Affordable Care Act, reduce the cost of prescriptions, and ensure Medicare for all. You can watch her respond to my question on Twitter and Facebook. I was a little disappointed that she didn’t really stick to the idea of what she could realistically do in her first 100 days for women and instead pivoted to talk about her policy plans. Overall, I liked the points that she brought up from having a woman in the Oval Office to affordable childcare to healthcare is a human right.

Swapping trendsetting secrets with Tom Steyer. 👔

Billionaire Tom Steyer
Announced July 9, 2019
Met on February 2, 2020
Distance from where I live: 0.2 miles
Likely to caucus for Steyer: -3.2%

I met Tom Steyer the day before the Iowa Caucus. It was the first time that I got to see him donning his signature plaid tie and colorful belt.

When I asked Steyer what he do for women in his first 100 days in office, he kept it pretty broad and said that he supports paid family leave, maternal and paternal leave, and equal pay and that he would appoint women in Cabinet and key administrative positions and that it’s likely that there would be more women working for his administration than men.

Likely to Caucus percentages for those who haven’t met me yet

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang: 5.4%
Former Governor Deval Patrick: 3.5%
Author Marianne Williamson: -2.4%
Representative Tulsi Gabbard: -2.8%
Billionaire and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg: -12.8%
Senator Bernie Sanders: -13.6%

Gone before the caucus

For the full effect, press here for Sarah McLachlan’s tearjerker, “Angel”.

Justice is on the ballot, and Kamala is ready to fight for the economic, education, and reproductive rights for the people. #ForThePeople

Senator Kamala Harris
Announced January 21, 2019
Met on February 24, 2019
Dropped out on December 3, 2019
Distance from where I live: 0.3 miles
Likely to caucus for Harris: 96.6%

Senator Kamala Harris inspired me more than any other candidate in this race. I was going to commit to caucus for her the week she suspended her campaign. From the first time I heard Kamala speak in person at a podcast taping in February, I felt inspired and empowered by her and her “For the People” message. I know that this isn’t the end for this public servant and joyful warrior because she will keep fighting for economic and reproductive justice and will be a prominent player in Democratic politics for years to come.

When I asked Kamala my question about what she would do for women in her first 100 days of office, she focused on the economy and pointed out that “women’s issues are everyone’s issues and everyone’s issues are women’s issues” and responded to my question for about six and a half minutes (1:00:22–1:06:49) during the podcast. Specifically, she talked about passing the ERA, addressing the wage gap, creating a national policy for affordable childcare, a need to have a system that takes sexual assault survivors seriously (she specifically thanked Christine Blasey Ford and applauded her strength during the Kavanaugh hearings), and spoke about reproductive health care (including guaranteeing body autonomy for women and getting rid of restrictions on birth control). Kamala’s response to my question led to this Marie Claire article about the Equal Rights Amendment, and her fellow candidates followed suit and began vocalizing their support for ratification.

The next time I saw Kamala speak was at the Iowa Democratic Party’s Hall of Fame Celebration in Cedar Rapids on June 9. CSPAN was there to livestream the event and caught an exchange between Senator Harris and me. It starts at 5:16 when you hear Senator Harris say, “I thought I recognized you”, which was the first but not the last time Senator Harris said that to me. The CSPAN exchange lasted about 30 seconds, and serves as a reminder that when presidential candidates campaign in Iowa for the caucuses that they’re participating in retail politics and that every voter matters.

Stellar selfie taker, superb senator, and sincere public servant. A big thank you to Cory Booker for inspiring and challenging a room of Cedar Rapidians to be engaged citizens by volunteering and voting over the next 30 days.

Senator Cory Booker
Announced February 1, 2019
Met on October 9, 2018
Distance from where I live: 3.4 miles
Likely to caucus for Booker: 34.6%

I first heard Cory Booker hype up the crowd and introduce Hillary Clinton in January 2016 and then as a surrogate for the Iowa Democrats prior to the 2018 midterm elections. I’m a fan of his staffers (especially Maranda and Liz) and how they’ve become part of the community, which is a big reason why his percentage is so high for me.

Julián Castro thinks that the U.S. can be the smartest, healthiest, fairest, and most prosperous nation in the 21st century. 🧠⚖️🍎💰

Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro
Announced January 12, 2019
Met on March 31, 2019
Dropped out on January 2, 2020
Distance from where I live: 6.3 miles
Likely to caucus for Castro: 34.8%

I was excited to meet former Secretary Julián Castro because I had first heard him speak when he was Mayor Castro at that same Harkin Steak Fry back in 2013 that featured then-Vice President Biden. I liked Castro’s overall message and his experience as a Mayor and with HUD.

When I asked Castro my question about what he would do for women in his first 100 days of office, he said that he would focus on ratifying the ERA; rollback bad executive orders and create new executive orders to address affordable housing concerns; nominate and appoint progressive justices to district courts, appellate courts, and the Supreme Court; protect Roe v. Wade; and encourage small business loans for women. He had a pretty solid answer; certain parts are realistic and specific within the first 100 days and the other parts are good sentiments.

Feminist. Forward-thinking. Fighter. It was wonderful to hear from Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and ask about her “women plus” platform and policies.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Launched exploratory committee January 15, 2019
Announced March 17, 2019
Met on February 18, 2019
Dropped out on August 28, 2019
Distance from where I live: 0.3 miles

I was excited to meet my first female candidate of the caucus, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and she did not disappoint. She was fired up and unafraid of making issues that affect women cornerstones of her campaign. Her staffers who I met (all whom identified as women) echoed Senator Gillibrand’s “women-plus” platform.

When I asked Gillibrand my question about what she would do for women in her first 100 days of office, she focused on her “women-plus” platform of protecting reproductive rights and abortion.

We went to Mount Vernon and met Vanity Fair cover boy Beto O’Rourke.

Former Representative Beto O’Rourke
Announced on March 14, 2019
Met on March 15, 2019
Dropped out on November 1, 2019
Distance from where I live: 14.0 miles
Likely to caucus for O’Rourke: -5.4%

I was excited about Beyto when he was running against Ted Cruz for a Texas Senate seat, but his candidacy for the Democratic nominee was a mix of uncomfortable moments (including relaunching his campaign and dropping out in Des Moines right before the Liberty & Justice Celebration) and lots of jumping on furniture.

John Delaney speaking at an entrepreneurial-focused lunch hosted at my office, NewBoCo.

Former U.S. Representative John Delaney
Announced July 28, 2017
Met on February 18, 2019
Dropped out on January 31, 2020
Distance from where I live: 0.1 miles
Likely to caucus for Delaney: -8.1%

It took over a year and half for me to meet the first Democrat who announced; however, I did meet a member of his team back in August 2018 (but she left the campaign in October 2019). He came to my office, NewBoCo (a nonprofit focused on education, entrepreneurship, and innovation), for a lunch with entrepreneurs in the community. I was photographing the event. Delaney did not offer to take photos or selfies with attendees, which truly shocked me.

Fun fact: Montana Governor Steve Bullock has more vetoes than any governor in his state’s history.

Governor Steve Bullock
Announced May 14, 2019
Met on March 4, 2019
Dropped out on December 2, 2019
Distance from where I live: 0.2 miles
Likely to caucus for Bullock: -14.75%

I met Governor Steve Bullock before he formally announced. He waited to announce until mid-May because he wanted to stay focused on his state of Montana until the end of the legislative session, which ended on May 1. He hadn’t had much practice with the Iowa Caucus crowd in March, which was evidenced by him keeping his hands in his back pockets and leaning away from the crowd for a majority of his ‘stumpish’ speech.

When I asked Bullock my question about what he would do for women in his first 100 days of office, his lack of caucus prep (or talking about women) was pretty evident. He pointed to addressing wage inequality by gender, so he would order a pay audit for his White House to expose the gender wage gap like he did in his state government. His response was interesting, but that kind of executive order seemed like a short-term bandaid narrowly focused on only his staff.