Statewide, Iowa — National party leaders will decide the fate of the Iowa Democratic Party’s 2024 Caucuses after the November election.
A group of Democratic National Committee members were to meet this week and recommend which five states should get to host the early voting contests in the next presidential election. That decision is now delayed. Democrats from Iowa, along with 15 states and Puerto Rico are vying to host the opening voting in the party’s next presidential nominating process. Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Ross Wilburn says it’s important for small rural states like Iowa to have a voice in picking the party’s next nominee. Some national party leaders say Iowa lacks the kind of diversity and General Election competitiveness that early voting states should have. The complexity of figuring out which Democratic candidate has won past Iowa Caucuses is also an issue. Iowa Democrats have proposed dramatic changes to simplify their Caucus process.
The Republican National Committee has already decided that the Iowa GOP’s Caucuses will remain first in 2024. The two parties have differing methods of deciding who will be their Presidential Nominee. Iowa Republicans take a straw poll at the start of their Caucus meetings. Democrats have required participants to openly declare which candidates they support, with a potential for two rounds of voting if certain candidates lack enough support in a precinct meeting.
