Statewide Iowa — The Iowa GOP’s chairman says a national panel he’s been leading is unanimously backing a report that would secure First-In-The-Nation status for the Iowa Republican Party’s Caucuses in 2024.
That’s Iowa GOP chairman Jeff Kaufmann, who’s been chairman of the national party’s Presidential Nominating Process Committee. Kaufmann says the group reviewed options for rearranging the timing of presidential primaries and caucuses, but the final report recommends that no changes be made.
The report will be presented to the Republican National Committee this summer. Kaufmann says he’s hopeful GOP leaders from other states will ratify the plan to have Iowa Caucuses first, followed by New Hampshire’s Primary and contests in Nevada and South Carolina — but he’s not taking it for granted.
Last weekend, a group of Democratic National Committee members discussed changes to their presidential nominating process and aired complaints about the caucus process. Kaufmann says he has full faith in Iowa Democratic Party leaders who are making the case that THEIR party’s Caucuses should remain first in 2024.
Kaufmann is at his eastern Iowa farm and has participated remotely in this week’s Republican National Committee gathering in Utah. Kaufmann says he supports the party’s decision to censure Wyoming Congresswoman Lynn Cheney and Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger.
The two have joined House Democrats’ investigation of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. Kaufmann describes that as weaponizing their status as Republicans.
Kaufmann says, “Now, if you want to go after Trump, if you want to go after decisions that were made, you have every right to do that. I don’t have a problem with that, but if you are using the very party label to go after members of that party, I don’t think that’s the appropriate use — then don’t belong to that party.”
Cheney says Republicans have made themselves willing hostages to a man who admits he tried to overturn a presidential election and suggests he would pardon January 6th defendants who’ve been charged with serious crimes. Kinzinger says Republican leaders have allowed conspiracies and toxic tribalism to guide their decisionmaking.
