Democrats Urge National Party to Invest More in Iowa to Secure House Majority

WASHINGTON – Iowa Democrats are sounding the alarm, cautioning the national Democratic Party that overlooking their state in the 2024 elections could imperil their chances of regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives and pose a risk to President Joe Biden’s policy agenda.

Rita Hart, Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, disclosed that she sent a letter dated August 23 to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), emphasizing the necessity for increased investments in Iowa by the national party. This appeal extends beyond Iowa’s potential voting outcome in presidential elections, aiming to bolster Biden’s party in their pursuit to secure the House of Representatives.

While Iowa was once regarded as a swing state fiercely contested by both parties a decade ago, it has since shifted more conservatively and did not vote for Biden in the last presidential election. In response, Biden advocated for reducing Iowa Democrats’ influence by removing their status as the first in-the-nation contest, advocating that battleground states and states with more diverse populations play larger roles in the nominating process.

Nonetheless, the outcomes of congressional races in Iowa and its bordering regions could hold the key to determining House control. In light of this, Iowa Democrats are urging the DNC to increase financial support for their state party’s operations.

Hart stressed the importance of Iowa’s media markets that extend into neighboring areas. She highlighted their significance for President Biden’s agenda, stating, “It’s a much different thing to be able to be successful and get his agenda accomplished. He needs the United States House in order to do that.”

With a narrow four-seat advantage held by the GOP in the House, Biden faces a showdown with House conservatives over his budget priorities. The Democrats are targeting two congressional races in Iowa identified as top opportunities by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to regain a majority. Additionally, swing congressional districts in neighboring states share borders and media markets with Iowa, intensifying the campaign competition against President Biden and his leadership in the lead-up to the Iowa Caucus.

Iowa’s representative on the DNC’s rule-making body, Scott Brennan, presented a document at a July meeting illustrating how each of Iowa’s nine media markets extends into at least one county in neighboring states, including the battleground state of Wisconsin. These media markets have seen a surge in coverage of GOP candidates and political advertisements, potentially impacting the balance of power.

The DNC, in response, noted that they provide Iowa with $12,500 monthly for its operations, fully fund a communications role dedicated to countering GOP presidential candidates, and allocate an additional $2,500 monthly from a special fund for traditionally Republican-leaning states. Furthermore, the DNC has committed to spending over $500,000 to support Iowa Democrats in 2023 and 2024.

However, with limited resources during a presidential election year and the presidency at stake, non-battleground states like Iowa face a challenging task in persuading the Democratic Party to allocate more resources to their operations.

Hart contends that Iowa requires increased funding for organizing, voter education initiatives, and locally-targeted messaging tailored to resonate with the state’s voters. “All of those things take a considerable amount of money, a considerable amount of people, of boots on the ground,” she emphasized. “And so we’re making the case that every bit that they invest here in Iowa is going to really make a difference.”