Iowa has 99 counties. Here are the ones to watch on caucus night.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Judging from candidate visits alone, Des Moines is by far an important place in Iowa — the Democratic presidential candidates have held nearly 500 events there in the lengthy run-up to Monday’s caucuses. Nowhere else within the state acquired almost as a lot consideration.

The political logic is clear — campaigns go the place the votes are, and Des Moines is probably the most populous city in Iowa.

Yet there are 99 counties within the state, and lots of of them will also play a key position determining the result of the first presidential nominating contest of 2020. Listed here are 11 places to comply with on caucus night time to get a really feel for who’s doing nicely and who’s falling brief.

Black Hawk County

In one of many nation’s whitest states, Waterloo — the largest city in Black Hawk County — is likely one of the most numerous communities. And due to its sizable African American inhabitants, the College of Northern Iowa and a robust organized labor presence, Black Hawk County is reliably Democratic.

In 2016, it was one in every of simply 5 counties within the state to vote for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. But Black Hawk County favored Bernie Sanders within the caucuses.

Iowa Video Dispatch: Do Bernie and Biden need to win?

This time round, Amy Klobuchar has been a frequent presence. Together with his robust help amongst African People, Joe Biden — who visited Saturday — might have a strong displaying. This is one place the place the constraints imposed on the candidates by the impeachment trial might make a distinction: Sanders was pressured to cancel a late January rally at UNI because of the Senate’s unforgiving schedule.

Cerro Gordo County

Mason City is among the must-stops in north Iowa — candidates attended 35 events there within the run-up to the caucuses. And no one spent more time there than Klobuchar, who needs to perform nicely in the world, just some miles from her house state, to have any probability of success.

The world is extra accustomed to her than most because it’s part of the Rochester, Minnesota, media market. On the campaign path, Klobuchar ceaselessly boasts of her potential to win in rural areas — just like the Minnesota counties that border North and South Dakota or Iowa — so these claims can be put to the check right here.

However Klobuchar wasn’t the most important spender in the Rochester media market — that was Andrew Yang, who outpaced everyone with $782,000 in broadcast and cable television buys.

Dubuque County

The town of Dubuque, in northeastern Iowa, is the guts of the state’s Roman Catholic group: It’s residence to five nunneries and two Catholic universities, and roughly half the residents are Catholic.

Whereas Sanders’ reputation with organized labor will make him competitive here, this must be Biden Country — he’s a acquainted face, visited steadily in the course of the campaign and has performed up his Catholic background here. Biden also has the help of in style native Rep. Abby Finkenauer. If Biden’s not profitable here, he’s in all probability having a tough night time.

Johnson County

Sanders crushed Clinton in this liberal stronghold in the 2016 caucuses — progressive politics play properly in what’s typically referred to as the Individuals’s Republic of Johnson County.

Residence to the University of Iowa, this must be fertile ground as soon as once more for Sanders, who dominates amongst voters between the ages of 18-49, as well as Elizabeth Warren, who also runs properly among younger voters. Each senators made appearances in Iowa City in the remaining weekend before the caucuses.

Lee County

Iowa has extra Obama-Trump counties (31) than some other state, and this is one among them. Whereas there aren’t a number of delegates at stake on this Mississippi River county in Iowa’s far southeastern corner, it’s a very good place to gauge how Pete Buttigieg’s focus on Obama-Trump counties is faring.

Iowa Video Dispatch: Buttigieg's high stakes

Lee is the rare county with not one but two county seats, Fort Madison and Keokuk — and Buttigieg campaigned in both of them.

Linn County

Except for the Des Moines space, no different place in Iowa acquired as many candidate visits as Cedar Rapids. Since Sept. 1, each of the four top-tier candidates made no less than a half-dozen visits to Linn County and its many blue-collar staff.

The second most populous metropolis in the state after Des Moines, Cedar Rapids went for Barack Obama in the 2008 caucuses and Sanders in 2016. Sanders continues to generate power here again this yr, drawing three,000 individuals to a Saturday occasion. On the identical day, Joe Biden had one among his higher Iowa crowds of the campaign — nevertheless it was solely 520 individuals.

Polk County

This is the most important prize on caucus night time, representing almost one-fifth of the whole state delegates. Residence to Des Moines — the largest city in the state — and key suburbs corresponding to Ankeny, Johnston and Clive, inhabitants progress is predicted to assist drive report turnout here. The Democratic Social gathering already had to transfer several precinct caucus places into bigger spaces because of potential hearth code issues.

The county’s inhabitants tends to be wealthier, extra numerous and better educated than the remainder of the state. In 2016, Clinton beat Sanders right here 53 % to 46 %. Freshman Rep. Cindy Axne, who represents Polk County, has endorsed Biden, arguing he’s the almost definitely ticket-topper to help weak Democrats like her get reelected in 2020.

Pottawattamie County

This county is house to Council Bluffs, the second-largest metropolis in western Iowa after Sioux City. It was considered one of Clinton’s strongest counties in 2008, however Pottawattamie went narrowly for Sanders over her in 2016.

The 2020 Team outlines the candidates' road to Iowa

Just one candidate has campaigned here greater than Sanders this time round: Klobuchar. The county chair right here has endorsed her, and the Minnesota senator’s daughter and husband have tried to keep a steady presence. But Sanders has saturated the Omaha media market that covers the county. And Warren’s foot soldiers have been aggressively organizing at native events and knocking on doorways.

Scott County

Residence to Bettendorf and Davenport, Iowa’s third-largest city, Scott County was one in every of Obama’s prime counties in the state in 2008. Eight years later, it was one of the rare counties where Sanders and Clinton have been almost tied (with Sanders narrowly topping Clinton, 50.5 % to 49 %).

While each of the highest 4 candidates has invested time on this Mississippi River county, both Sanders and Biden see it as a battleground area between their campaigns. However other dynamics might drive local votes: Last yr, when the county was among those deluged by ravaging flood waters, Warren was among the first 2020 candidates to go to.

Meanwhile, the most important spender within the Davenport media market? Billionaire Tom Steyer, who plowed almost $three.2 million into advertisements there.

Story County

This school county is anchored by Ames and Iowa State College, which suggests it’s Sanders Country. He crushed Clinton here in 2016, and his current campaign has swarmed the campus with organizers.

While Story County shouldn't be fairly as populous as the College of Iowa’s Johnson County, it still will get fairly a little bit of attention from the candidates. Yang made more visits here than some other candidate, so if he’s not doing properly right here, he’s in all probability not making a dent anyplace within the state.

Woodbury County

This was a should stop for every Democratic campaign, because it’s residence to Sioux City, the most important city in western Iowa. The world may present some perception into whether or not Klobuchar or Buttigieg might out-organize — or no less than out-dazzle —Sanders, who beat Clinton right here by 7 points within the 2016 caucuses.

Klobuchar has spent a lot of time right here, tying Sanders for the number of visits to the county. But Buttigieg is close behind them each. Woodbury has a larger Latino inhabitants than most of Iowa, making up 17 % of its residents. And the Sioux Metropolis faculty system is among the largest employers in the county, making schooling and union points notably essential to residents right here.

Src: Iowa has 99 counties. Here are the ones to watch on caucus night.
==============================
New Smart Way Get BITCOINS!
CHECK IT NOW!
==============================