Democratic Candidates Swarm Iowa for Biggest Face-Off to Date

The Democratic presidential contenders are descending in force on Iowa this weekend to persuade voters and party activists that they have the message and organization to win the first-in-the-nation nominating contest.

As campaigning accelerates leading up to the first debates later this month, 19 of the 23 Democrats actively running to challenge President Donald Trump will be in the state, the biggest assembly of 2020 candidates to date.

The marquee event is the Iowa Democratic Party Hall of Fame dinner on Sunday, where they’ll be making five-minute pitches to influential local party officials. Missing from the group is Joe Biden, the current front-runner who is waiting until Tuesday to campaign in Iowa.

The dinner will let each candidate showcase the support and infrastructure they’ve built in Iowa, where caucuses in February launch the months-long, 50-state series of contests leading to the party’s nomination. Since the beginning of the year, hopefuls have collectively visited Iowa about 200 times, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Wisconsin Dem’s bar laments ‘we almost got free beer day’ for Trump assassination

Full WHCD Shooter Manifesto: He Told Family He Was Willing to Kill ‘Most Everyone’ at Dinner to Get to Trump

The Reasons Why TDS Still Exists Despite Trump’s Historic Wins

Unearthed video reveals Cole Allen as quiet inventor years before alleged bid to assassinate Trump

At Least 4 Christian Farmers Gunned Down in Their Fields by Motorcycle Mounted Islamists in Nigeria

WHCD shooting suspect planned to target Trump officials, manifesto reveals

What to know about Cole Thomas Allen, the Trump dinner shooting suspect

Breaking: WHCD Gunman Manifesto, Social Accounts Found – He Targeted Trump, Was a ‘No Kings’ Rally Attendee

The Good, the Bad, And the Ugly: Inside Swamp’s New Farm Bill

WHCD Gunman Likely Targeted Trump, Trump Admin Officials: Acting AG

Security under scrutiny as WHCD attendees cite inconsistent screening before shooting

White House Correspondents’ Dinner suspect checked into Hilton hotel one day before the shooting: sources

Son warns suspected killer may ‘get away with murder’ after conviction tossed in mom’s execution-style slaying

CNN Journo Called Trump ‘a Guy Who Wants Us Dead’ Minutes Before Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting

Trump faces unprecedented third assassination attempt

“All these folks want to have the chance of trying to create favorable optics,” said Dennis Goldford, professor of political science at Drake University. “How can they best use the enthusiasm of their supporters to propel them to be the focus of attention?”

The next big milestones in the campaign will be the South Carolina Democratic weekend on June 21 and 22, when 20 candidates, including Biden, are set to appear at a fish fry hosted by Representative Jim Clyburn, and two nights of debates in Miami on June 26 and 27.

Shows of Strength

The candidates, including top contenders Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg and Beto O’Rourke, will make their case inside a crowded ballroom the size of a football field at the DoubleTree Hotel in Cedar Rapids. But perhaps more important than their pitch will be how many supporters, activists and volunteers each candidate can muster inside and outside the venue, a way to show off the enthusiasm surrounding their campaign and stand out in a crowded field.

The Iowa Democratic Hall of Fame gives about 1,400 potential caucus-goers their first opportunity to compare and contrast rivals. Even at this early stage in the cycle, contenders could sway supporters away from competitors or win over voters who are still undecided. The crowded field and the brief stage presence at the event are putting pressure on campaigns to find more ways to get attention.

The action at this year’s event won’t be confined to the dinner, as candidates take over downtown Cedar Rapids, hoping to monopolize attention and energize supporters.