Pete for America Ramps up Organizing Efforts in Iowa with 20 Field Office Openings in 20 Days and Major Staff Hires
DES MOINES, IA - Today, on Pete’s eighth trip to Iowa since the beginning of July, Pete for America announced a major ramp up in organizing efforts in Iowa. The campaign has brought on 36 additional organizers and will open 20 field offices in the 20 days leading up to the Polk County Steak Fry. The campaign now has close to 100 full-time staff on the ground in Iowa –– with the vast majority dedicated to organizing Iowans ahead of the caucuses.
Quote from Brendan McPhillips, Iowa State Director, Pete for America:
"We are running a campaign to win the Iowa caucuses. At every town hall and event Pete attends, the energy and momentum behind our campaign is palpable. Pete understands our country is facing a make or break moment –– and he’s offering a bold vision to break with the past and create a better future for our country. And that’s resonating with Iowans. Our organizers have been working across the state to capture that excitement and turn it into a grassroots operation that will push our campaign across the finish line on caucus night. This announcement builds on our already strong organizing program to make sure that we have the organization needed to win."
Pete will attend the first two office openings today in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City as part of his Labor Day visit. In the weeks leading up to the Polk County Steak Fry, the campaign will open 18 more field offices from river to river across Iowa. Additional locations will be announced as offices open.
Today’s visit to Iowa marks Pete’s eighth trip to the Hawkeye State since the beginning of July. Each visit has demonstrated an undeniable enthusiasm for Pete’s campaign in Iowa. Pete was the only candidate that received a standing ovation at the Progress Iowa Corn Feed. At the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding, Pete received “the loudest applause before, during and after he went on stage.” Iowa Starting Line called Pete’s State Fair visit “one of the most successful of the field,” he took the stage at the Soapbox to chants of “we want Pete,” and received the second most votes in WHO’s Cast Your Kernel poll. During his seven-stop swing through southeast Iowa, Pete attracted over 2,300 people to his events with “the drawing power of a rock and roll star.”
In addition to traditional campaign outreach, organizers have spent the summer training and empowering volunteers to organize their own personal networks in Iowa. Through relational trainings and phone banks, volunteers have worked with the campaign to introduce their friends, family, and neighbors to Pete, invited their networks to attend campaign events, and built a grassroots organization in support of Pete. The organizing work has been effective, with one county Democratic Party Chair in Iowa describing the grassroots presence as "on the ground, his people are everywhere," In a field of over 20 candidates and with five months until the caucuses, this unique tactic has allowed the campaign to break through the noise and talk to potential caucus-goers who might not otherwise pick up their phone from an unknown number, be paying close attention to the race this early, or even exist on the traditional lists campaigns contact.
