Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed one bill Thursday that requires Iowa caucuses to be held in person as Democrats propose choosing a presidential candidate by mail.
Republicans have said the law is needed to keep Iowa first in the nation’s presidential nominating process.
“I applaud the Legislature and Governor Kim Reynolds for enacting legislation to preserve our first-in-the-nation caucus and cement Iowa’s commitment to the nearly half-century-old agreement with other secession states,” said Jeff Kaufmann , chairman of the Iowa Republican Party. he said in a statement.
New Hampshire officials have said that if Iowa’s political parties do anything that looks too much like a primary election, that state will jump ahead of Iowa in the nominating calendar to preserve its first primary in the nation. .
“Hopefully, the governor’s signing of the bill today will mark the end of Iowa Democrats’ push and subsequent doubling down on an ill-advised primary caucus proposal, in all but name,” he said. Kaufmann said. “On this depends the fate of the American media that has a say in the selection of our next president.”
Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Rita Hart said in a statement that no political party can tell the other how to run their caucuses.
“For many years, Iowa Democrats have worked in good faith with Republicans to preserve our caucuses,” he said. “This legislation ends decades of bipartisanship, and now Kim Reynolds has signed off on this attempt to meddle in the business of the Democratic Party.”
The Iowa Democratic Party proposed the mail-in presidential preference card as part of its attempt to stay first in that party’s presidential nominating process. But the Democratic National Committee still voted to remove Iowa from the group of early states.
“Iowa Democrats are committed to moving forward with the most inclusive caucus process in Iowa history, no matter what,” Hart said. “We’re going to do what’s good for Democrats, what’s good for Iowa and what’s good for democracy.”
Iowa remains first in the nation to select a Republican presidential nominee in 2024.
The new law will require political party caucuses held before another state’s nominating contest to be in person, if the party chooses to select its delegates that day as part of the presidential nominating process.
It also allows political parties to place restrictions on participation, such as requiring voters to register well in advance for caucuses.
