Category Archives: Democrat

Andrew Hosmer

Andrew Hosmer, the new mayor of Laconia, which voted for Barack Obama twice before backing Donald Trump in 2016.

Pete Buttigieg winning that would surprise me just based on how far he has come in a year. Theres a realistic possibility, and it would be shocking given that it would mean he nudged out two sitting senators and a vice president. It isnt impossible.

Melanie Levesque, a political operative who recently became the first black person elected to the state Senate.

It would surprise me if an underdog won. At this point, it would be near-impossible for someone to beat Biden, Warren, Buttigieg and Sanders, given their campaign and field operation. The other surprising thing could be the number of voters who are unaffiliated with a party who take Democratic ballots in the open primary. That will go up significantly, and if not, that would be very surprising.

Lucas Meyer, the 29-year-old chairman of the New Hampshire Young Democrats.

It would surprise the hell out of me if someone won the primary by 10 points.

Kathy Sullivan, a top Democratic Party official in the state for more than two decades who served as Hillary Clintons state co-chairwoman in 2008.

It will surprise me if Iowa and New Hampshire have the same winner. New Hampshire loves a comeback story, so you could have someone who finishes second or third in Iowa who comes in first here. And if someone drops out after Iowa, that could have a huge impact.

Jay Surdukowski, a liberal Democrat who led a local effort to draft Beto ORourke for president and is now running for a seat on the powerful Executive Council of New Hampshire.

Slow and steady Joe Biden beats local favorites Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. There seems to be a conventional wisdom that it will be Warren or Sanders in the blue ribbon spot. But New Hampshire's independent-minded voters might hand it to the tried and tested statesman especially if war clouds are on the horizon.

Hosmer: Lets say Amy Klobuchar has a strong showing in Iowa, coming in third or fourth, then she gets the momentum coming here and it's kind of a snowball effect. Theres also something about her that she is moderate and plain-spoken that authenticity will resonate with voters here.

Levesque: Booker and Klobuchar are the ones to watch. They have been steadily increasing in the polls. They are differentiating themselves by showing their competency to lead and bring the country together, which will be key.

Meyer: Anyone who tells you they know who the top three candidates are going to be on Election Day is speculating wildly. Things can change so dramatically. But Klobuchar has had a lot of momentum heading into the final stretch.

Sullivan: If you assume Amy Klobuchar is not a dark horse, then Id say Cory Booker. Although he has not popped in the polls, he has a lot of support from legislators and activists. He needs to turn that into a wider net of voters. I would also keep an eye on Deval Patrick and Michael Bennet.

Surdukowski: Amy Klobuchar. She will need a springboard with a strong finish in Iowa. But that said, she could make her own magic having assembled a compelling coalition of diverse backers and a practical message. Andrew Yang or Tulsi Gabbard could also pull it off if they can cobble together enough independent-minded and even libertarian-leaning voters.

Hosmer: Pete Buttigieg. Some of the indicators for me are the number of offices and staff on the ground. Theyre quality staff not just bodies. Ive also been impressed by Klobuchars willingness to come out and help us local elected officials they helped quite a bit in my campaign for mayor. I was really impressed by their organization and their desire to get involved in communities like Laconia.

Levesque: Warren, who has hired some of our best people very early and started a strong door-to-door campaign. She commands large crowds, articulates her vision well and takes selfies with anyone who wants one.

Meyer: Warrens organization was smart enough to realize early on that helping to get people elected to local offices would make a difference for her when she needed their support. They stepped it up to help us, mobilizing her volunteers to do work on down-ballot races, and that is really important among local Democrats.

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Sullivan: Elizabeth Warren. She has a large organization of staff and volunteers who have blanketed the state. They are not letting the ups-and-downs of polling distract them from their plan and have constantly sought to broaden their support, unlike Bernie Sanders, for example, who has not. She also has done a great job at retail, with her town halls and the selfie lines. She is the most approachable of the current top four, which means something here.

Surdukowski: Bennet has been scoring very impressive endorsements and has a team working extremely hard. In terms of crowd size and buzz, Buttigieg would win if the primary were tomorrow. But a lot can happen in a month, just ask Howard Dean.

Hosmer: If you go to coffee shops now, literally everyone is talking about the primary. Its very much a jump ball. I was at the barbershop and struck up a conversation with a complete stranger. He talked about three or four candidates that interested him, and it was impressive to see how well-read this guy was about the candidates. But he was still undecided.

Levesque: The media is completely missing minority populations here, especially with all the talk of lack of diversity in New Hampshire and Iowa. The media could do a better job of seeking out opinions from more diverse populations in both states.

Meyer: Recent changes to the states residency laws for voting, which are a big deal and could significantly impact turnout among college students. Our state has done a huge disservice to young voters, especially by not clearly and concisely answering the questions that have come up for students who live on campus.

Sullivan: At this point in 2016, Sanders was at 50 percent in the polls. He ended up winning with about 61 percent. Now hes in the mid-20s. Thats a pretty significant loss of support, yet the media seems to think he is doing well. The media is also missing the potential that there may be no clear winner here. Any candidate who finishes with more than 15 percent of the vote picks up delegates under the party rules. Lets say there are four people who win delegates, then were on to Nevada and South Carolina!

Surdukowski: I think a hard, methodical and data-driven look at what "unicorn voters" who voted for President Obama twice and then voted for President Trump. There is a reflexive conventional wisdom that a race to the left is universally important in Democratic primaries, but in New Hampshire, where roughly 42 percent of the voters are independents who can draw a Democratic ballot in the primary, there is a real potential for a win by Buttigieg or Klobuchar who have worked far more aggressively at courting folks in purple and red towns. The independents are the majority party here, something D.C. consultants helicoptering in may neglect at their peril.

Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. | Paul Sancya/AP Photo

Hosmer: I think a centrist wins by convincing voters in New Hampshire that if you want to beat Trump, you've got to win the general. You've got to win the important states that we didn't win in 2016 Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida. And you've got to convince people that the far-left in the Democratic Party cannot win rural America. Of everyone in the field, I think Klobuchar and Buttigieg have the best chance of making that case.

Meyer: The supposition that Sanders and Warren have a stranglehold on the state is wrong. They certainly have an advantage by virtue of familiarity. But that also creates a much greater expectation for them to perform very well. The strength of the other campaigns also cancels out whatever home-field advantage they may have, creating a pretty equal fight here.

Levesque: Its really about meeting people and getting vetted by voters. Sanders and Warren have a neighboring-state advantage, but there is room for those who are looking for more moderate candidates. With the current crisis in Iran, people may be looking for someone with experience on the international stage who can get us back on track working with allies in short order.

Sullivan: Show up and talk to voters. But I disagree that there is a stranglehold. Biden is doing well and could win. Buttigieg is doing respectably. Klobuchar is moving. At some point, all those undecideds are going somewhere, so this is not over.

Surdukowski: Personal charisma and practicality in policy outlook. A boost in Iowa doesnt hurt for the many who won't make up their mind until the final days. I still believe most people will vote for who inspires them.

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Who will win New Hampshire? 5 top state Democrats dish on the state of play - POLITICO

Cory Booker withdrew from the race for the Democratic nomination today. The candidate acknowledged that there was no longer a path to victory for his campaign, an assertion borne out by his abysmal poll numbers and inconsistent fundraising efforts.

Booker is just the latest candidate of color to be rejected by the base of voters who claim to very much care about the melanin count of their eventual nominee. A Columbia journalism professor named Errin Haines delivered an emblematic progressive lament on this issue: F0r a group touted as the most diverse field of candidates to ever run for president, she said, it does not have that diversity reflected on the debate stage or in polling.

Andrew Yang, an Asian American, might have something to say to Haines about the diversity of the current field. Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish, might too. As I recall, Pete Buttigieg is openly gay, and while the operative definition of the word is always changing, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren are, by all accounts, still female. For a putatively anti-Semitic, homophobic, patriarchal country that once interned a group of Asian-Americans, its quite something to claim that the field as constituted is not diverse.

Semantic quibbles about what constitutes a diverse field aside, one cannot help but notice the presumable culprits here: Democratic primary voters, many of whom are themselves racial minorities. Internalized oppression, indeed.

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The Coalition of the Ascendant Rejects Candidates of Color - National Review

LESLIE JONES: TIME MACHINE (2020) Stream on Netflix. Leslie Jones left Saturday Night Live last fall. But that doesnt mean shes not keeping busy. The 52-year old comedian just announced that she will be hosting a reboot of the game show Supermarket Sweep on ABC. And she has this new stand-up special, directed by the Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. In this performance, Jones lists the ups and downs of aging and argues that todays 20-year-olds dont know how to have fun. To prove her point, she roasts a young audience member for her subdued outfit choice, calling it a Little House on the Prairie sweater.

THE BLACK STALLION (1979) Stream on Criterion; rent on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube. This heartwarming adventure film, based on Walter Farleys classic childrens novel of the same name, opens with a voyage gone terribly wrong. Alec (Kelly Reno) and his father are aboard a ship that catches fire. Amid the chaos, they get separated, and a wild stallion saves Alec. They wind up stranded on a desert island together, and, after building trust, forge a connection. Their bond only grows stronger after they are rescued, thanks to a retired horse trainer (Mickey Rooney) who helps enter Alec and the stallion in a competitive race. The film is a visual treat, with a score by Carmine Coppola.

KIPO AND THE AGE OF WONDERBEASTS Stream on Netflix. Radford Sechrist, the creator of this new animated series, has listed Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and The Wizard of Oz as his influences. The cartoon, produced by DreamWorks Animation, centers on Kipo (voiced by Karen Fukuhara), a teenager who was separated from her family after the destruction of her underground city. She ends up on the surface, in a post-apocalyptic Earth replete with adorable, yet deadly, mutant animals. Humans are not exactly welcome there, but new friends help Kipo navigate her new world and reunite with her family.

THIS IS US 9 p.m. on NBC. Grab those tissues the fourth season of this intergenerational drama series is back. The last time we saw the Pearson family, they had come together for Thanksgiving at Randalls townhouse. In this new episode, Kevin (Justin Hartley) is on the hunt for love, while Randall (Sterling K. Brown) heads to Los Angeles to see Rebecca.

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE 9 p.m. on CNN. The pool of 2020 Democratic candidates continues to shrink. In the past two weeks, Marianne Williamson, the self-help author, Julin Castro, the former housing secretary, and Cory Booker, the New Jersey senator, have all dropped out of the race. Six remaining contenders have qualified to participate in Tuesday nights debate in Des Moines: Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the billionaire businessman Tom Steyer and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

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Whats on TV Tuesday: Leslie Jones and the Democratic Debate - The New York Times

These poll numbers are different in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, states where the candidates are spending their time and money, and where voters are paying closer attention to the early stages of the race. Whoever wins the Democratic nomination will obviously see their Name I.D. grow with time. But at the moment, Democrats other than Biden and Sanders are facing down a massive attentional gulf versus Trump. Right now there are just too many of them, said Jessica from Milwaukee. Im not watching the Democratic debates. I mean, this is like The Bachelor. You dont watch on week one. Theres too many. Like, Ill tune in when theres two weeks left and weve narrowed down the population. But I dont care enough right now. I want to see the number down to three roses, then Ill vote.

In the meantime, the views of these lesser-engaged Democrats are complex and dont fall neatly into the ideological buckets often discussed in the media. They mostly liked the idea of Medicare for All, but also doubted how the government could possibly pay for it. They brought up a wide variety of issues as their top concernspoverty, opioids, prison reform, Medicaid, college affordability, guns, LGBTQ rights, drug prices, taxesbut few could say what the federal government had done to help. No one could remember the last thing the government had actually done to improve their lives, except one woman in Miami who brought up the Affordable Care Act, Favreau said. In Milwaukee, where all the panelists had voted in the 2018 midterms, they were often more knowledgeable about state politics than national. Thats the stuff that has a direct impact on us, right? said Carol, a mother of two from suburban Waukesha County. The stuff in Washington is all, like, at the top level. But day to day, I feel like thats where we have more impact, where we feel, or can convince ourselves, anyway, that we have more impact to effect change. All of them expressed clashing opinions that frequently surface in polls of Democratic voters: They wanted a nominee who would fight and not compromise on principles, but also someone who would work with the other side and heal the country.

Favreau asked each of the focus groups how they consumed their news. Most cautioned that they tune out political news, before naming Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google News, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, BBC, and local news. But even as the participants identified their own news sources, every focus group participant said they didnt trust them for information about politics. All of the cable networks were viewed as agenda-driven and produced to stoke outrage and ratings rather than inform viewers. You only get what they want you to have. Theres no solid form of receiving news that isnt biased or that isnt, you know, structured and formulated and produced for the masses, said Don, the father from Philadelphia. You only get what they want you to have. In Miami, George, the Ecuadorean immigrant, said TV news treats politics like entertainment, at the expense of more serious news. The way they report, it seems like its more like a joke, so people dont believe anything, he said. Another Miami voter named Paul lamented the panel-style debates that have come to dominate the cable channels. You have one side against the other, he said. They talked for two minutes. Nothing gets solved and you move on to the next topic. Theres no compromise anymore. Theres no smart talk.

They dont trust CNN or Fox, see them as two sides of the same coin, said Favreau. They dont even trust what they read on Facebook anymore, which is probably a very good thing, but the result is that they dont know what to believe, and so they just largely tune out. The focus groups crystallized the imperative for Democrats to find new ways to reach the irregular voters they need, with tactics and innovations that slice through the confusion of the media landscape. Its more than that, though: The Democratic nominee must feel, for lack of a better phrase, bigger and more relevant than politics. Twitter isnt real life has become a common refrain for critics who want the press and campaigns to keep their sights on voters who dont spend their days yelling about politics online. But for many of the people in Favreaus focus groups, politics isnt real life, either. The eventual Democratic nominee, he said, is duty-bound to fix that. He pointed to an interview with former Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams, also airing on this season of The Wilderness: What I think we all have to hold to, is that our ambitions have to be met with our capacity to deliver, Abrams told him. Because for the people who are the most easily dissuaded from participation, its when you promise them the moon and cant deliver a single grain of sand.

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Like, Ill Tune In When Theres Two Weeks Left: Why Trump Has a Huge Advantage Over Dems With Low-Information Voters - Vanity Fair

Top Democratic leaders in Congress said they were caught completely off guard by a report on Russia hacking the Ukrainian natural gas company at the center of President Trump's impeachment.

In back-to-back interviews Monday evening, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer claimed they were only just hearing of the breach when asked by MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.

"I have to say, Rachel, I'm a bit distressed to see this for the first time in a newspaper report. If the intel community is aware of this, that should have been brought to our attention by now," Schiff said.

"But I don't find it surprising. I do find it deeply disturbing, and I would hope that maybe both parties can get out ahead of this, even if the president won't, and condemn any Russian effort to influence the next election," the California Democrat added.

The New York Times reported that researchers from Area 1, a U.S. cybersecurity firm, discovered on New Year's Eve that Russian hackers from the GRU targeted subsidiaries of Burisma as well as Kvartal 95, a Ukrainian television production company founded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The report, which notes that it is unclear what the hackers were looking for or what they may have found, does not have any immediate comment from the Russian government or Burisma.

Former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, served on the board of Burisma Holdings, a natural gas firm owned by a Ukrainian oligarch, from 2014 to 2019. The impeachment effort began last year after a whistleblower complaint revealed that Trump pressured Zelensky in a July phone call to open investigations into political rivals, including the Bidens, while withholding congressionally approved military aid. The elder Biden is now a Democratic candidate for president.

Both Schiff and Schumer are members of the "Gang of Eight," a bipartisan group of leaders from both parties in the House and Senate with access to classified intelligence. In recent days, Democrats have complained over what they say is the Trump administration's reluctance to share intelligence, particularly after U.S. officials failed to consult Congress before carrying out a drone strike killing Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.

Schiff, suggesting that Trump conveyed a signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin to interfere in the 2020 election, said the first thing he intends to do is communicate with U.S. intelligence agencies to find out if they knew of the reported hack.

Schumer said the news "shows the great need" for Congress to pass election security legislation but cited Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as a "complete ally" to Trump in frustrating those efforts.

In a Sunday interview, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Trump is "in complete denial" about Russia's attempts to interfere in the 2020 election and accused McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, of being an "accomplice" to Russian interference, claiming that she wonders about his allegiance to the United States.

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'Deeply disturbing': 'Gang of Eight' Democrats shocked by report on Russians hacking Burisma - Washington Examiner

Episode 25: The Endorsement

A Special Collaboration With The Timess Editorial Board

Watch the full episode on FX, Hulu, and in these areas outside the U.S.

Producer/Director John Pappas

Between coffee-shop chats in Iowa and stump speeches in New Hampshire, candidates for the Democratic nomination for president visited The New York Times last month for a series of on-the-record conversations with the editorial board.

For up to 90 minutes at a time, the leading Democrats in the race defended their records, sparred with the board over policy, and made their pitches for the chance to challenge President Trump in November.

Watch the freewheeling conversations in a special, hourlong episode of The Weekly on Sunday, Jan. 19, at 10 p.m. ET on FX, and streaming the next day on Hulu and see which candidate The Times editorial board will endorse for the 2020 Democratic nomination.

The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values. It is separate from The New York Times newsroom.

For their conversations with the Democratic candidates, the regular members of the board were joined by other opinion writers and editors. James Bennet, the editorial page editor, recused himself from any involvement in the 2020 elections. His brother, Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado, is running for the Democratic nomination.

[The full episode will be available to Times subscribers in the U.S. on Monday, Feb. 24.]

Every day this week, well publish one or two of the board's conversations with the Democratic candidates. Check back tomorrow for new transcripts and video.

Senator Bernie Sanders

The good news is, and it is very good news, is that our younger generation today is the most progressive young generation, I suspect, in the history of this country.

Read the full transcript.

Tom Steyer

I think, as a country, we have some huge tasks. One is, honestly, to save the world. People are unwilling to face the fact that we have to save the world and it has to be us.

Read the full transcript.

Senator Cory Booker

Look, I have this firm belief that if America hasnt broken your heart, you dont love her enough.

Read the full transcript.

Senior Story Editors Dan Barry, Liz O. Baylen, and Liz DayDirector of Photography Sam ChaseVideo Editors Geoff OBrien and Evan WiseAssociate Producer Brennan Cusack

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The Weekly | Vetting the 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidates - The New York Times

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley raised eyebrows earlier this week when she told Fox News that Democrats were mourning the death of top Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani.

Georgia Republican Doug Collins took it up a notch Wednesday night:

Fox Business host Lou Dobbs clearly didnt have a problem with that hot take from Collins, as you can see from the interview:

Other Republicans followed suit. Among them: Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, who contended in a Thursday press conference that Speaker Nancy Pelosi was defending Soleimani.

Of course, on the matter of the treatment of Gold Star families those who have lost family members in battle Donald Trump has himself come under sharp rebuke for his attack on the Khan family. Nobody mentioned that on the Fox show, though.

Needless to say, Collinss comment sparked a serious backlash.

Who is running against this craven un-American ignorant ahole named Doug Collins? I will max out to you tomorrow, tweeted former United States Attorney Preet Bharara. I happen to be a Democrat and I prosecuted terrorists for living. Sent many to prison for life. I dont know what Doug Collins has ever done to for America except preen and sound stupid.

And heres what Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) had to say on CNN when she was asked about the comments: Im not going to dignify that with a response she said. I left parts of my body in Iraq fighting terrorists. I dont need to justify myself to anyone.

Watch this clip from the interview:

They werent the only ones taking Collins to task. Twitter TWTR, -0.27% was ignited by his inflammatory comments:

By midday Friday, Collins was showing signs of having been chastened by the criticism, saying he, in fact, does not believe Democrats are in love with terrorists:

This Key Words item was initially published on Jan. 9. It was been updated.

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Prominent House Republican Doug Collins walks back his insistence that Democrats are in love with terrorists - MarketWatch

This is just a wild card, and it makes the election itself hostage to decisions made in Tehran. If, God forbid, a jetliner filled with American passengers mysteriously blows up midair in October, like Pan Am Flight 103 did over Lockerbie, Scotland, in the 1980s, voters may well blame Trump, even before anyone knows for sure who is responsible. But its easy to think of other scenarios that benefit Trump.

Gail: Oh God, Bret, youre making me feel even worse about the possible downside of 2020. This is why Im suddenly checking the N.B.A. standings and looking forward to spring training.

Bret: Rest assured that no matter what happens this year, the Knicks will embarrass us. The key for Democrats isnt so much to take a position on Suleimani as it is to convey a sense of sobriety when it comes to questions of peace and war.

Gail: Well, thats certainly fair. And not too tough. If you look at the contenders, theyre not exactly a bunch of what-the-heck-lets-party people.

Bret: If I wanted the Democratic nomination (I dont!), or were a Democrat (Im not!), Id say something along these lines: Suleimani killed Americans, and on my watch anyone who kills Americans is a dead man walking. Period. But the goal of saving American lives requires prudence and vision, not bravado, impulse and political calculation. As president, I will oppose Irans dangerous behavior at every turn, whether against us or our allies. But Im not going to hazard our position in the region, or risk a reckless war, or ruin the chances for a negotiated nuclear deal, just to kill one evil but easily replaceable man. And, unlike Trump, Im going to listen closely to my soldiers and diplomats before I go around signing kill orders just because I like feeling tough.

Gail: I would definitely vote for you, if youd just consider embracing Medicare for all and a tax hike for the wealthy.

Bret: Heaven forfend, Gail. We need further tax cuts to keep this incredible economic expansion going, and Health Savings Accounts for All so that we can finally get away from the third-party payer that has bedeviled our health delivery systems for so long.

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The Odd Couples of the Democratic Party - The New York Times

Of course there will be those who simply follow the presidents lead, he noted. But I think most people probably have a wait-and-see attitude, which is, Well, hes got to prove to me that hes really Republican now, and this just wasnt done opportunistically, which I dont think hes going to be able to prove, because thats exactly what this is, Mr. Richter said.

Ron Filan, Mr. Van Drews campaign manager, said in a statement, If David has any question as to Congressman Van Drews relationship with the voters of South Jersey, Id invite David to sign up for a ticket and see the response Jeff Van Drew gets when President Trump comes to support him in Wildwood later this month.

Mr. Richter is doing what any textbook would probably advise at a moment like this: Drum up ones lifelong Republican bona fides. Remind voters of all the times the other guy stood with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Stay optimistic that Republicans in this district care about the issues and the principles they believe in.

But this is not a textbook time.

At a gathering of local Republicans at a Margate City restaurant this week, Mr. Richter introduced James Toto, a Somers Point councilman who was among the first officials to endorse him.

Mr. Toto should say hes still all in for Mr. Richter. That Mr. Van Drews switch meant nothing, that of course hed love to oblige the president, but that he already pledged his support elsewhere.

But after Mr. Richter walked away, Mr. Toto, leaning against the bar, admitted he was no longer so sure.

I support our president. And this is what the president wishes, he said of voting for Mr. Van Drew.

Mr. Toto then clutched his chest. How, he asked, do I go against what the president stands for?

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He Was Cruising in a G.O.P. Primary. Then Trump Endorsed an Ex-Democrat. - The New York Times

Iowa state Auditor Rob Sand is seen in his office at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. Multiple presidential campaigns have sought Sand's endorsement in the final stretch before next month's caucuses, which he has declined to give. Clay Masters/Iowa Public Radio hide caption

Iowa state Auditor Rob Sand is seen in his office at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. Multiple presidential campaigns have sought Sand's endorsement in the final stretch before next month's caucuses, which he has declined to give.

A wide open competitive presidential primary should be a moment of opportunity and peak political leverage for ambitious and aspiring politicians in places like Iowa. But one of the most sought-after Democrats in the first-in-the-nation caucus state isn't interested in endorsing a presidential candidate.

As the youngest of a handful of Democrats in statewide office in Iowa, state Auditor Rob Sand, who was elected in 2018, is often mentioned as a potential future U.S. Senate or gubernatorial candidate.

But despite getting courted by candidates ranging from Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, Sand says endorsements "barely" matter "at all."

"I think it's a bigger deal to the candidates than it is to caucus-goers," says Sand, who says his sister supports Warren and that if he endorsed another candidate, it wouldn't sway her at all.

With only a year of experience as auditor and two young kids at home, Sand says he's not interested in being tied to a presidential campaign.

"If I could snap my fingers and know that the person that I determined was the best candidate was going to somehow magically win the Iowa caucuses and become the nominee, I would take this much more seriously," Sand says. "But part of the reason the Iowa caucuses are good to have go first is because Iowans take this seriously."

Prior to becoming auditor, Sand, 37, was an assistant attorney general and led a nationwide lottery-fixing investigation. Originally from Decorah, a college town in rural northeast Iowa, Sand was elected by defeating a Republican incumbent in year that also saw Iowa's GOP governor, Kim Reynolds, win.

Sand, who's a bow hunter, hasn't offered any presidential candidates a trip to his deer stand in urban Des Moines. The city has been trying to control the deer population.

While Sand hangs out in the deer stand on a recent day, he sends some emails from his phone and checks his social media accounts. He's live-streamed his quest for a haircut while traveling in rural Iowa and tweets often about his favorite food: gas station breakfast pizza. (In Iowa it usually comes with cheese sauce, eggs and a breakfast meat like sausage or bacon.)

"You get a nice piece of breakfast pizza with some firm crust underneath, that's a really good version of breakfast on the go," Sand whispers in the deer stand.

Sand has previously pointed out before that presidential candidate and former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg hasn't tried breakfast pizza from the gas station chain Casey's. During an interview with Iowa Public Radio last month, Buttigieg was asked about that challenge.

"Is that what it's going to take to get the Rob Sand endorsement?" Buttigieg asked with a chuckle.

"Organizational heft and reputations on the line"

While Sand may doubt the value of his endorsement, any edge a campaign can get matters in a field this big, said Lily Adams, communications director for California Sen. Kamala Harris' now-defunct presidential campaign. Adams was also Hillary Clinton's Iowa communications director in 2016.

Adams says campaigns want a good mix of endorsers who are not just going to be a name on a press release, but will also "put their organizational heft and reputations on the line to get out people on caucus night."

"[That's] when you are going to need everybody in that room to be advocating for you," Adams says.

While not decisive, endorsements hold some sway with caucus-goers, such as Christopher Marks, a mental health counselor.

After seeing a state lawmaker who had endorsed Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar introduce her at an event in suburban Des Moines last week, Marks says that support "didn't hurt" for him.

"I think it carries more weight to me than Kevin Costner coming out for Pete. This is where I live. This is where I'm from," Marks says. "These are the people that represent me. And if they say they represent her that means something to me."

After several hours in Sand's deer stand, the sun starts going down, ordinarily prime time for deer to appear.

"I endorse this location for deer to visit within the next 40 minutes," Sand whispers.

But no deer ever show up. Sand says it's proof his endorsement doesn't really matter.

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Why The Most Coveted Democratic Endorser In Iowa Isn't Picking Sides - NPR