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Political Soapbox: Here’s what candidates are saying at the Iowa State Fair [1]

['Robin Opsahl', 'Kathie Obradovich', 'Jared Strong', 'More From Author', '- August', '- Wednesday August', '- Tuesday August', '- Monday August', '- Saturday August', '- Thursday August']

Date: 2022-08-20

Candidates running in this year’s midterm elections are speaking directly with Iowans at the Iowa State Fair.

The Des Moines Register Political Soapbox is a state fair mainstay. It’s known best as a stop for presidential candidates in the leadup to the Iowa caucuses, though none are on the schedule this year. Instead, fairgoers have the chance to hear from candidates running for Iowa’s statewide and national offices.

Two of the contenders for this year’s most competitive races will not speak at the soapbox. Neither Republican incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds or U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley have a soapbox speech planned during their state fair visits. While there are a few Republican speakers scheduled, including U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne’s challenger state Sen. Zach Nunn, the majority of candidates speaking are Democrats.

Candidates are given 20 minutes on the soapbox stage to make their case. Speakers can give their campaign pitch and answer questions directly from fairgoers during their time on the stage.

Watch this spot for updates on what speakers said during their soapbox appearances:

Soapbox schedule

There are 16 candidates scheduled to speak at the political soapbox this year, according to The Des Moines Register:

Thursday, Aug. 11:

Michael Fitzgerald, Democratic incumbent candidate for treasurer of state at 1:30 p.m.

John Norwood, Democratic candidate for Iowa secretary of agriculture at 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 13:

Brenna Bird, Republican candidate for Iowa attorney general at 11:15 a.m.

Zach Nunn, Republican candidate for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District at 12 p.m.

Rick Stewart, Libertarian candidate for Iowa governor at 2:15 p.m.

Bryan Jack Holder, Liberty Caucus candidate for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District at 3 p.m.

Deidre DeJear, Democratic candidate for Iowa governor at 3:45 p.m.

Joel Miller, Democratic candidate for Iowa secretary of state at 4:30 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 15:

Ryan Melton, Democratic candidate for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District at 1:30 p.m.

Michael Franken, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate at 3 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 16:

Rob Sand, Democratic incumbent candidate for auditor of state at 12 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 17:

Cindy Axne, Democratic incumbent candidate for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District at 10:30 a.m.

Christina Bohannan, Democratic candidate for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District at 2:15 p.m.

Tom Miller, Democratic incumbent candidate for Iowa attorney general at 3 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 20:

Todd Halbur, Republican candidate for auditor of state at 12 p.m.

Liz Mathis, Democratic candidate for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District at 4:30 p.m.

Why are soapbox speeches important?

Politics hold a special place at the Iowa State Fair. While politicians visit other fairs across the country as they run for state and federal office, Iowa’s place holding the first-in-the-nation caucuses during presidential election cycles elevates the event as an important campaign visit.

Speaking at the soapbox is one of many traditional stops around the state fair, alongside flipping pork chops at the Iowa Pork Producers tent and visiting the butter cow in the agriculture building. In 2019, 23 presidential candidates spoke at the Soapbox in the lead-up to the 2020 election. In 2015, 19 candidates spoke.

Armed with a microphone and surrounded by bales of straw, candidates have a chance to talk to a different crowd than the people who show up for official campaign events. Candidates can reach new supporters, but critics and hecklers can also reach the candidates.

The soapbox was where then-presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney infamously said “corporations are people, my friend,” when he got into a shouting match with a critic in 2011. It’s also where protesters tried to drown out former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to stop him from making his presidential pitch.

But it’s also where candidates can shine. Former President Donald Trump stole the show in 2015 after he arrived to the Iowa State Fair by helicopter, flying above the state fairgrounds in low-riding circles when he offered families rides on the private aircraft. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’s soapbox stop that year revealed his popularity, as over a thousand gathered to listen to him speak.

Candidates for Iowa’s state and federal offices have the chance to appeal to those same potential voters.

Though they won’t be on stage, some politicians flirting with a 2024 run are visiting the fair. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan stopped by the fair Thursday. Former Vice President Mike Pence is planning a fairground visit with U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.

Stay up to date with caucus visits here.

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