Should Iowa Democrats Be Panicked By State Fair Straw Poll?
Keith B. Published: August 24, 2022
Image Credit: Keith B. via Canva
Iowa Democrats better hope the results of Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate's annual Iowa State Fair Straw Poll are inaccurate. However, if the unscientific is anything close to reality, Tuesday, November 8, might prove to be a painful night for Iowa Democrats and a Republican celebration.
Secretary of State Paul Pate's Fair Straw Poll resulted in nearly 2,600 fairgoers voting for their preferred candidate in the Governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House races. The poll was conducted on iPads at the Secretary's booth during the Iowa State Fair from August 11-21.
Photo Credit: Keith B. via Canva
The top-of-the-ticket race for U.S. Senate listed U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) as the top choice with 59% of the votes. Democrat Challenger Michael Franken (D) picked up 34% of the votes.
Suppose this is even remotely close to accurate. In that case, Chuck Grassley will probably sleep well between now and the first Tuesday in November. So Franken will need to up his game and get aggressive in touting his vision and qualifications while simultaneously shining a spotlight on whatever he considers Grasseley's biggest weakness.
Chuck Grassley has been in office longer than most Iowans have been alive, so Franken has an uphill fight on his hands.
Also, Republican candidates won the five other races in Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate's State Fair straw poll.
In the race for Governor, incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) won the straw poll with 57% of the vote with 1,507 votes. Meanwhile, Democrat Deidre DeJear (D) was second with 30%, and Libertarian Rick Stewart placed third at 9%.
Iowa's four U.S. House races were also polled.
In the First Congressional District, Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) won 61% of the vote compared to Christina Bohannan (D) with 32%.
In Iowa's Second Congressional District, which includes Dubuque and much of eastern Iowa, Ashley Hinson (R) garnered 60% of the votes. In comparison, Liz Mathis (D) picked up 32%.
In Iowa's third Congressional District, Zach Nunn (R) won the Straw Poll with 58% of the vote compared to Cindy Axne's (D) 39% share of the vote.
Randy Feenstra (R) smoked the field in the fourth congressional district with 63%, and Ryan Melton (D) placed second at 23%. Bryan Jack Holder (Liberty Caucus) was third at 10%.
Some caveats to consider when it comes to a poll, such as the one administered by S.O.S. Pate. First, it's completely unscientific, and only those attending the Iowa State Fair voted. Pate is a longtime Republican, and many Democrats likely bypassed his poll due to political affiliations.
Be that as it may, one thing is sure, Election Day is fast approaching, and many more polls will likely surface. Still, Iowa candidates, regardless of party, have much work to do to win over voters in 2022.
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Great Photos from the 2022 Iowa State Fair
For the 20th consecutive year the Iowa State Fair was held (it was canceled in 2020), more than one million people attended the 11-day event in Des Moines.
Source: Should Iowa Democrats Be Panicked By State Fair Straw Poll?
Filed Under: Chuck Grassley, Democrat, Election 2022, Iowa, Michael Franken, Republican, State Fair, Straw Poll, Trump
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