By Pepper Purpura
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ALTOONA, Iowa (KCCI) — More than a dozen Democratic candidates took the stage Sunday at the Iowa Democratic Party’s annual Liberty and Justice Celebration, delivering a largely unified message: winning back Iowa starts with focusing on the cost of everyday life.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg headlined the event at Prairie Meadows, where candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, Congress and statewide office framed affordability as the issue they believe can reconnect the party with voters after disappointing results in the 2024 presidential election.
But beyond campaign speeches, the gathering also highlighted Iowa’s renewed importance to national Democrats.
One of the night’s biggest applause lines came from Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand, who made a clear governing promise:
“I want us to put 100% of our time into the things that impact 100% of Iowans,” Sand told the crowd. “So I’m going to veto every culture war bill that you put on my desk.”
Sand framed the pledge as part of his broader argument that Iowa government should focus on affordability, the economy, public schools and government accountability instead of divisive social legislation.
That message echoed throughout the evening.
U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek spoke about parents “working multiple jobs just to make ends meet.” Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Dave Muhlbauer pointed to Iowa’s struggling farm economy, while congressional candidate Lindsay James described families choosing between paying rent and putting food on the table.
Buttigieg’s appearance carried significance beyond serving as the event’s keynote speaker.
The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor vaulted onto the national political stage in Iowa during the 2020 Democratic presidential caucuses. Then a little-known mayor, Buttigieg narrowly won the caucuses over a field that included several governors and U.S. senators, launching a presidential campaign that ultimately led to his appointment as transportation secretary in President Joe Biden’s administration.
His return also comes as speculation continues about a possible 2028 presidential campaign. While Buttigieg declined to discuss his political future with KCCI, he said his focus remains on helping Democrats compete in the 2026 midterms.
“Any decision about that has to come after we deal with what’s on our plate right now,” he said. “(The midterms) are going to decide what health care costs, whether housing comes back within reach, the price of groceries, whether we stay in this war. So I’m very focused on that. Future things can come in the future, but there’s one thing at a time.”
He said Iowa’s elections could help shape the future of the Democratic Party nationally.
“If Iowa wins, people across the country are going to learn from what Iowa does.”
The renewed attention comes as Iowa Democrats are also trying to convince the Democratic National Committee to restore the state’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucus status for 2028.
The DNC removed Iowa from the front of its presidential nominating calendar ahead of the 2024 election following the reporting failures that delayed results in the 2020 caucuses, replacing it with South Carolina. Since then, Iowa Democrats have argued the party needs to campaign in Midwestern states like Iowa if it hopes to rebuild support among rural and working-class voters.
Since then, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other Democratic leaders have campaigned in Iowa, underscoring the party’s renewed focus on the state.
The Democratic Party’s own post-2024 review concluded it must reconnect with rural and working-class voters, a message repeatedly echoed Sunday.
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said national Democrats are already investing in Iowa’s campaigns.
After the event, Hart said the party is “already getting some help in some races” and expects additional national support as the election approaches. She also highlighted the party’s growing ground operation, saying Democrats have dozens of organizers working across the state and field offices continuing to open.
During her remarks to attendees, Hart called this year’s Liberty and Justice Celebration the best attended since 2019 and said Iowa Democrats have assembled their strongest statewide ticket “in a generation.” She also pointed to the party’s coordinated campaign, with organizers and county leadership working in all 99 counties.
For many attendees, Buttigieg’s return to Iowa felt personal. Campaign merch from his 2020 caucus run could be spotted throughout the venue.
Joe Trout of Cedar Rapids and Carmen Armstrong of Indianola both volunteered for Buttigieg’s 2020 caucus campaign and came to Altoona wearing campaign shirts from that race.
The pair said they wanted to hear from Buttigieg again but also welcomed seeing national Democrats return to Iowa after the national party pulled away from the state.
“I think people are hungry to see big names in Iowa again,” Trout said. “We’ve got good candidates in our state… but we need national candidates to have a good cleanup.”
Armstrong said the visits reinforce that Iowa’s candidates are drawing national attention.
“I think it just confirms the national recognition of the kind of candidates that we have in the state of Iowa,” she said.
Republicans rejected Democrats’ argument that Iowa is poised for a political shift.
At the Iowa GOP’s Lincoln Dinner on Friday, Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said Republicans recognize the importance of this year’s open races for governor and U.S. Senate but remain confident Iowa will stay Republican.
“We’re a red state, but we’re not going to rest on our laurels,” Kaufmann said. “We’re going to work for every single solitary vote.”
In a statement to KCCI, Iowa GOP spokeswoman Jade Cichy criticized Democrats for featuring Buttigieg.
“Rob Sand says he’s different from national Democrats, but bringing in one of the leading voices of the Biden administration tells a different story,” Cichy said. “Instead of offering Iowans a new direction, Sand is embracing the same failed agenda on inflation, energy, and the economy that Iowa voters have already rejected.”
Despite that criticism, Democrats argued Sunday’s event reflected growing momentum heading into one of Iowa’s most consequential election years in decades, with competitive races for governor, U.S. Senate and several congressional seats that they believe could influence both the state’s future and the direction of the national Democratic Party.
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