Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the 2008 Iowa caucuses, says he is skipping this summer’s Iowa straw poll, citing the heavy concentration of staff and financial resources “playing to win” in the poll still requires.
“After consulting with many of our Iowa volunteers and supporters, as well as key activists whose opinion we value, I have decided to forgo taking part in the Iowa straw poll — or any other straw poll — and will instead focus our campaign’s attention and resources on the Iowa caucuses,” Mr. Huckabee wrote in an opinion piece for the Des Moines Register.
Mr. Huckabee, who announced his 2016 campaign for the White House earlier this month, went on to write that conservative and hard-working Iowans want a “strong and principled” Republican presidential nominee who represents their values.
“I have concluded this year’s Iowa straw poll will serve only to weaken conservative candidates and further empower the Washington ruling class and their hand-picked candidates,” he wrote.
“History will repeat itself if we don’t learn from the past. It’s clear that pitting conservative candidates with limited resources against each other in a non-binding and expensive summer straw poll battle, while allowing billionaire-backed establishment candidates to sit out, will only wound and weaken the conservative candidates who best represent conservative and hard-working Iowans,” he wrote.
Multiple news outlets, including the Register, have previously reported that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who is not yet an official presidential candidate but is laying the groundwork for a 2016 run, plans to skip the event as well.
Mr. Bush is scheduled to attend the RedState Gathering, which is in Atlanta Aug. 6-9, and the straw poll is scheduled for Aug. 8.
Mr. Huckabee pointed out that past winners in straw polls didn’t result in caucus victories (Former GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann won the 2011 straw poll).
“And if you question how important the Iowa caucuses really are, just ask our last Republican president or the current Democratic one, who both won the Iowa caucuses on their way to the White House,” he wrote.
The Iowa GOP had previously announced some changes to the event to try to allay some of the concerns outlined by Mr. Huckabee, saying that candidates will no longer have to bid for space and participate in “expensive culinary brinksmanship” for poll attendees.
The event, which was also moved from Ames to the Central Iowa Expo location in Boone, will feature space provided to campaigns at no expense, with a random lottery draw replacing a “land auction,” and will have food hosted by the Iowa GOP from “Iowa State Fair-style vendors and local civic organizations.”
“What is supposed to be a fun opportunity for Iowans and presidential candidates has turned into a high-stress and expensive endeavor,” Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann wrote earlier this month in Politico. “Some candidates have expressed concerns about the cost, and Iowans have said they’d like to see the Straw Poll get back to its roots. We’ve been listening to voices here in Iowa and across the country, and we agree with much of what we’ve heard. Iowa Republicans understand dramatic changes are necessary to ensure our straw poll is affordable and fair for all presidential candidates.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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