Iowa Democratic Party
|
|
---|---|
Chairperson | Troy Price |
Senate leader | Janet Petersen |
House leader | Mark Smith |
Founded | 1836 |
Headquarters | Des Moines, Iowa |
Ideology |
Liberalism Progressivism Social liberalism |
National affiliation | Democratic Party |
Colors | Blue |
Seats in the Upper House |
20 / 50
|
Seats in the Lower House |
41 / 100
|
Website | |
www.iowademocrats.org |
The Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) is the affiliate of the United States Democratic Party in the state of Iowa.
While existing when Iowa was granted statehood in 1846 it has only had electoral success from the mid-1950s to the present day. Iowa Democrats are in power at both the federal and state level. The party's platform was last updated in 2016. The Iowa Democratic Party organizes the Democratic Iowa Caucuses in presidential elections.
Iowa Democrats are in control of one out of the state's four United States House of Representatives seats. They hold a minority of the seats in the Iowa House of Representatives and Iowa State Senate.
Considered the official start of the Presidential election season. The Iowa Caucuses have been the first official votes cast in the Democratic Presidential nomination process since 1972. That year the Iowa Democratic Party scheduled its caucus to occur before the New Hampshire Primary. South Dakota Senator George McGovern used his win that year to propel him to claim the party's nomination over Maine Senator Edmund Muskie. The Iowa Caucuses would also help Jimmy Carter claim the Democratic nomination in 1976. From 1984–1996 the winner of the Iowa Caucus, excluding incumbents, did not go on to win their party's nomination. However, in 2008 then Senator Barack Obama won the caucus over Senator Hillary Clinton and used the win's momentum to eventually win the Democratic nomination.
The Iowa Democratic Party re-adopts its platform every two years, most recently on June 14, 2014.
In the order of votes received from Democratic delegates seven issues were chosen based on the number of votes received. The first plank is the opposition to corporate personhood. The second plank is the support of a single-payer health care for the United States. The third plank is opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act. The fourth plank states that the Party supports the separation of church and state. The fifth plank supports energy independence by using renewable and eco-sustainable resources from Iowa. The sixth plank supports removing the cap on Social Security contributions and the seventh plank supports repealing "right to work" laws.