Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price released the following statement in response to the DNC and RBC chairs’ recommendation not to approve Iowa’s virtual caucus plan.
“Regardless of today’s news, we remain confident the 2020 Iowa Caucuses will be our best yet, and set the standard for years to come.
“While only five months remain before the caucuses, we will explore what alternatives may exist to securely increase accessibility from previous years given the time allowed. We’re dedicated to expanding accessibility throughout the process so that no Iowan faces a barrier at their caucus. We are confident that this will be resolved in the coming weeks.
“This past year, the IDP worked around the clock to make sure that the 2020 caucuses are our most successful ever. It is why we have nearly 80% of our precinct locations locked, nearly 600 people in the caucus leadership pipeline – putting us ahead of the pace set by previous years. We rebuilt infrastructure in places where none existed just a year before. And we have procedures in place that will ensure our caucuses are more transparent and accountable than any other time in our past.
“We were charged by the DNC to create a system that would increase participation, and the Iowa Democratic Party did just that with the virtual caucus. The virtual caucus represents years of work by activists, volunteers, party leaders, former campaign officials, staff, and so many others to find a system that expands participation and preserves the spirit of the caucuses.
“We proposed our plan seven months ago to give us the longest ramp possible to build this system. But in that time, we know the threat landscape has changed. We have seen time and again the increased threat by foreign state actors and the continued reluctance by Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress to take this threat seriously.
“As Chair of the Party is it my job to protect our voters, protect our party, and to protect the integrity of our first in the nation caucuses. We are obviously disappointed by this outcome, and we continue to have confidence in the abilities of our vendors, but if the DNC does not believe the virtual caucus can be secure, then we cannot go forward.”
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