second choice battle in Iowa

Democratic presidential nomination candidate Pete Buttigieg campaigning in Iowa on January 30.
Democratic presidential nomination candidate Pete Buttigieg campaigning in Iowa on January 30. Matt Rourke / AP

A week before the Iowa caucuses on February 3, the first leg of the Democratic nomination contest for the presidential election on November 3, "Le Monde" launches its campaign logbook. A daily update, first of all five days a week until September, with campaign facts, political advertisements, polls, maps and figures that allow us to follow and experience the most important electoral competition in the world.

The staffs of the main candidates for the Democratic nomination for the American presidential election in November do not publicly proclaim it but the specificity of the mode of election of Iowa encourages them to contact more modest competitors in the hope of capture some of their constituents on the fateful day.

During caucuses – these electoral committees which will meet on Monday, February 3 at the end of the day -, the voters express themselves for the first time in favor of their preferred candidate. After the counting of these votes, those supporting the candidates who obtain less than 15% of the votes are free to make another choice, or to return home.

While a dozen Democrats are still in the running for the presidential nomination, only four, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg, have consistently garnered more than 15% of the voting intentions in Iowa. A third of voters remain undecided within a week of the deadline, which increases the uncertainty and nervousness of the lead.

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According to the Associated Press (AP), several candidates who are not among the favorites, including Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, businessman Andrew Yang and billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer, were approached by several teams from campaigns wishing to form an alliance that could weigh on Monday. Also according to AP, relatives of former vice president Joe Biden have contacted even more distant rivals.

"We do not intend to enter into agreements with anyone, because we will be viable", said Thursday, January 30, the campaign director of Mme Klobuchar, Justin Buoen. On the contrary, Andrew Yang confirmed these approaches the day before. "Many of my supporters would naturally go to Bernie" Sanders, he had estimated, whereas its program is however much more centrist than that of the senator of Vermont. "I don't think they need me to say anything for them to go to Bernie. It would not be surprising to me that they are heading in that direction ", He added.

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