In Iowa County That Heavily Backed Trump, Republican Voters Weigh Other 2024 Hopefuls
ORANGE CITY, Iowa—Former President Donald Trump remains hugely popular here in Sioux County, where he won 81.8% of November’s vote. But as other Republicans lay the groundwork for potential presidential bids, the area’s GOP voters appear open to hearing them out. This area in the state that traditionally starts the nomination race is deeply religious and tops the nation for the proportion of residents of Dutch ancestry. Interviews with more than two dozen voters, including several who remain convinced Mr. Trump won the election, show a willingness to move on.
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Mr. Van Den Bosch said he thinks Republicans need to consider nominating a woman or a minority candidate in 2024 to show that it isn’t just a white-male party. He is intrigued by Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is Black, and Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota. Sioux County, a rural area with several small cities in northwest Iowa, helped power wins in the Iowa caucuses for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2008, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in 2012 and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in 2016. All three won the county, though none went on to win the GOP presidential nomination.
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As the former president headlines campaign-style rallies, including one Saturday in Florida, there is no question he remains the dominant figure in his party. His events attract thousands, his endorsements remain coveted by candidates in heavily Republican areas, and he has repeatedly suggested he is considering a third White House bid. Still, as the earliest rumblings of the 2024 GOP nomination race play out here, his name was rarely mentioned by Republicans when asked who is intriguing to them in the still unformed field. During a visit to Sioux County last week, GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas never mentioned Mr. Trump as he spoke for 20 minutes to several hundred Republicans gathered at Mr. Dean’s classic-car museum in Sioux Center.
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Kevin Van Otterloo, Sioux County’s GOP chairman, said Mr. Trump would win “in a landslide” if Iowa’s presidential caucuses were held this summer. But the informal visits already being made by potential candidates could change that, he said. “The other candidates have to get out there and get their names and faces seen,” he said. “Voters need something to compare him to.” Mr. Van Otterloo said Mr. Cruz remains a popular figure in the area. “He still has a big following here because he speaks the conservative language,” he said.
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Gary Van Kalsbeek, a retired postal worker here who voted for Mr. Trump in both 2016 and 2020, said he is interested in learning more about Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and would like to see Mr. Trump play a background role. “I hope he just bows out graciously,” he said.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/republican-party-iowa-sioux-county-11625248831 (subscription)
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