Should former President Donald Trump secure a historic victory in Iowa on Monday night, as suggested by polls, much credit will be attributed to the robust ground game meticulously executed by his team in the Hawkeye State.
In stark contrast to the improvisational approach employed during Trump’s 2016 campaign in Iowa, which resulted in a defeat to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the current operation has intricately crafted a sophisticated system aimed at broadening the electorate in favor of the former president.
Leveraging data accumulated since his inaugural visit to Iowa in 2015, Trump’s campaign has engaged with hundreds of thousands of Iowans, particularly those who supported him in general elections but remained uninvolved in the caucuses.
A significant facet of the strategy involved recruiting and training approximately 2,000 volunteer caucus captains throughout the state, with multiple assigned to the largest voting locations. Each captain committed to securing pledges from 10 first-time voters in the Iowa caucuses, drawing from a list of 25 potential supporters identified in their neighborhoods based on campaign data.
The campaign has conducted over 300 caucus trainings, placing a special emphasis on educating supporters about the intricacies of the caucus process. This educational effort extends beyond traditional means, including mail, text, and email communication. Notably, a two-minute instructional video on the caucus procedure has become a regular feature at every Iowa campaign event.
This ground game strategy serves as a litmus test for a potential general election approach, should Trump emerge as the nominee.
