The Republican National Committee (RNC) and its Iowa Victory field program kicked off National Weekend of Action (NWOA) this past weekend with hundreds of volunteers across the state embarking on a door-knocking and phone-banking blitz.
The RNC’s permanent, data-driven ground game equips and trains volunteers to mobilize their communities and neighborhoods to Get Out The Vote (GOTV) ahead of critical local elections coming up next month.
We had a great time visiting Scott County! It’s always a great time being in a room full of volunteers who are passionate about election integrity! #LeadRight pic.twitter.com/4JzF5eCv03
— stevie mueller (@realsteviem) October 23, 2021
The RNC’s field staffers in Iowa worked with local volunteers in an all-out effort to conduct 27 door-knocking, phone banking, neighborhood team meetings, and voter integrity training events with 220 volunteers. Republican volunteers made nearly 8,000 voter contacts over the weekend. Numerous Republican state and local elected officials and candidates also came out to canvass voters, including State Rep. Mike Bousselot.
Representative Bousselot is out knocking doors for Ankeny this afternoon! Go Ankeny! #leadright #iadistrict3 pic.twitter.com/aDd2lPkYcO
— Carter Forrest (@ForrestIA3) October 23, 2021
Republican officials and activists hailed widespread attendance at NWOA events across the state as a positive sign of the grassroots energy behind the GOP and as an indication of the strength of the RNC’s political investments in Iowa.
“Over a year out from the midterm elections the RNC is flexing its muscle on its Get Out The Vote efforts ahead of crucial local elections coming up next month,” RNC Spokesman Kush Desai told Iowa Field Report. “We are working hand-in-glove with the Iowa GOP and Republican candidates up-and-down the ballot to help Iowans elect the strong, conservative leaders they desire.”
The success of the RNC’s weekend of action efforts is just the latest example of an upswing in Republican and conservative enthusiasm across Iowa. In addition, local races, such as municipal school board elections, are seeing an uptick in voter interest and mobilization.
Local issues are a significant factor behind the GOP’s energy among activists and volunteers, such as the growing backlash among parents to the spread of Critical Race Theory-influenced school curricula. The Democrats’ mediocre political environment has also been a significant factor – a September Des Moines Register-Seltzer poll found that President Joe Biden has a 62 percent disapproval rate among Iowans, a 12 percentage point drop from June. In addition, Democrats continue to contend with the fallout of rising inflation, a supply chain crisis, and their efforts to pass a largely unpopular $3.5 trillion spending plan.