Former President Donald Trump is officially in the race to the White House, joined by no other major Republican candidates despite Iowa’s GOP primary less than a year away.
The reason why is no mystery; it’s the so-called Trump effect.
So far, Trump — who has officially announced his new 2024 bid — is sparring with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a formidable competitor who has remained tight-lipped on his 2024 intentions.
But the back-and-forth between the two men has relegated many other prospective candidates in the GOP to mere onlookers of the sparring, waiting to see if one or the other takes a political injury before throwing their hat into the ring.
By this time in 2019, when Democrats were tasked with choosing a 2020 Presidential candidate, nearly a dozen Democratic candidates had entered the race. The contenders had also made their way to Iowa or had announced their intentions to visit the Hawkeye state soon.
Editor of Iowa’s Storm Lake Times, Art Cullen, explained that in 2019, the state was receiving a candidate “every other week.”
Republicans haven’t eagerly visited the early primary voting state.
So far, only former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has visited Iowa.
Senator Tim Scott (S.C.) and former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake have announced their intention to visit Iowa in March.
Lake is considered a potential running mate for Trump, while Hutchinson is eyeing April to announce a possible 2024 Bid.
Trump, who announced his campaign on November 15, 2022, hasn’t visited Iowa yet, keeping with the trajectory of his lackluster start to his 2024 bid.
But Trump is finally scaling his campaign, raising the question: Who will step in the ring with Trump?