Keokuk County Trump’s Biggest Fans

KEOKUK COUNTY – The 2024 Iowa Presidential Caucuses was held the evening of Jan. 15. In Keokuk County, Republican caucus goers heavily favored former president Donald Trump, who managed to get 285 votes, 74.6% of those cast. Trump was followed by Ron DeSantis with 49 (12.8%), Nikki Haley with 29 (7.6%), Vivek Ramaswamy with 17 (4.5%), Ryan Binkley with a single vote (0.3%), and Asa Hutchinson with zero votes. Keokuk County featured the highest percentage of Trump voters in the entire state.

The pro-Trump sentiment was shared statewide, with Trump obtaining to get 56,260 (51%) votes, followed by DeSantis with 23,430 (21,2%), Haley with 21,085 (19.1%), Ramaswamy with 8,449 (7.7%), Binkley with 774 (0.7%), and Hutchison with 191 (0.2%). The only county Trump failed to win was Johnson County, where he lost to Haley by a single vote. Trump was awarded 20 delegates, with DeSantis receiving 8, Haley receiving 7, and Ramaswamy receiving 3. Ramaswamy dropped out immediately after the caucus ended.

The economy and especially illegal immigration were the chief concerns of local voters. “Top is the economy, second would be the southern border. And everything else is just a mess,” said one undecided voter.

“The biggest thing, to me, is closing the border and even sending some of them back,” said one DeSantis supporter.

“We’ve got a big problem with immigration over the border, that’s the biggest thing right now. 10,000 a day or more,” said a Trump supporter.

“(The big issues are) government corruption, the southern border. Well, immigration. It’s not just the southern border. It’s also the northern border,” said another Trump supporter.

“First and foremost are economic issues. Inflation has taken a huge bite out of everyone in America. Kitchen table issues are number one,” said one Haley supporter. “You know, when you go to the grocery store, you’re paying twice as much for things that you paid for just a couple years ago and that’s a major issue.” Another Haley supporter listed political division as a major issue.

Of the twelve people interviewed by the News-Review, one was undecided, two supported Haley, one supported DeSantis, and eight supported Donald Trump. One woman stated that this was her first time going to a caucus and that she had come specifically to support Trump.

“(The issue is) saving this country from the Communism that we’re falling into. We’ve got the border open, we don’t have a sovereign nation anymore. All kinds of Communist-Socialist programs that we don’t need. (Trump is) the only one who can save us,” said one voter.

“The major issues is the southern border and the impact that illegal immigration is gonna have on this country, the direction the economy is going in, this bologna sausage of trying to get away from fossil fuels and playing right into China’s hands with batteries and the electric vehicles. I think it’s just a bad economic plan that is set forth and the place is loaded with corruption. I think Donald Trump is the least corrupt of all of them,” said one man before the caucus. “My card is already Donald Trump.”

Although less popular than Trump, DeSantis had some fans at the caucus. One man stated he liked DeSantis due to his military experience, because he did not shut down Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic, and because he fought against “all the woke business”. “He’s been a really, really good leader for Florida and I can’t think of another candidate who has had that kind of success,” said the voter.

Several voters pointed to the war in Gaza as a major issue. “We need to figure out something with Israel and Hamas, over there with that whole battle,” said a DeSantis supporter. “I don't like it, I don’t know what the solution might be, but we need to get a handle on things here too”

“We have major wars in Europe, concern in Taiwan, trouble in the Middle East, lots of things going on across the world and it doesn’t look like anyone has a firm grip on them,” stated a Haley supporter.

The Democratic Caucus was a much more lowkey affair, consisting of only a single caucus location in Keokuk County. Democrats did not vote on Monday night and instead spent the night conducting party business. The party’s pick for president will be voted on via mail-in preference cards, with the results announced on March 15.

Most local Democrats were united in their support of incumbent President Joe Biden. “It’s almost been like the Obama years. I think these last four years have been great,” said one Democrat. “I think things have been done that could get done. There’s more that can be done and more that needs to be undone...I mean, I’m happy to vote for Biden again. But, heart of hearts? I sure wish he was 20 years younger. I love the man, I do, but I’m old and I don’t know how he keeps up. He’s older than me. But, I suppose, I mean, Trump’s only three years younger than that, so it shouldn’t matter. They’re both old.”

“They keep showing this picture of him falling down getting onto the plane. I fall down a lot,” said another Democrat. “I’m the same age as him, but I’m still capable of doing anything. It’s just that I do fall...I’m Biden all the way...To me, he’s done a good job.”

Some Democrats voiced similar sentiments over immigration as their Republican counterparts. “I believe that we need to do something with immigration, because this has gotten out of hand,” said one. “I don’t know what the answers are but I know congress has to enact some laws and they have to do something.”

“The border, it’s a double-edged sword. Everyone wants to help them, but we can’t handle it. I don’t know what the answer is to that,” said another.

Other voters named school vouchers, reproductive rights, the economy, the war in Gaza as key issues, and healthcare as key issues.

“I’m pro-Israel. In the last ten years, Israel has pushed settlements onto the West Bank. I don’t think they should have done that. I think that just made things worse. But, it hasn’t been brought up yet, that Israel has kind of poked, poked, poked at them a lot. But it’s horrible what’s happening there,” said one voter.

“Rural healthcare is not what it used to be...Pretty much in these five counties around here, if you want to have a baby, you have to drive 35-45 minutes to find a place that you can have a baby,” said another.

“The advertising says the economy is so bad. The stock market last week was at an all-time high,” said one Democrat. “I think the only thing I didn’t like was the student loan forgiveness. I didn't like that part.”

“I worked for a long time as a social worker and the people that I used to serve...that they have those safety nets in place for them. Iowa’s wanting to reduce. Always reduce things, put more requirements on SNAP and do other things like that. I feel strongly that it's always our obligation to take care of those kinds of people and I see the Democrats as always being much more into that. You know, the little guy,” said one Democrat. “I am very concerned about if some of the Republicans get in power. I’m very concerned about the life of our democracy as we know it. And the laws and the book banning against transgender people and gay people and anybody’s that’s a little bit different. I think their rights and women’s rights kind of all go together with being in danger.