Iowa GOP chair predicts ‘robust turnout’ at caucuses despite frigid conditions

The Iowa Republican Party chair predicted there will be a “robust turnout” at the caucuses Monday night despite subzero temperatures.

“I really think now — as long as there’s not ice that actually makes it impossible to travel and as long as we don’t have whiteout conditions, snow actually falling — I think temperatures are the least of my concern in terms of depressing turnout. Iowans know how to dress for that,” Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann told reporters at a Bloomberg event Sunday.

“We’re cautioning them, of course, but from what I’m hearing, from what I’m seeing in the rallies, from what I’ve been talking to dozens of committee chairs today and precinct captains, putting out fires here and there, I think it’s going to be a robust turnout,” he added.

Forecasters warned of “life-threatening” blizzard conditions over the weekend in Iowa ahead of the caucuses. The wind chill in some parts of Iowa will reach minus 40 degrees on Monday, forecasters warned, with the temperatures hovering in negative degrees.

The frigid conditions pose questions over whether supporters of the GOP presidential hopefuls will show out to the caucuses on Monday. GOP presidential candidates stormed the state over the weekend, urging voters to brave the cold to caucus for them. It’s not clear yet among political analysts which candidates would be helped or hurt by a potentially low caucus turnout.

Kaufmann said a strong turnout in the caucuses could help Iowa remain the first contest in the 2028 presidential election.

“I’m excited about that personally because I gotta make the case for 2028 that we deserve to have this. We turn out in a robust fashion on these kinds of conditions. Iowa will absolutely deserve to be first in the nation,” Kaufmann said.