-28 degrees at the start of the primaries
Snowstorm slows down election campaign in Iowa
January 13, 2024, 6:25 p.m
The candidates for the presidential candidacy are actually giving it their all on the weekend before the primaries begin: one appearance after the other in order to convince as many people as possible of themselves. But this year things are a little different at Iowa State.
A winter storm in the US state of Iowa is further slowing down the election campaign for the Republicans’ first vote on their presidential candidate. Among other things, Donald Trump canceled his appearances in Iowa for the weekend and instead invited people to rallies by telephone.
The US primaries start on Monday in the small state in the Midwest of the USA. But a storm with snow and icy wind caused chaotic conditions at the beginning of the weekend – almost all flights to the capital Des Moines were canceled and roads had to be closed. The weather service warned that many rural highways were impassable. “If in doubt, you should not drive off,” it said.
Who benefits from the bad weather?
Light snowfall is expected again during the day, which, combined with persistent gusts of wind, will continue to lead to snowdrifts and at times poor visibility. The lowest temperatures at the weekend will be as low as minus 28 degrees. The weather is expected to remain frosty on the day of the vote. That could mean fewer people than normal will come to vote. The question is who benefits from this in the end.
Despite all the scandals, former President Donald Trump is currently far ahead in polls among Republicans – including in Iowa. His supporters may be less motivated to actually vote because of the high polls. Republican candidates Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis could benefit from this. Unlike Trump, Haley did not cancel all of her campaign events for the weekend, but instead held them online.
Those who do well in the vote can expect a tailwind in future primaries. In Iowa, it will particularly depend on who ends up in second place – Haley or DeSantis – and how big the gap is to Trump.