Pete for America

October 31, 2019

To:    Interested Parties
From:    Brendan McPhillips, Iowa State Director, Pete for America
Re:    Momentum building for our campaign heading into Liberty and Justice Dinner

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As we head into the Iowa Democratic Party’s Liberty and Justice Celebration this weekend, the energy and momentum building for Pete in Iowa continues to grow. You can see it in the massive crowds he’s attracting in every corner of Iowa, at the party’s major events around the state, and at volunteer events with Pete supporters across the state.

Pete’s message resonating in Iowa. We’ve got huge issues on our doorstep –– but divisions in Washington are blocking us from making progress. Iowans are hungry for a leader who is offering a bold vision to address these issues while also bringing the country together. Pete is that candidate. That’s why so many have signed up to knock on doors, make phone calls, and caucus for Pete in February.

When I first arrived in Iowa in May, we had a team of four people. Since then, we’ve built a top-tier organization with more than 100 organizers and more than 20 field offices across the state to capture that energy and convert it into committed caucus goers on February 3rd. That will all be on display this Friday. Below are some updates on the momentum building behind Pete and how our team is organizing to win in February.

Momentum building for Pete in Iowa:
Heading into the Liberty and Justice Dinner, there’s undeniable enthusiasm around Pete’s candidacy. After the debate, more than 900 people showed up in Ames to see Pete speak. This came on the heels of Pete’s Steak Fry appearance, and the open-press bus tour that saw a crowd of over 1,000 in Davenport, and also huge crowds in rural towns like Elkader and Webster City. And even at major events featuring all the candidates, Pete continues to separate himself from the pack and turn heads.

  • Last week, the Iowa Starting Line wrote this about Pete’s momentum: “It’s always noteworthy when multiple polls, regardless of their stature, point to the same thing in the same week. And that’s what anyone on the ground can see clearly here: Buttigieg has a ton of energy and enthusiasm on his side in Iowa. And now is just about the time you want to get hot as we enter the final 100-day stretch.
  • During his four-day, open press bus tour across central and eastern Iowa, over 4,500 Iowans turned out in total to see him speak –– with over 1,000 in attendance at the Davenport stop alone.
  • At the Polk County Steak Fry, the Des Moines Register wrote that Pete “seemed to generate the most raw enthusiasm from the crowd.”
  • At the State Fair, Pete Buttigieg turned heads.
  • The Iowa Starting Line wrote that his visit was “one of the most successful of the field, one where he looked very much at ease and enjoying the retail politicking that makes the Iowa Caucus what it is.”
  • The Des Moines Register wrote “As Buttigieg took the stage, the crush of humanity around him was impressive. People were standing in front of the Soapbox, others spilled out onto the concourse and still others crowded around the concrete wall behind the stage.”
  • At the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding, Pete received “the loudest applause before, during and after he went on stage.”
  • Over 2,300 people attend Mayor Pete’s seven town halls across the Southeast Iowa in August. Locals at nearly every stop remarked that Buttigieg’s crowds were reminiscent of the ones Obama drew to his events in 2007. Six of the seven town halls were in counties that Obama had won in 2012, and then flipped to Trump in 2016.
  • “Every now and then a political candidate unleashes the drawing power of a rock and roll star, and Pete Buttigieg proved he can pull them in last night at the Port of Burlington.” –– The Hawk Eye in Burlington
  • “Many locals said it was some of the largest turnouts for a Democratic visit they’d seen since the 2008 caucus cycle.....Several Fairfield voters compared Buttigieg’s event at the downtown park to that of former president Barack Obama, who commanded a similarly large crowd when he campaigned there in 2007.” –– Iowa Starting Line
  • At the Progress Iowa Cornfeed in July, Pete was the only candidate to receive a standing ovation from the crowd.


Pete in Iowa:

Pete continues to invest his time in the Hawkeye state meeting Iowans.

  • This trip marks Pete’s 17th trip to Iowa this year.
  • He has spent 32 days in the state.
  • He has visited 33 counties.
  • He has visited 17 counties that flipped from Obama to Trump.


Pete for America’s Top-Tier Organization in Iowa:

With well over 100 staff and over 20 field offices, we have built a top-tier organization capable of reaching caucus goers.

Organizing Differently and Reaching New Caucus Goers:
In addition to traditional campaign outreach, our organizers have trained and empowered volunteers to organize their own personal networks in Iowa. Through trainings, house meetings, and phone banks, volunteers have worked with the campaign to introduce their friends, family, and neighbors to Pete, invited their networks to attend campaign events, and built a grassroots organization in support of Pete. In a field of over 20 candidates, this unique tactic has allowed the campaign to break through the noise and talk to potential caucus-goers who might not otherwise pick up their phone from an unknown number, be paying close attention to the race early on, or even exist on the traditional lists campaigns contact.

  • The Associated Press wrote that “a key point of the effort is to expand the base of caucusgoers from those who typically attend the evening meetings to include newcomers motivated to participate since the 2016 election.”
  • Des Moines Register: Pete Buttigieg flexes campaign muscle in Iowa, plans to open 20 offices in 20 days, have nearly 100 Iowa staff
  • New Yorker: A Fresh, Well-Funded Start for Pete Buttigieg in Iowa

On Field Offices:
Pete for America has the most field offices in the state and is the only campaign with offices in Ankeny, Storm Lake, and Marshalltown.

  • The New York Times wrote that Pete for America has the most field offices of any 2020 candidate which gives our team “more workspaces for organizers and volunteers. More organizers lead to more in-person contact with potential supporters in every nook and cranny of a state.”
  • The Washington Times wrote “The decision to plant his flag in the booming Des Moines suburb is emblematic of the surging South Bend, Indiana, mayor’s strategy to engage voters — including disenfranchised Republicans and independents — who tend to get less attention than those living in the more urban bastions of liberal activism that traditionally serve as the biggest battlegrounds in the Iowa caucuses.”
  • Pete for America is also the only campaign with offices in Storm Lake and Marshalltown, and one of only a few with offices in Ottumwa, Indianola, and Fort Dodge. The New York Times wrote about Pete’s Indianola office saying that the office serves “as an advertisement that Democrats do still exist in more rural areas.”

Organizing Everywhere:
Our team is seeing Pete’s message is resonating in every corner of Iowa. From small towns in rural areas to Obama-Trump counties to the deep blue pockets of the state, people are showing up for Pete, and we’re building an organization to win.


Pete for America
For Immediate Release:
September 2, 2019

Contact:
Ben Halle
Sean Manning

Pete for America Ramps up Organizing Efforts in Iowa with 20 Field Office Openings in 20 Days and Major Staff Hires

www.peteforamerica.com

DES MOINES, IA - Today, on Pete’s eighth trip to Iowa since the beginning of July, Pete for America announced a major ramp up in organizing efforts in Iowa. The campaign has brought on 36 additional organizers and will open 20 field offices in the 20 days leading up to the Polk County Steak Fry. The campaign now has close to 100 full-time staff on the ground in Iowa –– with the vast majority dedicated to organizing Iowans ahead of the caucuses.

Quote from Brendan McPhillips, Iowa State Director, Pete for America:

"We are running a campaign to win the Iowa caucuses. At every town hall and event Pete attends, the energy and momentum behind our campaign is palpable. Pete understands our country is facing a make or break moment –– and he’s offering a bold vision to break with the past and create a better future for our country. And that’s resonating with Iowans. Our organizers have been working across the state to capture that excitement and turn it into a grassroots operation that will push our campaign across the finish line on caucus night. This announcement builds on our already strong organizing program to make sure that we have the organization needed to win."

Pete will attend the first two office openings today in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City as part of his Labor Day visit. In the weeks leading up to the Polk County Steak Fry, the campaign will open 18 more field offices from river to river across Iowa. Additional locations will be announced as offices open.

Today’s visit to Iowa marks Pete’s eighth trip to the Hawkeye State since the beginning of July. Each visit has demonstrated an undeniable enthusiasm for Pete’s campaign in Iowa. Pete was the only candidate that received a standing ovation at the Progress Iowa Corn Feed. At the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding, Pete received “the loudest applause before, during and after he went on stage.” Iowa Starting Line called Pete’s State Fair visit “one of the most successful of the field,” he took the stage at the Soapbox to chants of “we want Pete,” and received the second most votes in WHO’s Cast Your Kernel poll. During his seven-stop swing through southeast Iowa, Pete attracted over 2,300 people to his events with “the drawing power of a rock and roll star.

In addition to traditional campaign outreach, organizers have spent the summer training and empowering volunteers to organize their own personal networks in Iowa. Through relational trainings and phone banks, volunteers have worked with the campaign to introduce their friends, family, and neighbors to Pete, invited their networks to attend campaign events, and built a grassroots organization in support of Pete. The organizing work has been effective, with one county Democratic Party Chair in Iowa describing the grassroots presence as "on the ground, his people are everywhere," In a field of over 20 candidates and with five months until the caucuses, this unique tactic has allowed the campaign to break through the noise and talk to potential caucus-goers who might not otherwise pick up their phone from an unknown number, be paying close attention to the race this early, or even exist on the traditional lists campaigns contact.

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Pete for America
For Immediate Release: June 20, 2019
Contact: Ben Halle

Pete for America Staffs Up in Iowa

www.peteforamerica.com

DES MOINES, IA - Today, Pete for America announced major staff hires on the ground in Iowa –– including hiring a political director, organizing director, data director, operations director, and two dozen organizers. By the end of June, the campaign will have over 30 staff including 26 organizers –– with more hires coming in the weeks that follow. These staff will bolster statewide political and organizing efforts that have already seen large increases in volunteers and support.

Quote from Brendan McPhillips, Iowa State Director, Pete for America:

"Since Pete announced his candidacy, we've seen a 20 times increase in volunteers in Iowa. Our ability to organize this energy in Iowa is central to the success of our campaign. That’s why we are fully investing in organizing efforts by building a robust and talented team that will resource, train, and channel this grassroots energy. We plan to engage Iowans where they are, in every precinct across the state."

The organizing team will be lead by Kevin Groh, who has experience on presidential and statewide campaigns, most recently serving as Stacey Abrams’ GOTV director. There has been growing grassroots and organic support for Mayor Pete in Iowa. Volunteers and supporters have created their own Facebook and Twitter groups, they're hosting their own phone banks and watch parties, and they're recruiting their friends and neighbors to support Pete. New organizers will build on this strength by immediately getting to work on supporting, resourcing, uplifting, and increasing volunteer capacity in state –– with a central focus on relational organizing.

Julie Stauch will serve as political director for Pete for America in Iowa. Julie has decades of campaign experience in Iowa –– serving in a variety of capacities on local, statewide, federal, and presidential races. Her experience includes serving as Campaign Manager for former Congressman Leonard Boswell, Iowa Press Secretary for President Bill Clinton, Chief Public Affairs Officer for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, and most recently as Campaign Manager for the Polk County Supervisor, Angela Connolly.

Bailey Romans will serve as Deputy Political Director in Iowa. Bailey has years of campaign experience, including as a caucus organizer for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in Des Moines in 2015, and as the regional organizing director for the Iowa Democratic Party in Polk County after that.

Lala Xu will serve as the data director after working as J.B. Pritzker’s deputy data director in 2018. And Matt Harrison will head up operations in Iowa. Matt recently served as operations director at NextGen America and has served in a variety of capacities in local races in Pennsylvania.

Mayor Pete has been to Iowa five times this year, making 27 campaign stops in 14 counties. The mayor will be back in Iowa several times in July including for Progress Iowa’s Corn Feed on July 14 in Cedar Rapids and the AARP’s Presidential Forum in Council Bluffs on July 20.

Pete for America will make additional hires to the Iowa team in the coming weeks as the grassroots energy around the campaign continues to grow.

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