South Carolina Senator Tim Scott held his first town hall as a declared Republican presidential candidate at Novelty Machine and Supply Co. in Sioux City, Iowa. Dozens of voters gathered to see Scott, another Republican presidential hopeful, who spoke about issues such as the southern US border and the fentanyl crisis. He also criticized Democrats on education and public school funding, and boasted Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’s bill creating voucher-style education savings accounts for kids to go to private school. Retired music teacher Myra Nelson was excited to see Scott in northwest Iowa, hoping for a fresh face with good, solid ideas.
In line with NPR, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott held his first town hall as a declared Republican presidential candidate at Novelty Machine and Supply Co. in Sioux City, Iowa on May 24, 2023. As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his run for president on Twitter, dozens of voters gathered at the Machine and Supply Company in Sioux City, Iowa, to see another Republican presidential hopeful, Tim Scott.
Retired music teacher Myra Nelson was hoping Scott would get into the race and was excited to see him in northwest Iowa holding his first town hall so soon after he’d announced. “I was for Donald Trump but if he gets in, it’s just going to be the same thing,” Nelson said. “A lot of slander, a lot of bad news about him. We need someone fresh and someone with good, solid ideas.”
Scott didn’t bring up DeSantis or Trump as he gave a speech and took questions from the crowd. Instead, he talked about the southern U.S. border, the fentanyl crisis, and told his story about growing up poor in a single-parent household. He also boasted Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’s bill she signed into law this year creating voucher-style education savings accounts for kids to go to private school.
Scott criticized Democrats on a number of issues, like education and public school funding. “They’re more interested in keeping those kids trapped in their schools and trapped out of their futures,” Scott said. “They’re…”
As the 2024 presidential election draws closer, Republican candidates are hoping to win in Iowa as they look to topple Trump. In line with NPR, the Iowa caucuses have been the first major electoral event in the nominating process since 1972. The state’s unique caucus system, which involves voters gathering in homes, schools, and other locations to discuss and vote on candidates, has given Iowa an outsized influence in presidential politics.
Iowa’s importance in the Republican primary was highlighted in 2016 when then-candidate Donald Trump lost the state to Texas Senator Ted Cruz. However, Trump went on to win the nomination and the presidency.
This time around, Republican candidates are hoping to use Iowa as a springboard to the nomination and the White House. In addition to Scott and DeSantis, other Republicans considering a run for president include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton.
While the field of Republican candidates is still taking shape, one thing is clear: they will need to find a way to appeal to the party’s base while also attracting independent and moderate voters. In line with NPR, Iowa’s electorate is more conservative than the nation as a whole, but it also includes a significant number of independent voters who could swing the election.
As the race for the Republican nomination heats up, candidates will be crisscrossing Iowa, holding town halls, and meeting with voters. For now, it remains to be seen who will emerge as the front-runner and who will ultimately win the nomination and the presidency.
