The Hill’s editor-in-chief, Bob Cusack, says Iowa, a critical early-voting state, could prove to be “make-or-break” for Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s (D-Minn.) 2020 presidential campaign.
“Someone you’ve got to watch is Klobuchar,” Cusack told Hill.TV during an interview that aired on Monday.
“She’s a distant fifth, but she is solidly in fifth and she’s got to do very well in Iowa,” he added. “That’s kind of make-or-break for Klobuchar.”
South Bend Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and hold significant leads over the rest of the crowded Democratic field in the Hawkeye State.
Buttigieg maintains the top spot in Iowa at 22 percent support, with Sanders trailing by just 2 points at 20 percent. Biden, who leads on a national level, places third at 19 percent followed by Warren at 16 percent and Klobuchar at 6 percent.
However, Klobuchar boasts what was widely seen as a strong debate performance last week. She has also been investing heavily in her ground operations in the critical caucus state, including a three-day bus tour across 27 counties.
Over the weekend, the senator said it is crucial for Democrats to debate before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3. The next debate is slated for Jan. 14, which could conflict with the impending Senate impeachment trial against President Trump.
“I’m ready to debate at midnight if that’s what we have to do. We have to have a debate before the Iowa caucuses,” Klobuchar said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
—Tess Bonn
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