A surrogate for former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign on Monday emphasized ahead of the Iowa caucuses that the outcome remains unpredictable.
“This is anybody’s game,” Holdsworth, a senior vice president of issues management for MWWPR Public Affairs, told Hill.TV. “I see enthusiasm all over this place — it is not just exclusive to Mayor Pete’s campaign.”
Holdsworth went on to praise Buttigieg’s fellow rivals, pointing to their strong ground campaigns.
“If you’ve got your ducks in a row and you’ve got your people in place and you’re following the rules, then you have just as good of a chance to win as anybody else,” she said.
As far as Buttigieg’s own chances of winning the caucus, Holdsworth expressed confidence, saying it wasn’t a “must win” but a “going-to-win.”
Caucus day has finally arrived in Iowa and Democrats in the first-in-the-nation caucus are preparing for record voter turnout. Iowa Democrats estimate that turnout will exceed the party’s record from 2008, when nearly 240,000 took part in the caucuses.
While voter enthusiasm remains high — so does the uncertainty about the outcome as polls continue to show a tight race.
The RealClearAverage of Iowa polling shows Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as the slight favorite with 24.2 percent support followed by former Vice President Joe Biden with 20.2 percent, Buttigieg with 16.4 percent and Warren with 15.6 percent.
However, Sanders and Buttigieg gained a slight boost in the final poll released ahead of the Iowa caucus.
A new poll released Monday by the Democratic group Focus on Rural America found Buttigieg leading the field with 19 percent, while Sanders trailed with 17 percent.
— Tess Bonn
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