Third-party presidential hopeful, congressional candidates to speak at Iowa State Fair
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. spoke the Des Moines Register soapbox Aug. 12, 2023. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Iowa Capital Dispatch)Nine candidates will speak at the Des Moines Register’s political soapbox during the Iowa State Fair this year — including a candidate running for the presidency.
There will be fewer presidential candidates at the fair this year compared to 2023, when GOP presidential hopefuls flooded the Iowa State Fairgrounds in the lead-up to the January Iowa Republican caucuses. However, one presidential candidate, Libertarian Chase Oliver, is scheduled to speak at the fair.
Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was also scheduled to speak at the soapbox on Saturday, but cancelled his appearance due to “increased security concerns,” according to the Des Moines Register.
Both Kennedy and Oliver spoke at the 2023 state fair. During his previous fair appearance, Kennedy was campaigning as a Democratic challenger to President Joe Biden, then the party’s presumptive 2024 nominee, who easily won in the Democratic presidential nominating cycle. Kennedy announced he would pursue a campaign as an independent candidate in October 2023.
Biden has since said he will not accept the position as nominee, instead endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the ticket.
Oliver also campaigned as an alternative to both former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, and Biden at the previous state fair, saying that voters were looking for politicians outside the two major parties.
A majority of the speakers at the political soapbox this year are congressional candidates running in the 2024 general election. Those candidates include multiple Democratic and Libertarian challengers to Iowa’s all-GOP congressional delegation, as well as U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, the incumbent Republican in Iowa’s 3rd congressional district. Nunn is the only incumbent Republican scheduled to speak at the soapbox this year.
Here’s a rundown of when to see candidates at the Iowa State Fair this year, according to the Register:
Friday, Aug. 9
4:30 p.m.: U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, 3rd Congressional District Republican incumbent
Saturday, Aug. 10
12:00 p.m.: Nicholas Gluba, 1st Congressional District Libertarian candidate
1:30 p.m.: Christina Bohannan, 1st Congressional District Democratic candidate
4:30 p.m.: Chase Oliver, Libertarian presidential candidate
Sunday, Aug. 11
1:30 p.m.: Ryan Melton, 4th Congressional District Democratic candidate
2:15 p.m.: Marco Battaglia, 3rd Congressional District Libertarian candidate
3 p.m.: Charles Aldrich, 4th Congressional District Libertarian candidate
Monday, Aug. 12
4:30 p.m.: Lanon Baccam, 3rd Congressional District Democratic candidate
Tuesday, Aug. 13
4:30 p.m.: Sarah Corkery, 2nd Congressional District Democratic candidate
This story has been updated to reflect that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., cancelled his plan to speak at the political soapbox during this year’s state fair.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings