CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa City restaurant that prides itself on hosting presidential candidates says the caucus in Iowa might look a little different after the Democratic National Committee stripped Iowa of its first in the nation status.
“Depending on the year, we could get anywhere from a dozen or more,” Robert Ehl, general manager of the Hamburg Inn, said.
The Hamburg Inn has been a candidate’s mainstay since the 1980s, and it shows: adorning the wall of the restaurant are pictures of Republican Ronald Reagan, Democrat Barrack Obama, and many others.
“It’s less about the business for us and more about the prestige,” Ehl said.
The DNC said that the Iowa Democratic Party needs to re-apply for the first in the nation status, with one of the main qualifications being diversity. It was a discussion Ehl said needed to happen.
“We’re not exactly a good representative state of what the rest of the country looks like,” Ehl said. “I’m fine with having it here, but it’s kind of awkward that it’s us and not someone else.”
Iowa Republicans confirmed Iowa will continue to be the first in the nation caucus for the party, meaning Republican candidates could continue to make Hamburg a campaign stop. But, Ehl said it was going to look different going forward.
“We’re used to having a ton of people come, and they’re probably won’t be as much national attention either,” Ehl said.
Iowa Democrats should know where its first in the nation status stands in July.
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