While many 2020 Democrats will spend the 4th of July wooing Iowa residents, some are demanding that supporters demonstrate their patriotism by performing unpaid campaign work.
Joe Biden and Beto O'Rourke will begin the 4th walking in the same Independence, Iowa parade. While Biden plans to hold an afternoon community event in Marshalltown, O'Rourke's schedule includes a house party and baseball game to round out the holiday. As Beto enjoys the festivities, his campaign advertises a volunteer canvassing event in Greenwich, Connecticut, one of the wealthiest cities in the United States.
Bernie Sanders has also invited volunteers to spend Independence Day canvassing. His campaign lists a post-parade canvassing event in Clear Lake, Iowa, although Sanders himself will not attend. Instead, he will spend the morning opening a new office location in Ames before walking in a Windsor Heights parade.
Elizabeth Warren's campaign website also lists dozens of opportunities to walk with her team in parades throughout Iowa. It is not clear which parade, if any, Warren herself will attend. Warren has confirmed campaign trips to Nevada just before the holiday as well as Texas and Louisiana immediately after. Her only definitive statements regarding her 4th of July plans noted that she will not attend a pair of holiday parades in New Hampshire, the nation's first primary following the Iowa caucuses.
Pete Buttigieg and Kamala Harris will also spend Thursday in Iowa. Buttigieg will head to Storm Lake, and Harris plans on hosting a meet-and-greet in Indianola before going to a barbecue in Council Bluffs.
While the opportunity to persuade Iowa swing voters is too good to pass up for most, some of the candidates will be travelling to other early primary states to get ahead of the competition in a crowded field. Amy Klobuchar is set to appear at two parades in New Hampshire and hold a party with an influential state senator. Cory Booker will walk in the Damboree Parade in Boulder City, Nevada.
None of the candidates responded to requests for comment, though a Klobuchar spokeswoman did send an email clarifying the senator's schedule.