CLEAR LAKE, Iowa — Deidre DeJear is Iowa’s newest political star — even if she hasn’t yet won an election.
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who is considering a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, recently made his inaugural trip to Iowa by headlining a fundraiser for DeJear. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is considering a second White House run, will stump with DeJear on Sunday. And Sen. Kamala Harris of California, another White House prospect, will make her Iowa debut Monday alongside DeJear.
Prospective presidential candidates often curry favor with local politicians in the state that holds the nation’s first caucus. But even by Iowa standards, this is a lot of high-wattage attention being paid to a 32-year-old who has not won her campaign for secretary of state, typically a low-profile position focused on overseeing elections.
The spotlight reflects the excitement surrounding the woman who is the first African American to win a primary for statewide office in vastly white Iowa. And she is perhaps the best example of the importance Democrats around the country are placing on the role of secretary of state at a time when voting rules are being steadily tightened in states under Republican leadership.