BY JOHN DELANEY

The DNC may have technically kept Iowa as the first-in-the-nation caucus state, but they’ve done everything in their power to nationalize this primary and diminish Iowa’s role. The donor requirements for debate inclusion have skewed candidate behavior, forcing more spending on national digital advertising and less on building an Iowa ground game. It has encouraged candidates to out-extreme each other, and to champion issues that are divisive or make promises that are impossible to keep. Let’s hope we don’t regret this during the general election. The DNC has also been working towards the clear goal of narrowing the field. While it is obviously true that the field must narrow, it has always been the informed caucus-goers of Iowa who have done the job of testing and then winnowing the field on caucus night. There is no reason for the DNC to narrow the field before a single caucus has been held or a single vote cast. The primary continues for months after Iowa, which is plenty of time for the narrowed field to duke it out. But despite the DNC’s wishes, I for one am not playing their game. I haven’t abandoned Iowa.

Across the last two years, I’ve been the only candidate for president to visit all 99 of Iowa’s counties. I’ve held over 400 events in your state, with a particular focus on rural Iowa. I’ve toured flood damage around Pacific Junction, discussed expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit in Marshalltown, discussed the benefits of immigration in Storm Lake, and trade policy in Atlantic. My amazing wife April, the daughter of an Idaho potato farmer, has been by my side. I recently launched the Heartland StartUp Tour with the first event in North Liberty to use my experience as a successful entrepreneur before I went to Congress to help support startups and entrepreneurs in rural Iowa.

My travels have reminded me that our next president must have a plan to create jobs and opportunities in our heartland. Every community should have capital flowing to it. Every community should have a vibrant health care and education infrastructure. And every community should have jobs for young people. As president, I will do this by building infrastructure in rural America; creating real incentives for private investors to invest in rural America; entering into the Trans-Pacific Partnership to help farmers (I’m the only Democrat running who supports President Obama’s trade policy); limiting ethanol waivers; raising physician reimbursement rates to support rural hospitals; expanding early childhood education, community college and technical training in rural America; doubling the Earned Income Tax Credit to benefit rural workers; locating key assets in our climate change strategy in rural America; creating a preference for government contractors to locate in rural America; supporting immigration and helping to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem in rural America. It is a real agenda with real solutions, and it is not filled with impossible promises. It is an unmatched commitment to turning around small towns that have shrunk and aged and where opportunity is lacking, and as the only person running for president who was a leader in business and in Congress, I can do it.

But the truth is, I need your help to do these things because right now rural America is facing strong headwinds in the Democratic Party. Your issues are not front and center in the national debate. The DNC is muting your historically strong voice in our Party.

I think they screwed up. We need rural America to be strong and vibrant and the Democratic Party needs to represent rural America. And I’m the only candidate really talking about your issues. I will fight for you but I need you to elevate me in the polls and support me in the caucuses. Time to fight back and send someone into the national spotlight who will fight for you. I promise I will do that, but I need your support. Help me send a message. I will have your back.

John Delaney is an attorney, businessman and politician who is running for President of the United States in 2020. He was the United States Representative for Maryland's 6th congressional district from 2013 to 2019.