Amalie Nash

anash@dmreg.com

Today, The Des Moines Register’s editorial board made its endorsements for the Democratic and Republican nominations for president.

It was the culmination of six weeks of formal endorsement interviews with candidates to discuss the issues, their leadership styles and why each believes he or she is best suited to lead our nation. Our six-member editorial board did its own research, fact-checking statements we heard, reading past coverage, reviewing positions and platforms, watching debates and discussing who we believe earned our endorsement.

We’ve followed their campaigns closely for months, especially when they’re in Iowa — visiting churches, community gathering spaces, living rooms and Pizza Ranches to talk to residents about their concerns and make their cases for the presidency.

Our goal was to select two candidates who have the skills and experience needed to lead their parties, and ultimately, the country. We considered their plans, their positions on issues, their resumes and their overall ability to lead during a time of tumult worldwide and in Washington. We looked at each candidate’s record of accomplishment and ability to reach across the political divide to form consensus.

We believe the eventual nominees from each party need to demonstrate pragmatic, thoughtful, detailed approaches to some of the biggest issues facing the country, including the economy, national security, the environment, fiscal issues and immigration.

ENDORSEMENT:Marco Rubio can chart new direction for GOP

ENDORSEMENT:Hillary Clinton has needed knowledge, experience

RELATED:A history of Register caucus endorsements

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We met with the three major candidates on the Democratic side and nine of the Republican candidates — the exceptions being Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. They declined our invitation for an interview. However, that did not disqualify them from consideration for our endorsement.

When we began this process in early December, I wrote a column about how and why we endorse presidential candidates. A few of those important points bear repeating.

The purpose of our endorsement is not to tell Iowans how to vote. That is a sacred right everyone should exercise based on their own study of the candidates and the issues.

Our goal, as it is with every Register editorial, is to give our views — grounded in research, interviews and careful deliberation. In today’s endorsements, we explain why and how we reached our conclusions and why we believe Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio made the better case for being elected at this moment in history.

Certainly, that does not mean we agree with them on every issue or position. We made clear in our editorials that we have reservations about both Clinton and Rubio. But while we may disagree on key points, we still believe they would do a better job for our country than their opponents.

Another point worth repeating: The editorial board — made up of myself, president and publisher David Chivers, opinion editor Lynn Hicks, editorial writers Clark Kauffman and Andie Dominick and engagement editor Brian Smith — operates separately from the larger operation of the newsroom. Reporters and editors are not part of the endorsement process and were not aware whom the Register was endorsing until just before publication.

In Iowa, we have a front-row seat to this first-in-the-nation caucus. It’s been a marathon campaign that started unofficially in 2014. We’ve tracked it closely and comprehensively, so we proudly share our conclusions about the candidates and their positions with Iowans and all Americans.

When you head out to caucus on Feb. 1, we hope our endorsements are one more piece of information you will consider.

Amalie Nash is the executive editor and vice president for news and engagement at The Des Moines Register. Reach her at anash@registermedia.com or 515-284-8551. Follow her on Twitter @AmalieNash