A presidential race at full throttle is the biggest spectacle in American politics, a polished, well-scripted and expertly crafted show for a mass audience. But the road to the White House, especially early in the campaign, can be unpaved, cold, and even lonely, filled with an element of chance that no campaign manager can control. In this photo essay, Politico Magazine takes a step back from speeches and debate stages and gaffes to look at the part of the campaign most of America never sees: the unusual, sometimes bizarre traces that the nation’s would-be leaders leave across the American landscape. From Casey’s General Store to a breakfast bar at a Best Western, the story starts here, in the cornfields and open roads of Iowa. Ted Cruz’s campaign bus pulls up to Casey’s General Store in Manly, Iowa. Cruz stepped inside to a crowd of clapping supporters and local news reporters, then manned the cash register hawking donuts and Powerball tickets. “I recommend the Slushies—the Slushies are really good,” he told the packed aisles from behind the counter.

M. Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO