The temperature was 77°F in Honolulu, Hawaii Monday afternoon. While a smattering of clouds was forecasted to beget showers, Hawaii's highest profile resident, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard rode through 5 inches of snow to reach an icy Iowa City.

Taking the stage Monday, she said she expected the worst and was surprised to find the event room at Big Grove Brewery on S. Gilbert Street full.

"I thought for sure we would sit around a table with five people," Gabbard said.

During her speech, Gabbard paced through her platform items railing against the excesses of the pharmaceutical industry, calling for a justice system that does not favor the rich and demanding action on climate change.

But Gabbard — a veteran of the Iraq War — built up to what she called the cost of "regime-change" wars. This is a term Gabbard used to differentiate wars in Iraq and Syria from a war where the United States is attacked by a foreign government.

While she agreed examples of the latter are rare in recent memory, Gabbard emphasized that the former are an undue burden on the country spending, "adding trillions" to the deficit.

"Those are dollars out of our pocket that will not be spent on our community," Gabbard said.

Gabbard said increasing tensions with countries like Russia, China and North Korea have opened the country to the danger of nuclear war.

"These are issues we need to take to heart," Gabbard said. "Issues (that are) essential to our futures."

READ: Sen. Elizabeth Warren blast Washington D.C. as run by powerful interest groups.

It was her military service and call for an end to long-term conflicts that led Dwight Bode, a Coralville resident to come out Monday night. Bode, who described himself as a Republican, said he wanted to see a common sense candidate win the day in 2020.

"We are a great country, but we have gotten adversarial with each other," Bode said.

Bode said he was willing step beyond party lines for a candidate looking to curb big spending items like war, healthcare and social security.

Natasha Awugah admitted she came for extra credit in a political science class at the University of Iowa, but nonetheless, she said she too had a problem with how Washington D.C. looks upon Iowa. Awugah said she wanted to see less vitriol from candidates on the national stage.

"I'm tired of (Trump) punishing other people to get his way," Awugah said.

"I liked Tulsi (Gabbard)," Kyla Paterson, chairperson for Iowa Democratic Stonewall Caucus, said exiting in the room. But walking in, she said some of Gabbard's early anti-LGBTQ politics made her wary. But Paterson said she was still giving Gabbard a chance. Paterson said that her vote will come down to the candidate that shows out for Iowa LGBTQ+.

“I think it really comes down to whether she is willing to go through the work," Paterson.

READ:Sen. Cory Booker calls for "a common sense of purpose" in U.S. politics.

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Zachary Oren Smith writes about government, growth and development for the Press-Citizen. Reach him at zsmith@press-citizen.com or 319-339-7354, and follow him on Twitter @zacharyos.