Iowa is prime real estate for 2020 hopefuls in the months before the first-in-the-nation caucuses, but one candidate has actually rent a residence in the state.

Marianne Williamson, a Democrat running for president, has moved to Des Moines, her campaign confirmed to the Des Moines Register. The Gazette first reported the news on Thursday.

Born in Houston and having lived on both coasts — in Los Angeles and New York City — Williamson leased a condo in Des Moines proper this spring, said Brent Roske, the campaign's Iowa state director.

The move had been planned since last July, he said.

"It's not only to support the caucuses but also to have a more effective campaign," said Roske, who also lives in Des Moines. "We believe in the power of the early states and our campaigning... shows that. Iowa and the caucuses are very important."

The reaction to the move has been "very positive," he said Friday.

She's not the first presidential candidate to plant roots in Iowa during a campaign.

Former Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd, of Connecticut, moved to Des Moines in 2007. He dropped out of the race the night of the 2008 caucuses, as did then-U.S. Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, after they each won less than 1% of votes.

Her new residence isn't the only thing that separates Williamson from fellow candidates.

Williamson's lack of political experience has made it difficult to gain attention in the crowded 2020 field. But she entered the race with a large, established fan base and spent the last 35 years as a spiritual guide and author, with connections throughout the celebrity world.

"We, the American people, need an uprising of conscience," Williamson said at her January kickoff event. In the months since, Williamson has advocated for getting money out of politics, investing in education, fighting climate change, and paying reparations to black Americans.

Williamson will speak at several events this weekend, including in Des Moines and at the Iowa Democratic Party's Hall of Fame gathering in Cedar Rapids.

Iowa Caucuses Candidate Tracker | DesMoinesRegister.com

Register reporter Robin Opsahl contributed reporting.