Robin Opsahl | Des Moines Register

The Register and USA TODAY, Des Moines Register

DES MOINES, Ia. — Andrew Yang told his supporters gathered in the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center that he likes to call himself a "numbers guy" — but that didn't mean much Monday night as Iowa and politics watchers waited for delayed caucus results from the Iowa Democratic Party.

"I got to say, I'm a numbers guy, but we're still all waiting around on the numbers (Monday)," Yang joked to the crowd. "We're all looking around like, 'What's the math? What's the math?'"

Yang had to leave before caucus results came in. He's landing in New Hampshire at 4 a.m. Tuesday to start his first stretch of post-caucus campaigning.

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Election 2020: Andrew Yang, a Democrat campaigning for president in Iowa

He reassured his supporters that regardless of tonight's results the "Yang Gang" is just getting started.

"But the math I care about is the fact that this movement has become something that has already shocked the political world," he said. "And it's going to keep on growing from here."

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Yang addressed the crowd at 10:50 p.m., hours after most caucus sites closed, but still prior to caucus results getting released.

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Photos: Candidates final weekend before the Iowa caucus

Earlier that night, crowded bleachers of Valley Southwoods High School's gym erupted in cheers as they saw one of the presidential candidates Iowans can caucus for Monday night — Yang.

"Set a standard for which candidate you caucus for (Monday); that candidate has to be here to personally address you," he said as the hundreds of caucusgoers laughed.

The Democratic presidential candidate spoke to the crowd after visiting his caucus corner and greeting supporters and nonsupporters alike. He addressed the group in support of his own campaign as the room went through surrogates giving their pitches for why attendees should caucus for them.

Yang told the West Des Moines Democrats the reasons he thinks they should vote for him: He would be their best chance at defeating President Donald Trump, he would help Iowa's economy and he's the only Democrat looking toward the future of the economy,

"If you'd like someone in the White House who will fight for you and your family, that wants to actually make this future, this 21st-century economy, something that you and your kids can be excited about, please caucus for me and my campaign tonight," he said. "But whatever you decide tonight, let's make democracy work again."

Yang was not viable in the precincts he visited — and many supporters at his campaign caucus party said he was not viable at their sites. Cora Johnston, a 20-year-old from Grimes, said she was disappointed with her precinct results; Yang was not viable at her location. But there's still plenty of time for Yang to build momentum after Iowa, she said.

"I mean, I didn't know who he was six months ago," she said. "And look at him now, he's got a much bigger profile. And that's just going to keep growing as people learn about him."

Kenny Flory, 18, caucused for the first time at his Urbandale precinct for Yang. When Yang wasn't viable, he realigned to support U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who he says supports many of the same positions.

While Flory realigned on caucus night, he said he's going "Yang or bust" for the 2020 election. He's still hopeful that Yang can gain prominence in the Democratic race, but if he does not get the nomination, Flory said he will write in the New York entrepreneur's name on election day.

"He's really the only politician I trust," he said.

Earlier, Yang started off his last day on the Iowa caucus campaign trail energized. He was laughing as he talked to the crowd of canvassers and supporters who gathered to watch him speak before going out and knocking on doors one last time Monday.

"It's freaking Caucus Day!" Yang said as the group cheered.

Yang traveled the state visiting canvassing sites for one last round of thanking volunteers and calling for one final push to the finish line. The Democratic presidential candidate said Monday feels like the "last mile."

"This is where the rubber hits the road," he said. "You all know this is where all the action is: Every call, every door knock, every face-to-face town hall, every little old lady you help to the caucus site."

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen

In his last few days in Iowa, Yang, his campaign staff and his supporters have been asking event attendees to take action by knocking on doors, telling your friends and neighbors to commit to caucus.

That's just what Grinnell-based co-precinct chairs Misty Poush and Harry Barker-Fost have been doing for months. The pair were strategizing how to spend their day most effectively — and how they were going to convince caucusgoers to choose Yang as their second choice.

Poush said she had the arguments from a "townie" perspective and Barker-Fost had arguments from a student perspective, so they could speak to both populations in the college town.

"I've been more talking to the older people in town, and their focus is on beating Trump," Poush said. "I've been telling them about how I used to be a Republican, and how Yang has drawn in people who are conservative, who are independent, more than anyone else in the Democratic field."

Yang has spent the last 17 days campaigning throughout Iowa, touring the state on his bus and holding over 60 events — all leading to hopes for a surprise in the Iowa caucuses.

At a January stop in Dubuque, Yang became emotional as he reflected on his time campaigning in the state.

"I love Iowa," he said. "Campaigning here for the last two years has been the journey of my life. I am really glad you are going to determine the future of our country."

Earlier Monday, a crowded room greeted him in Iowa City, and he re-emphasized how important face-to-face campaigning was.

"People are inspired by other people. People are not inspired by TV commercials. If they were then Mike Bloomberg would be our next president," he said, as the overflowing room erupted in laughter and booing.

Supporters in Oskaloosa waited for nearly an hour for Yang to come address them, as they prepared for the candidate to stop by their campaign office in Penn Central Mall.

Thomas Wu, a 27-year-old from Yang, made his way through the mall hallway in a wheelchair helping people sign in. He shattered his knee while canvassing for Yang last Tuesday, he said, and had surgery on Thursday.

Wu said he was optimistic about Yang's chances in Oskaloosa. The Caucus Day stop was Yang's third visit to a city that many candidates look over, he said.

"We are right down to the wire," Wu said. "We've made a real impact, and I'm really, really hoping it's going to pay off."

Yang started his Iowa caucus journey early. With former U.S. Rep. John Delaney out (he left the race late last month), Yang is now the candidate who has been running the longest, officially announcing his presidential run in 2017.

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Iowa caucus: Photos of Andrew Yang campaigning on caucus day

Yang visited the Iowa State Fair in 2018 and spoke on the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox about the same issues he's talking about two years later. Problems such as the need to address the loss of working-class jobs to automation and the rising cost of living.

His early events were small, but Yang ended up garnering nationwide attention online for his policy proposal, the "freedom dividend," which would give all Americans older than 18 a universal basic income of $1,000 per month.

Yang’s campaign has worked to balance its image as a "fun" campaign with a massive online presence with an on-the-ground approach in Iowa emphasizing that he is a serious contender.

Marianne Williamson, who also ran to be the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, called on Iowans to support Yang through the caucuses.

"There are two other major progressives," Williamson told a Fairfield, Iowa, crowd in January, referencing U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. "They’re going to place in Iowa. But we need Andrew, too."

Yang has steadily gained traction in the past few months: His support has grown from 1% to 5% of likely Democratic caucusgoers who say he’s their first-choice candidate in the Iowa Polls.

He has also increased dramatically in name recognition: In March 2019, only 19% of poll respondents had an opinion of him. By early January, only 14% said they weren’t sure what they thought of Yang — and 61% viewed him favorably.

"Yang gang" members Gisselle Medina-Reyes and Dakota McMillan, two out-of-state supporters, said that was something they both heard a lot as the campaigned for Yang throughout Iowa and spoke in support of him at Newton precincts Monday night.

"People came up to me afterward and told me how much they like Yang and what he's saying," even though they often went for other candidates, McMillan said. Yang was not viable at his or Medina-Reyes' caucus sites.

In the final days, some of his supporters are making back-up plans if he is not viable at their caucus site: But others say they’ll go home before going to another candidate’s corner on caucus night.

Yang remains optimistic. He hopes to buck expectations going into the caucuses by getting undecided voters to commit to him. The campaign has tried to make headway with "caucus ranking" cards and other strategies at Iowa events.

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen

The candidate celebrated his 45th birthday on the campaign trail in Iowa this January. A crowd of more than 700 sang "Happy Birthday" at a rally on Drake University's campus Jan. 13. He called on Iowans to reach out to their friends and family who are still undecided.

It was the same message he brought to his final caucus rally at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown on Saturday.

"I'm the man to beat Donald Trump, and the last people that are going to realize it are going to be the Democrats who've been looking for the best candidate to take him on," Yang said. "But I think more and more are realizing that they're looking at him right now."

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