Beto O’Rourke’s first trip to Iowa of the 2020 election cycle comes as the former Texas congressman’s popularity has waned in the state. | Loren Elliott/Getty Images 2020 elections Beto O'Rourke plans extended Iowa trip

Beto O’Rourke isn’t just headed to Iowa for a one-off campaign appearance with a state Senate candidate. He is planning a multiday trip with multiple appearances in the first-in-the-nation caucus state, two Democrats familiar with his plans told POLITICO on Tuesday.

O’Rourke’s advisers had confirmed Monday that he would appear at a rally in Waterloo, Iowa, on Saturday for Eric Giddens, a candidate in a March 19 special election.


But two sources said O’Rourke is building more days and appearances into his trip as he prepares for an all-but-certain presidential campaign.

Norm Sterzenbach, a former executive director of the Iowa Democratic Party, is assisting O’Rourke in the state. He was helping organize the extended trip, one of the sources said.

O’Rourke also began running ads on Facebook for the first time since the midterm elections. The ads, which appeared Tuesday, are designed to build out his email list, inviting supporters to sign up to receive a notification when he announces his 2020 plans.

“I’m ready to share my plans,” one of the ads says.

O’Rourke’s first trip to Iowa of the 2020 election cycle comes as the former Texas congressman’s popularity has waned in the state. A Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom poll released Saturday saw O’Rourke’s poll numbers drop to 5 percent in the state, down from 11 percent in December. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are running far ahead of the rest of the field in the state.

O’Rourke said nearly two weeks ago that he has made a decision on whether to run for president. He told reporters in Texas over the weekend that, “I want to make sure I do it the right way and I tell everyone at the same time, so I’ll be doing that.

“I’ve got to be on the timeline that works for my family and for the country.”

An O'Rourke spokesman did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.