Beto O'Rourke isn't cutting investment in early states, but will spend time differently

Bryan Smith wasn't looking for Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke when he looked through the window of Trinity Las Americas United Methodist Church in Des Moines on an overcast Wednesday afternoon.

"I was looking for the sun, and Beto showed up," Smith said.

It was Smith's third day on the job running the Children and Family Urban Movement supper club. When he saw the former U.S. representative walking the streets of River Bend, a Des Moines neighborhood, Smith ran out to invite the candidate for dinner.

"We have some food if you want to try some," a volunteer told him when he came in.

"I do, I definitely, definitely do," O'Rourke said. He came in to eat spaghetti, watermelon and vegetables on a blue plastic tray as he talked to CFUM Director of Family and Community Engagement Janelle Mueller and other Iowans having dinner in the church basement.

It was just one of many person-to-person stops on the candidate's most recent visit to the first-in-the-nation state. The three-day came after O'Rourke's hometown El Paso, Texas experienced a mass shooting which killed 22 people after a gunman opened fire in a Walmart.

O'Rourke marked his return to Iowa with a revamped campaign message geared toward reducing gun violence and "connecting the dots" he claims exist between President Donald Trump's rhetoric and recent hate crimes. 

The revamped message also means focusing less attention exclusively on early states. O'Rourke said in a speech in El Paso last week that he plans to take his campaign around the country, going to places that don't have as much of a voice in the early presidential selection process.

But O'Rourke said that doesn't mean he is giving up on early states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. O'Rourke's state campaign director, Norm Sterzenbach, confirmed Wednesday they are not closing any of their 11 campaign offices or reducing Iowa staff, saying "nothing has changed" about the commitment to the statewide campaign.  

O'Rourke told the Des Moines Register he's heard from Iowans who appreciate him reaching out to Americans in states that get less attention during the nomination process.

"They don't expect me to exclusively spend my time in Iowa, or in the other early states: New Hampshire, South Carolina or Nevada," he said. "Certainly, we've done a lot of that. They also want us to be aware of all of the major, important issues in the country. And the only way to accomplish that is by showing up in some of those states regardless of where they place in the nominating process, or how many electoral college votes they have."

And he is still showing up in Iowa. O'Rourke spent an hour Wednesday afternoon door-knocking in Des Moines with volunteers. While some of his knocks when unanswered or were answered by people who only had a few minutes to talk, others were willing to hear out the presidential candidate's in-person pitch.

Bob Baskerville said that he didn't plan to caucus — saying they were "too weird," compared with primaries — he is considering changing his mind after O'Rourke came to talk to him.

"I'm impressed as hell that you care enough to come knock on my door," Baskerville told the Texas Democrat. "Win or lose, you're making a difference, and that's what counts."

Baskerville also invited the candidate and staff into his home, offering fresh-baked cookies, giving them a house tour and introducing them to his pet macaw. 

The shift in campaign strategy comes as O'Rourke continues to battle low poll numbers in Iowa.

O'Rourke was the first choice of 2% of likely 2020 Iowa Democratic caucusgoers in a June Des Moines Register/Mediacom/CNN Iowa Poll. Another 4% said he was their second choice, with 33% saying they were actively considering him.  

Responding to calls for him to drop out of the race and run in 2020 for U.S. Senate against Republican John Cornyn, O'Rourke last week said he "will not in any scenario" run for Senate. 

"Whoever the nominee from our party is for Senate, they'll defeat John Cornyn, for sure," O'Rourke told the Register. "But it's also important if I'm the nominee, because I can win those Electoral College votes and beat Donald Trump."

O'Rourke also attended more conventional Iowa stops on his trip. Wednesday morning, O’Rourke visited Marshalltown, a city of 27,000 that has seen an influx of immigrants over the past few decades. The nearby meatpacking plant has been raided by immigration officials twice in the past 25 years.  

O'Rourke held a roundtable discussion on immigration at a local Mexican restaurant. He took notes as community leaders discussed how they had worked to welcome immigrants and unite the city.

Afterward, he told them that Marshalltown reminded him of his hometown of El Paso.   

“I’ve found that in the failure to (share our stories), other people will tell the stories for us: ‘Immigrants are criminals,'” he said. “If ever there were a moment to share the story of Marshalltown, it really is now."

Some Iowans this week said they have been impressed with O'Rourke's response to the El Paso shooting and the passion he showed in his campaign message this week. 

"He really cares about people. You can hear the passion in his voice," said 64-year-old Polly Antonelli, of Altoona, after watching him speak in Des Moines on Tuesday night. "I think he's a really good candidate." 

Antonelli said O'Rourke is among several candidates she's considering and that she would be happy to volunteer for his campaign if he receives the nomination. 

He also spoke Wednesday night to Urban Dreams, a social services organization. The organization's officials said on Twitter that O'Rourke was the first presidential candidate to door-knock in River Bend sincet Jimmy Carter.

Robin Opsahl covers political trends for the Register. Reach them at ropsahl@registermedia.com or 515-284-8051.