DES MOINES, Iowa — From restaurants selling more meals to hotels filling up their rooms, the economic impact of the Iowa caucuses goes far beyond the occasional steak fry.
As Iowa's politicians try to figure out their new place in national politics after the Democratic National Comittee voted to remove the state's first-in-the-nation caucus status, the impact will be felt closer to home.
For decades, the Iowa caucuses were the Hawkeye State's time to shine on the national stage, attracting presidential candidates and mainstream media attention.
"It's also just a great opportunity to showcase our region, across the entire country, across the world with the national media that comes here," said Jay Byers, president and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership.
During the week leading up to the caucuses, Catch Des Moines estimates that there's approximately $11.3 million in local economic impact, and that's just for Des Moines alone. But as any Iowan can tell you, by the time the actual event rolls around, caucus season is already in full swing.
"[The] caucus really begins about two years out in advance, when candidates start coming to town. Candidates start coming in, of course the news media comes in with them, and there's a lot of dollars that are to be had," said Greg Edwards, president and CEO of Catch Des Moines.
Not all of that money is going away, however. The National Republican Party is keeping Iowa in the same place on their election calendar. That means that as the 2024 campaign season starts up, the state can still expect a wave of Republicans with presidential aspirations, along with all of the usual benefits that brings.
"We'll see which candidates show up but definitely we'll have a great opportunity to welcome all candidates, both Republican and Democrat to Iowa, to greater Des Moines," Byers said.
But even with the Republican caucuses helping soften the immediate blow, the future where Iowans don't vote first is still a murky one, and those affects might be a lot less tangible than just a bottom line.
"You look at the exposure, too, for Iowa. You talk to people across the country that never knew Iowa even existed. They do know that were first in the nation for the presidential caucuses. So you know, it's a huge loss," Edwards said.