The Iowa Straw Poll will move from Ames to Boone this year and will take place on August 8, following a vote by Republican Party board members Thursday morning.
The high-profile Republican cattle call has been a staple in presidential politics for decades, giving candidates eager to prove their electability in the key early-voting state. This year it will take place on August 8.
But the future of the Iowa Straw Poll has remained uncertain in recent years, as party leaders (in Iowa and around the country) have dismissed the predictive usefulness of the event and charging that it marginalizes certain types of candidates.
The event survived a near death in in January, when the Iowa GOP was considering scrapping the event altogether. Critics are keeping a close eye on how the event plays out in August as the party weighs whether to continue the tradition.
One marker of success: how many candidates -- and which ones -- actually choose to participate in the straw poll.
Sen. John McCain did not participate in the straw poll in 2007, ahead of his 2008 nomination victory. Mitt Romney won the straw poll that year. Romney himself skipped the straw poll in 2011 – former GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann won — and locked down the nomination in 2012.
Jose A. DelReal covers national politics for The Washington Post.
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