Four of the five Democratic 2016 presidential hopefuls will headline the Iowa Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson dinner in October, the party announced Tuesday.
Hillary Clinton, independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee will speak during the event, an opportunity for each candidate to address directly the party activists and elected officials who can play a critical role in the state’s primary.
“On this historic night, we look forward to hearing our Democratic presidential candidates talk about policies that will strengthen the middle class and move our country forward,” said Dr. Andy McGuire, the party chairman. “The 2015 Dinner will be a great opportunity for Iowa Democrats to come together and hear each candidate lay out their vision for the future of our country.”
Not confirmed for the dinner in Des Moines is former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, whose campaign said they were still considering attending.
Unlike Republicans, Democrats have had few “cattle call” events, where the declared presidential candidates speak to large audiences. Democrats also will have one in New Hampshire this month and have had three in Iowa so far this year, but that number pales in comparison to the more than a dozen Republicans have attended.
This will be the last Jefferson-Jackson dinner for the Iowa Democratic Party. McGuire announced earlier this year that, after a vote by the state central committee, the party’s annual dinner would no longer be named for former Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson.
The decision was made because the former presidents both owned slaves and the party is looking to have the “name of the dinner to align with the values of our modern day Democratic Party: inclusiveness, diversity and equality,” McGuire said earlier this year.