Nov. 18, 1999
By
Tom Cronin
CyberCaucus 2000 News Service
Drake
University
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley recently boosted his Iowa campaign with the opening of the Polk County office opened Nov. 12 in downtown Des Moines.
The office at 407 Court Ave. is the headquarters for the campaign's Des Moines and Polk county staff, whereas the state office at 4123 University Ave. houses Bradley's senior state staff, said Maureen Monahan, press secretary for Bradley's Iowa campaign.
The Polk County office was opened because space in the state office was limited and the new office's downtown location is closer to more Polk County residents, she said.
Monahan said the staff of the Polk office is comprised of the county's "grass-roots organizers."
"[The Polk County office staff members] go to all the meetings in the area," she said. "They talk to the supporters, they recruit them and they have meetings with local supporters."
In most areas of Iowa, volunteers conduct most campaign work from their homes or private offices, Monahan said. Because the population of Polk County is the largest among Iowa counties, the need arose for a county office in which campaign volunteers organize, Monahan said.
"The interesting thing about this campaign is that it's a grass-roots effort," she said.
Paul Kraus, president of Bulldogs for Bradley at Drake University and a volunteer for Bradley's campaign, said he has used both offices for volunteer efforts.
Recently, large numbers of volunteers for Bradley's Iowa campaign created a need for a separate Polk County office, he said.
"The Bradley campaign is really picking up steam in Iowa. ... Because of this overflow of staff and volunteers, it became necessary to have a Polk County office," Kraus said.
Polk County is a key location in Bradley's Iowa campaign because the county has the largest media market and the largest concentration of people, Monahan said.
Kraus said the role of Des Moines as the caucus headquarters and Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus status are important in the outcome of the presidential nomination.
"The candidate who wins Des Moines will have a good chance at winning Iowa and [the presidential nomination]," he said.
Although Bradley's campaign has not established county headquarters outside Polk County, campaign efforts are just as strong in other Iowa counties, as well as in New Hampshire, Monahan said.
"Right now, all the emphasis is on New Hampshire and Iowa," she said.
Anyone interested in volunteering for Bradley's campaign can contact the Polk County office at 288-4100. People interested in working for Bradley's press staff can contact the state headquarters at 255-0550, Monahan said.