Stargazing at the Polk County Steak Fry
- Julie For All Iowans
- Sep 19
- 3 min read
Earlier in September, the Polk County Democrats held their yearly fundraiser in Des Moines, drawing hundreds of attendees. People from central Iowa, as well as some from around the state, came together for this uplifting event celebrating enthusiastic Iowa Democrats.
Despite temperatures remaining in the high 90s all afternoon, Iowans still gathered at the Des Moines Biergarten in Water Works Park.
Local organizations, Democratic candidates from around the county, and various groups set up tents and tables at the Biergarten to communicate their messages to Democrats.
Unfortunately, Julie tested positive for COVID-19 just a day before the event, so #TeamJulie had to rethink how to connect with Iowans about our campaign without the candidate.
On the Friday morning before the event, Bryan and Brenda visited local craft stores with a single objective: to engage with everyone.
"We aimed to highlight all the hard work Iowans and Julie achieved during the first three months of Interview Sessions, not just for the campaign, but also in improving the state for all Iowans," stated Bryan, a campaign volunteer.
Bryan and Brenda make a formidable team. In their personal lives, they are married with a wonderful 15-year-old son, juggling his activities from show choir to marching band to pickup basketball games. However, when duty calls, this team is fully committed.
Events like the Polk County Steak Fry present significant opportunities for any group or candidate. For many, this is the largest audience they might encounter before the primaries. For this duo, they seemed ready to bring the elementary school teacher in Julie, to the tent.
During the initial three months of the campaign, Julie conducted 27 interview sessions throughout the state. In these sessions, Iowans expressed their primary concerns for the state, as noted by Bleeding Heartland earlier this month.
For the event, Bryan and Brenda designed six distinct posters for Steak Fry attendees to vote on. Each visitor to the booth was given a sheet of gold stars, a favorite of Julie's, to mark their top three issues. (Click here to see how much Julie LOVES gold stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️) Thus, the 'Stargazing' poll was created. Below, you can view the posters, presented in no particular order.
Residents from all over the state visited the Julie Stauch For Governor booth and were eager to join in the 'classroom' fun. At first, people were quite meticulous with their star votes, thoroughly examining each poster before placing each star individually.
Even Nathan Sage, Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate, stopped by to join in the fun!
It was a success! Voting was enjoyable, and visitors engaged in conversations with one another as they debated each issue. However, the most memorable moment that Saturday afternoon was when a mother and her child thoughtfully discussed each board.
Many booth visitors could be overheard saying, "How can I just pick three?" Or "We really need them all, right?" Needless to say, we went through a LOT of stars, so if you'd like to contribute to the campaign for MORE stars, CLICK HERE! ⭐️
Although the "Stargazing Poll" is informal, it accurately captures the sentiment of the state's largest county. It's clear that Iowans seek candidates who tackle multiple issues. Given the significance of these issues, Iowa cannot afford to be patient if it wants to succeed.
Below is a full gallery of photos from the Polk County Steak Fry
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