D.C. Shadow Senator Paul Strauss with former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, one of the first sponsors of the Statehood Act in 1991. Picture courtesy of Twitter.

Most people looking towards Iowa tonight want to know which presidential candidates will pick up the most delegates during the “First in the Nation” caucuses. But D.C.’s shadow delegation has decamped to the Hawkeye State to get people to support statehood for the city.

“We are getting a very enthusiastic response from the people of Iowa,” says D.C. Shadow Senator Paul Strauss, who is in Iowa with Shadow Senator Michael D. Brown and Shadow Representative Franklin Garcia, their offices, and Students for D.C. Statehood. “They’re a fair-minded people.”

The D.C. delegation is acting as “in-person resources,” according to Strauss, for a group named Iowans for D.C. Statehood, which is trying to get support for statehood added to the party platforms. According to its website, the groups wants “a resolution in support of our cause introduced and passed at precinct caucuses in at least two dozen counties around the state of Iowa on February 1, 2016.” The grassroots organization includes current and former elected officials.

Just like Iowans will pick their preferred candidate at tonight’s caucuses, they also begin the process of adopting party platforms. Support for D.C. statehood is one issue that could make it from precincts to the county level to, ultimately, the Iowa state convention.

“We’re optimistic that we can get D.C. statehood on the party platform,” says Strauss. “Certainly on the Democratic side, and we’re hopeful about the Republicans as well. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the Iowa Republican response. They recognize that it’s unfair.” He says that the co-chair of the Polk County Republicans pledged to introduce the statehood resolution during the caucus.

Support from Iowa GOPers might have to do with Donald Trump’s less-than-hostile response to the notion of statehood. “The Republican frontrunner has spoken positively” about it on Meet the Press, Strauss says.

This journey to Iowa is the culmination of work that began in March of 2015, when Strauss visited the state and received the support of the Polk County Democrats, who passed a resolution to support D.C. statehood and include the issue at the caucuses. The decision to commit to Iowa was two-fold, he says. “One—it’s first in the nation. Two—it’s a caucus. You can’t replicate this in New Hampshire’s primary with similar results.”

Two different Iowa television stations are running commercials from the “51 Stars Campaign,” like this one starring District native and Breaking Bad star Jonathan Banks.

JONATHAN BANKS 35s from Paul Strauss on Vimeo.

Strauss also appeared on “Great Day Iowa” and the organizing efforts were featured on CSPAN.