--- description: Iowa Republican Party leaders have put an end to the embattled Iowa Straw Poll after GOP presidential candidates balked at participating. title: The Iowa Straw Poll is Dead image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt86af68bff0be87bd/6988544155a85953e8a8c7a0/iowa-straw-poll.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2016 Election](/tag/2016-election/) ## 2016 Election Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Iowa Straw Poll Is Dead by [Zeke Miller](/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 12, 2015 2:47 PM CUT  Abraham Lincoln presenter Lance Mack dons his stovepipe hat during the Blackhawk County Republican annual Lincoln Day Dinner following the Iowa Straw Poll at the Electric Park Ballroom Aug. 14, 2011 in Waterloo, Iowa. Abraham Lincoln presenter Lance Mack dons his stovepipe hat during the Blackhawk County Republican annual Lincoln Day Dinner following the Iowa Straw Poll at the Electric Park Ballroom Aug. 14, 2011 in Waterloo, Iowa.Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images by [Zeke Miller](/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 12, 2015 2:47 PM CUT Iowa Republican Party leaders have put an end to the embattled Iowa Straw Poll after GOP presidential candidates balked at participating. Dating back to 1979, the state party fundraiser included an informal poll of Iowa voters that in theory was to help narrow the field before the first-in-the-nation caucuses. But the poll had little predictive value and was a clear pay-for-vote scheme, with candidates paying for space at the all-day event and for tickets and buses for their would-be supporters. Among the candidates that had pledged to skip the straw poll were former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the 2008 caucuses, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a favorite to win the caucuses, had delayed making a decision, hoping that party leaders would kill it. In 2011, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty through all his eggs into winning the straw poll and dropped out the following day once he lost. “I’ve said since December that we would only hold a straw poll if the candidates wanted one, and this year that is just not the case,” said Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann. “For that reason I called a special meeting to update the State Central Committee, which then voted unanimously this morning to cancel the event. This step, while extremely distasteful for those of us who love the Straw Poll, is necessary to strengthen our First in the Nation status and ensure our future nominee has the best chance possible to take back the White House in 2016.” The decision to cancel the straw poll comes as Iowa’s position as the first state in the presidential nominating hunt is facing an unprecedented threat. Party bigwigs feel that the state’s more conservative electorate forces potential nominees to move too far to the right, making their position in the general election far more difficult. “Many candidates are still concerned about participating in an event that carries significant media-driven expectations well ahead of our First in the Nation Caucuses,” said Kaufmann. “While we still deeply believe that the Straw Poll offers a fantastic opportunity for candidates, we need to focus on strengthening our First in the Nation status and putting a Republican back in the White House.” ### See the 2016 Candidates Looking Very Presidential  Sen. Ted Cruz is surrounded by stars and stripes at the 2014 Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2014. Mark Peterson—Redux  Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton gazes pensively into the distance at Iowa Senator Tom Harken'a annual Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on September 14, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis for TIME  Jeb Bush Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush flashes a power watch before giving his keynote address at the National Summit on Education Reform in Washington on Nov. 20, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Bernie Sanders waves to supporters after officially announcing his candidacy for the U.S. presidency during an event at Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont, on May 26, 2015. Win McNamee—Getty Images  Chris Christie New Jersey Governor Chris Christie strikes a presidential power stance at the ceremony for the opening of the 206 bypass in Hillsborough, New Jersey on October 28, 2013. Mark Peterson—Redux  Former Hewlett-Packard Co Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina listens to her introduction from the side of the stage at the Freedom Summit in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 24, 2015. Jim Young—Reuters  Rand Paul Sen. Rand Paul works a crowd during a campaign stop on October 24, 2014 in McDonough, Georgia. Jessica McGowan—Getty Images  Rick Perry Texas Gov. Rick Perry looks powerfully patriotic during the National Anthem before an NCAA college football game on Nov. 27, 2014, in College Station, Texas. David J. Phillip—AP  Bobby Jindal Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal looks to the future during The Family Leadership Summit on Aug. 9, 2014, in Ames, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall—AP  Martin O'Malley Maryland Governor Martin OíMalley ponders decorating ideas in front of his possible future home on CBS's Face the Nation on Feb. 23, 2014. Chris Usher—AP  Marco Rubio Sen. Marco Rubio looks determined the morning after the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. on January 29, 2014. Melissa Golden—Redux  Ben CarsonBen Carson at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference on March 8, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Jim Webb Retiring Sen. Jim Webb imitates the presidential wave during a rally in Virginia Beach, Va. on Sept. 27, 2012. Steve Helber—AP  John Kasich Ohio Gov. John Kasich practices his presidential victory pose at the Ohio Republican Party celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, in Columbus, Ohio. Tony Dejak—AP  Rick Santorum Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum looks resolute at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 7, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis  Scott Walker Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker practices the presidential point on March 3, 2014 in Milwaukee. Jeffrey Phelps—AP  Mike Huckabee Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee fine-tunes his presidential oratory at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference in National Harbor, Md. on March 7, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Lincoln Chafee, Former Rhode Island Governor, poses for a selfie with a student after announcing he will seek the Democratic nomination for president in Arlington, Va. on June 3, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Lindsey Graham Lindsey Graham announced his plans to join the 2016 presidential race. Alex Wong—Getty Images  George Pataki Former New York governor George Pataki listens to a question at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Conference in Nashua, New Hampshire, in this April 17, 2015 file photo. 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