DES MOINES, Iowa – Joe Biden and Donald Trump received the most votes in each of their political parties in Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s 2023 State Fair Straw Poll. Throughout the Iowa State Fair, more than 4,700 votes were cast for preferred presidential candidates at the Iowa Secretary of State’s booth.
Of the three candidates featured in the Democratic straw poll, Joe Biden received the most votes with 66.97% of votes, followed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (18.76%), and Marianne Williamson (14.27%). Of the 13 candidates featured in the Republican straw poll, Donald Trump received the most votes with 42.47% of votes cast, followed by Ron DeSantis (15.31%), Tim Scott (11.09%), and Vivek Ramaswamy (9.37%). Raymond Wagner and Chase Oliver were tied for the most votes in the Libertarian Party, each receiving 18.88% of votes cast.
“We conduct the State Fair Straw Poll each year to encourage voter registration and participation in Iowa’s General Elections. Voting is the best way to ensure Iowans’ voices are heard, and I want every eligible Iowan to register to vote,” said Secretary Pate. “It is always interesting to see the final results because historically, the State Fair Straw Poll, while unscientific, has been a fairly accurate indicator of official election results.”
Below are percentage totals for each party from all votes cast throughout the 11 days of polling at the 2023 Iowa State Fair. The unscientific straw poll was accessed via iPads. Candidates featured on the straw poll ballots were identified by their respective political parties.
DEMOCRATS
- Joe Biden – 66.97%, 732 votes
- Robert F. Kennedy – 18.76%, 205 votes
- Marianne Williamson – 14.27%, 156 votes
REPUBLICANS
- Ryan Binkley – .76%, 27 votes
- Doug Burgum – 2.72%, 96 votes
- Ron DeSantis – 15.31%, 541 votes
- Larry Elder – .45%, 16 votes
- Nikki Haley – 3.76%, 133 votes
- Will Hurd – 1.05%, 37 votes
- Asa Hutchinson – 3.4%, 120 votes
- Perry Johnson – 6.23%, 220 votes
- Mike Pence – 2.74%, 97 votes
- Vivek Ramaswamy – 9.37%, 331 votes
- Tim Scott – 11.09%, 392 votes
- Francis Suarez – .65%, 23 votes
- Donald Trump – 42.47%, 1501 votes
LIBERTARIANS
- Aaron Avouris – 7.69%, 11 votes
- Kevin Babicz – 3.5%, 5 votes
- Melissa Biondi – 7.69%, 11 votes
- Russell DeLeon – 2.1%, 3 votes
- David Reed DeSilva – 5.59%, 8 votes
- David Dunlap – 4.2%, 6 votes
- Charles Griffith Ferry – 3.5%, 5 votes
- Antonio Gagnon – 2.8%, 4 votes
- Hugo Valdez Garcia – 6.99%, 10 votes
- Jacob Hornberger – 4.2%, 6 votes
- Seymour Art Lee – .7%, 1 vote
- Beau Lindsey – 0%, 0 votes
- Mike ter Maat – 2.8%, 4 votes
- Lars Mapstead – 2.1%, 3 votes
- Chase Oliver – 18.88%, 27 votes
- Joshua Rodriguez – 1.4%, 2 votes
- Jon Stewart – 5.59%, 8 votes
- Kevin Tucker – 0%, 0 votes
- Nathan J. Vaught Jr. – 1.4%, 2 votes
- Raymond Dude Wagner – 18.88%, 27 votes
Secretary Pate also polled fairgoers on their favorite Iowa State Fair food. Pork Chop on a Stick lead the pack with 16.88% of the vote, followed closely by Barksdale’s State Fair Cookies (15.88%), and Corn Dog (15.72).
Although Secretary Pate is Iowa’s Commissioner of Elections, the Secretary of State’s Office takes no official role in the Iowa Caucuses. Those are functions of Iowa’s political parties.
All results are unscientific and intended for entertainment purposes only. Fairgoers who visited the booth were also able to register to vote for the upcoming election and learn about other various programs from the Secretary’s Elections and Business Services divisions.
