Does Amy Klobuchar Have A Chance? Democrat Gains In Polls Ahead Of 2020 Iowa Caucuses

Sen. Amy Klobuchar appears to be benefiting from a narrower Democratic presidential field and strong debate performances. In the latest aggregation of Iowa polls collected by RealClearPolitics, Klobuchar is now in fifth place, earning the support of 5.3 percent of voters -- almost doubling her support from earlier this fall.

“It is so hard, because from the beginning I always knew I would not be in the top two or three, because of the fact that I wasn’t running for president forever and I wasn’t as well-known,” Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. “So, here I am at No. 5 and moving up, and people are going to have to look at me in that way. We still have a lot of people who are undecided, and so that’s my case to make, and I’m going to make it."

Klobuchar has positioned herself as a more ideologically pragmatic candidate, as compared to Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who have carried the banner for the progressive wing of their party. She has, for instance, criticized progressives' call for tuition-free public college, arguing it is too expensive. "I wish — if I was a magic genie and could give that to everyone and we could afford it, I would. I’m just trying to find a mix of incentives and make sure kids that are in need — that’s why I talked about expanding Pell Grants — can go to college and be able to afford it and make sure that people that can’t afford it are able to pay," she said earlier this year.

The senator's ideological positoning has won over some Iowa voters.

“She’s got some good ideas, she’s from the Midwest and she knows what needs to be done to get us back on track," Iowa farmer Nick Leibold told the Tribune. “I’d like to see her get up there near the top, so we can have someone who isn’t so leftist get the nomination."

As Klobuchar's numbers in Iowa improve, the campaign has set a goal of doubling its field offices, which would give it 20 locations in the state ahead of the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses. She currently has 60 staffers there, but as the number of offices expands, so would her staffing. Norm Sterzenbach, the former state director for former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, recently signed on as a caucus adviser for Klobuchar in Iowa.

“I’m hearing more talk about Amy. It’s picked up in the last couple weeks,” Laurie McCray, the Democratic Party chairwoman in Portsmouth, New Hampshire told the New York Times. “People have heard from the other candidates and they’re still looking.”

Additionally, there is a chance that Klobuchar may pick up support following the departure of Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., from the race.

"If I had to pick the one candidate whom this benefits, I’d pick ... Klobuchar ... who is now the last remaining woman among the moderates," Arnon Mishkin, the director of the Fox News decision desk, wrote in a commentary on Wednesday. "She’s done between OK and very well in the recent debates, and may be a safe haven for those voters who are uncomfortable with Biden but want to support someone who is moderate rather than on the far left."

Part of Klobuchar's rising fates has come from well-reviewed debate performances. Her campaign noted they raised $1 million in the 24 hours following the October Democratic debate, although they have not disclosed what fundraising looked like after the November event.

Ultimately, Klobuchar's fate may rest on her argument that a Midwestern moderate is best-suited to defeat Trump. Polls consistently show Democratic voters see defeating Donald Trump as more important than picking a candidate who best aligns with their personal ideological preferences.

The Times spoke to two New Hampshire retirees, Susan and Roger Shamel, who offered that view after attending an event with Klobuchar.

“Being from the Midwest, and I have a lot of friends and family there, I’m hearing from these people, Warren and Bernie can’t win there,” Susan Shamel. Roger Shamel agreed, saying, “We’ve got to beat Trump no matter what.”