ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar was the standout winner at a “satellite” caucus in St. Petersburg Monday night, as part of the Iowa Caucus.
For the first time, registered Iowa voters who were out of state during the caucus still had the opportunity to take part in the first litmus test of the 2020 presidential election.
The Pinellas County caucus was one of more than 90 satellite caucuses worldwide.
“We really didn’t know how it was going to turn out,” said snowbird and long time Iowa caucus goer Gerry Monk.
120 members of the Iowa Democratic Party registered for the St. Pete caucus at Saint Andrew Lutheran Church, with 106 actually coming out to caucus.
Klobuchar earned more than twice the support than runner up, fellow moderate and midwesterner Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend.
“We didn’t have any inkling how strong her support was going to be,” Monk said. “But we were just totally amazed and very happy.”
Despite strong polling heading into the caucus, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders found meager support in St. Pete.
The seven people who initially caucused for him eventually backed Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, who came in third followed former Vice President Joe Biden.
“I guess I was a little surprised that there wasn’t much of a Bernie turnout,” said Sanders supporter Lindsy White. “Although we are in Florida and there’s a different demographic in this room than Iowa as a whole.”
Despite a difference in candidates, there was one thing that most if not all could agree on.
“We love this weather!” laughed Gerry Monk.
Klobuchar also won the nearest satellite caucus in Port Charlotte, followed by Buttigieg.
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