DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Democratic Party is coming under attack on caucus night for issues reporting results, but not from the head of the Republican Party of Iowa.
Republican Party Chair Jeff Kaufmann joined Channel 13’s live caucus night coverage to defend his Democratic counterparts for their handling of caucus night reporting issues. Hours after caucuses had ended, Democrats had failed to report more than two-percent of results statewide.
Kaufmann tells Channel 13 that Democrats are doing the right thing by making sure their numbers are correct before publishing them.
“The accuracy of results of the Iowa Caucuses does not have a deadline,” Kaufmann says. Kaufmann says the only ones truly upset about the lack of immediate results on Monday night were national media members.
Kaufmann says he speaks from experience on the importance of waiting. “The Republican Party went through this in 2012 when they put out inaccurate results,” Kaufmann said about the caucus night announcement of Mitt Romney as winner, when a recount two weeks later showed Rick Santorum had actually won here.
“The accuracy here is more important than rapidity,” Kaufmann says.