GOP candidates skip Iowa’s only minority-focused forum

Nearly every Republican presidential candidate has rejected an offer to participate in what the organizer describes as the nation’s oldest minority-focused presidential forum, despite GOP optimism — and repeated campaign trail comments from several candidates — about improving the party’s performance with voters of color in 2024.

For nearly as long as Iowa has held its first-in-the-nation title, Wayne Ford has organized the Iowa Brown and Black Presidential Forum. The event often focuses on issues of national significance, such as crime, education and the economy, but it gives presidential aspirants an opportunity to tailor their message specifically to communities of color. Ford co-founded the organization behind the forum alongside Iowa-based Latina activist Mary Campos in 1984.

Ford, a Democratic former state representative who was working with Iowa Republican leaders to try to put on a 2024 event, said he has extended invitations to Democratic and Republican presidential hopefuls alike since the forum started 40 years ago. But only Democratic presidential candidates have participated so far. Past attendees include President Joe Biden as well as former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Jesse Jackson and George McGovern.

Ford had reason to think this election cycle might be different: Exit polls have shown Republicans making gains with Black and Latino voters since Donald Trump’s election as president in 2016. But only a few months after extending invitations, organizers for the Republican forum canceled it due to “a low number of committed participants.”

“We’ve reached out to the Republican Party — whether it was Bush, Reagan, it didn’t matter. We always reached out to both parties,” Ford said. “Over the years, we started recognizing that Republicans were not coming but Democrats were.” He added: “I’m disappointed that as of today, we still have not done a Republican forum from the presidential level.”

The latest attempt to host a Republican forum began in the summer, when Ford, with the support of Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann, began sending invitations to all Republican presidential candidates, with the exception of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who Ford noted “said from day one he’s not coming” to Iowa to campaign.

“More dialogue is always a good thing in the political process,” Kaufmann said in a statement at the time. “Republicans are especially keen to engage in conversations with groups such as The Brown and Black Forums of America about how bold leadership and ideas can benefit all Americans regardless of race.”

Nearly every remaining Republican presidential candidate, with the exception of Christie, has held dozens of campaign events in Iowa. But Ford told NBC News that only one offered a firm commitment to attend the forum: Ryan Binkley.

In a statement to NBC News, Kaufmann called the cancellation of the forum “unfortunate.”

“Republicans have always been fierce champions of free speech and the fair exchange of ideas, and I applaud my good friend and Iowa political trailblazer Wayne Ford for