By Amanda Becker
DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Democrats vying forthe nomination to take on Republican U.S. President Donald Trumptried to make a splash on Saturday as they entered a party steakfry in Des Moines, Iowa, the state that will host the firstnominating contest in early February.
U.S. Senator Kamala Harris marched in accompanied by adrumline. Former U.S. housing chief Julian Castro dancedalongside a mariachi band. Supporters of former U.S.Representative Beto O'Rourke launched a makeshift boat with hiscampaign poster. Two women wore U.S. pennies fashioned out ofcardboard, costumed as U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren's proposedwealth tax.
Seventeen of the 19 Democrats in the race to take on Trumpin November 2020 spoke at the steak fry hosted by the PolkCounty Democrats, the county that includes Des Moines, Iowa'smost populous city.
More than 12,200 attended the Democratic Party fundraiser,breaking previous records and drawing visitors from Germany,Japan and Sweden, according to event organizers.
Supporters arrived early to set up candidate yard signsalongside the road winding into the park. They trekked inwearing t-shirts emblazoned with the name of their favoritecontender or cause. They sat in lawn chairs as the candidatesspoke, cheering and chanting in the light rain as the groundgrew muddy and posters soggy.
"Regardless of what campaign you support, we are all on thesame team," O'Rourke said as the crowd cheered his call todefeat Trump.
Harris blasted Trump's trade policies as hurting Iowa'sfarmers. U.S. Senator Cory Booker said the election was a"referendum on our spirit." U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders said the"same old type of politics is not going to work." Former VicePresident Joe Biden said he believed the country could recoverfrom four years of Trump's presidency, but not eight.
"I'm Elizabeth Warren, I know what is broken, I know how tofix it and we're building a grassroots movement," Warren said aschants of "Two cents! Two cents!" broke out during her remarks,in a nod to her proposal to impose a 2% tax on wealth above $50million.
Democrats at the event said they appreciated having theopportunity to see the candidates in person, given the attentionIowa draws for hosting the first nominating contest.
Dustin Schafbuch, 26, attended the steak fry for the firsttime to see Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Hewore a bright yellow "Pete" t-shirt, though he is still making afinal decision about which candidate to support in February.
"I loved hearing everything he said, I think he had a goodcrowd, a really good turnout today, he had a lot of peoplerallying behind him, I really felt good in wearing this shirttoday," Schafbuch said.(Reporting by Amanda Becker, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)