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Troy Price is the chairman of the embattled Iowa Democratic Party, which is under fire for its failure to report the Iowa caucus election results in a timely fashion. He is a long-time Democratic Party activist and press spokesman who was pivotal in the Iowa fight for gay marriage legalization.
He has also worked for the campaigns of both Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama.
Price now finds himself in the national spotlight. Memes and criticism flew as people took to Twitter to mock the Iowa Democratic Party when its app failed and its phone reporting system didn’t do much better on caucus night 2020. By the morning of February 4, 2020, the results from the night before still weren’t in. Even a day later, they weren’t completely reported. Then came reports that the presidential campaigns were angry and that the party hung up on them. Some angry voters have called for Price to step down due to the caucus reporting debacle.
This had Republicans and Trump supporters gloating and referring to the Iowa Democratic Party caucuses as a dumpster fire. All of this has placed the Party in the spotlight, along with its chair, Price.
Here’s what you need to know about Troy Price:
1. Price Worked for Hillary Clinton’s Campaign in 2016
Troy Price is on the left.
Price worked as a “senior advisor” for Hillary Clinton’s campaign for 1 year and 8 months from April 2015 to November 2016.
On LinkedIn, he explained that he: “Managed a general election political staff of ten and oversaw candidate and surrogate scheduling, political relationship building and engagement, minority and women’s outreach efforts, and relationship utilization.”
Price’s Facebook page is plastered with political photos, including several pictures showing him with the Clintons.
2. Price Ran an Organization on LGBT Issues & Has Close Ties to Labor
GettyChairman of the Iowa Democratic Party Troy Price exits the stage after speaking about the technical issues that delayed the Iowa Democratic caucuses results.
Price was a long-time advocate for LGBTQ rights and marriage equality. He was executive director at One Iowa. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in political science and government.
The Register called One Iowa “the state’s biggest LGBT advocacy organization.” The Register says after gay marriage was legalized in Iowa, Price worked to keep coalitions together to protect it. According to the Blade, the state had approved gay marriage in 2009 but then the following year three Iowa supreme court justices who ruled for it were removed from the bench as a result of a public referendum.
“That experience of trying to rebuild folks, to try and rebuild confidence in lived communities is exactly what we’ve been doing here at the party for the few years,” Price said to the Blade, “and that experience really helped shape a lot of the work that we’re doing now to make sure that folks feel good and put us on the cusp of success once again here in Iowa.”
The Register article says that Price “is almost universally well-liked by county chairs around Iowa,” and has deep ties to labor movement activists. His dad and brother are blue collar workers who installed the furnace of a former IDP chairman, the Register reported.
3. Price Also Worked on President Obama’s Campaign
Troy price
Before Hillary Clinton, Price was a campaign operative for President Barack Obama’s election campaign. He served as political director for Obama for America from February through November 2012.
“Oversaw a staff of four, and implemented departmental plan to engage political leaders across the state, including county party leadership, grassroots activists, labor leaders, and political influencers,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
Troy Price
“Developed strong partnerships with elected officials, candidates, and partner organizations and utilized these relationships to bring new volunteers into the campaign and engage their membership. Identified more than 100 in-state campaign surrogates, and oversaw event planning for both in-state and out-of-state surrogates. Coordinated political outreach for 35 public events for the President, Vice President, First Lady, and Second Lady by working closely with White House, Local Officials, and statewide political partners.”
4. Price Claims He Built the Iowa Democratic Party Into a More Sophisticated Political Organization
Price, before he was chair, was executive director of the Iowa Democratic Party from 2013-2015.
“Built and managed the largest non-presidential election cycle political organization in Iowa history with more than 150 staff and a budget of more than $6.3 million,” he explained on LinkedIn. “Implemented new strategic plan which included engaging and empowering local county parties and party leadership, targeted messaging, and increased fundraising.”
He also said he “served as on-the-record spokesperson for the IDP and built strong relationships with key reporters. Worked closely with candidates and elected officials to build coordinated campaign that met the needs of 12 separate campaigns, including strong field, communications, and outreach programs. Executed first meaningful changes to the Iowa Caucuses in 40 years to expand participation in 2016.”
5. Price, Who Once Won a High School Oratory Contest, Was a Spokesman for the Governor of Iowa
Troy Price
Price has also served as Deputy Communications Director for Iowa’s governor for three years, from 2007 to 2010, as well as performing the same function for the Iowa Lt. Governor.
“On-the-record spokesperson for the Governor and Lt. Governor of Iowa,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “Served as interim Communications Director during the natural disasters of 2008 and led state government’s communications response.”
According to the Des Moines Register, Price worked as a press aide for Gov. Tom Vilsack and Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson and then “made the transition from the Vilsack administration when Democrats Chet Culver and Lt. Gov. Patty Judge were elected in 2006.”
According to the Des Moines Register, Price first ended up in the news when, as a high school student, he won a place in the American Legion’s Annual High School Oratorical Contest for a speech on the U.S. Constitution.