2016: Iowa Gov. Branstad Urges Jeb Bush to Compete in Caucuses

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad (R) reportedly has urged Jeb Bush to compete in Iowa if he intends to run for the White House in 2016.

According to the Des Moines Register, Branstad reportedly spoke with the former Florida governor and potential 2016 contender about a week ago, and “he urged Bush to attend the Iowa Agricultural Summit on March 7 in Des Moines.” He reportedly said that Bush was “very interested” in attending, and Branstad said that he “reminded him that the way you win in Iowa is to go to all 99 counties.”

Bush, whose embrace of Common Core and comprehensive amnesty legislation has turned off conservative activists, did not attend this weekend’s Iowa Freedom Summit. Though more moderate candidates like Bush are often urged to bypass Iowa, Iowa Republicans believe that Bush will not skip the first-in-the-nation caucuses should he formally enter the 2016 contest.

Bush may realize that though Mitt Romney and John McCain won the nomination without winning Iowa, they lost in the general election because they could not convince enough conservatives–like those who dominate Iowa’s caucuses–to show up on Election Day.

Branstad, who collapsed at an event on Monday, remains hospitalized on Tuesday due to a “viral illness” and “dehydration.”