Dubuque, Iowa is a small city separated from Illinois and Wisconsin by the Mississippi River, with a large Irish-Catholic population. With two Irish-Catholic candidates in the Democratic caucus – Senators Biden and Dodd – a piqued battle for fourth place has picked up steam in the campaign’s final days.

The reigning perception around the state is that there are four tickets to New Hampshire and beyond in this primary contest, meaning that the dynamics of the race leave Governor Richardson, Biden and Dodd competing for one block of voters that is disenchanted with the top-tier candidates. Because caucus-goers can stand with another candidate in the second round of caucusing if their first-choice candidate is not viable, the campaigns of the second tier candidates rely on local endorsements to put their candidate over the edge in critical precincts.

In Dubuque, despite Senator Dodd’s strength in the region, he faces significant challenges to top Biden in local caucuses. Biden maintains close connections in Dubuque from his 1988 presidential candidacy, and whispers abound that the Senator has called in a number of favors with local political powerbrokers in order to put himself over the edge.

In a city dominated by Catholic convents, campaigns focus significant effort in getting prominent nuns to sign supporter cards, as convents tend to vote in blocks. Additionally, Speaker of the Iowa State Assembly, Rep. Pat Murphy, also resides in Dubuque, and all of the Democratic candidates have attempted to secure his coveted endorsement. Despite the Speaker’s continued neutrality in the race, he did attend Senator Dodd’s New Year's Eve party on Monday night. The campaign remains unsure whom the Speaker will ultimately support, but its focus on courting this single caucus-goer demonstrates the patience and tenacity required of a campaign jockeying for the last ride to New Hampshire.