Candidates urge voter turnout in Iowa Uplifting appeals largely replaced stinging insults Tuesday as Democratic and Republican candidates did the only thing left to do in Iowa races that are too close to call -- encourage supporters to vote for them. Democrats favored amid uncertain economy The nation's economy has encountered its share of bumps this year, and voters are uneasy. They've seen the value of their homes drop and surging prices for energy and other goods take a big cut out of their paychecks. In the face of these uncertain economic times, they think Democrats can do a better job handling the economy.