Daily Reporter Staff

No plans for Secret Service agents wandering past the livestock barns just yet.

So far, the two major party candidates for president and their running mates have yet to schedule a stop at the Clay County Fairgrounds.

Newly-minted GOP nominee John McCain went from Wisconsin to Michigan Friday and will be in Colorado and New Mexico during the first day of the Clay County Fair. His campaign Web site calendar doesn't have any event announcements posted beyond Saturday. The Clay County Republicans booth is in the center of the Clay County Regional Events Center.

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama could be sending a federal-level surrogate to the Democratic booth in the Commercial Building on the Clay County Fairgrounds. Details are preliminary, but the appearance is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 13.

The relatively quiet campaign schedules would be a sharp contrast from a year ago when national candidates barnstormed Iowa in advance of the first-in-the-nation caucuses. U.S. Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado all shook hands with fairgoers in 2007.

Iowa's status as a swing state for the presidency and the fair's 300,000 visitors still make Spencer a potentially appealing entry on the campaign schedule. Often, the county's party leaders only get a day or two of notice before a candidate stops at the booth.

In the meantime, visitors can get their political fix from local and regional candidates who routinely make themselves available during fair week.

Though schedules can change, congressional candidate Rob Hubler of Council Bluffs is expected at the Clay County Democrats booth from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday. He's running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve King, a Kiron Republican.

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin's opponent, Christopher Reed of Marion, is expected to visit the Clay County Republicans booth sometime on Thursday, Sept. 11.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey and a delegation of state legislators are expected on Wednesday as part of Ag Day at the Clay County Fair.