Four Californians walk into an Iowa caucus

The Californians pulled on hats, gloves, scarves and puffy winter coats. Michael Porter covered his face in a warm balaclava and his wife, Natalia, stepped into the boots she had just purchased at Costco. Their 28-year-old daughter, Deborah Stoner, pulled a neon orange Ron DeSantis T-shirt over her head and popped on a matching "DeSantis Precinct Captain" hat. Her husband, Jonathan, wrapped a scarf around his head.

Then they pushed their way out the front door, their breath making puffs in the frigid winter air.

It was Iowa caucuses night for the California family.

Raised in Huntington Beach, Deborah has served in various roles in Iowa Republican politics since moving here with her Lakewood-raised husband in 2017.

This year, she was precinct captain for DeSantis, the Florida governor. And for Monday's caucus, she had a special audience: Natalia and Michael, Deborah's parents, had flown from Southern California to Iowa especially for the first-in-the-nation nominating contest.

Longtime Republicans, the couple switched their registration to no party preference in 2016, when Trump became the GOP nominee.

Unless they flip back, they won't be able to vote in California's crucial March 5 Republican presidential primary.

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