Iowa Libertarians host a debate on the eve of the Iowa Caucuses. What they said:

Felix & Oscars restaurant near Merle Hay Mall isn't a billion-dollar arena, a presidential library, or a private university, but it did the job for the Libertarian Party of Iowa's debate on the eve of the Iowa Caucuses.

Moderated by Marco Battaglia, a former Libertarian candidate for Iowa attorney general and governor, the debate featured presidential candidates economist Mike ter Maat, tech entrepreneur Lars Mapstead, former candidate for the Georgia Senate Chase Oliver, and Joshua Smith. It was open to the public — a last ditch effort to encourage voters to caucus for the third party.

Iowa Libertarians earned enough support in 2022 to qualify as an official state political party for the 2024 election. Their candidate for president must take home at least 2% in the general election for the state party to keep its status. The Libertarian Party of Iowa will hold caucuses across the state at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

"Stop wasting your vote. If you are voting for someone that does not represent your principles and your ethics and your values, you are wasting your vote," ter Maat said to the near-empty pizzeria.

"I don't want to hear anybody tell me, 'Hey, these Republicans care about out liberties,'" Smith said. "No they don't. They are not our friends. They don't care about our values or morals. They don't care about the individual sovereignty of your own body. All they care about is money."

But the wiggle-room that the candidates searched for in undecided voters doesn't seem to be there in this caucus cycle. A new Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows that most Iowa Republican caucusgoers decided on a candidate and stuck with their choice, even as the field has shifted and narrowed.

Only 2% of likely Republican caucusgoers indicated that none of their party's frontrunners would be their first choice for president. Five percent were unsure.

But if former President Donald Trump were to become the Republican nominee in November, 8% of likely Republican caucusgoers said they would vote for a third-party candidate other than Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an Independent. Three percent were not sure who they'd vote for.

"I'm sorry, Donald Trump is not the savior of this nation," Oliver said. "Who else do you have on the stage? You have Nikki Haley, Dick Cheney in a dress. Vivek? Vi-fake. He's not a really a Libertarian."

Still, it was the first time that many Iowans could've heard the candidates speak in person before the caucus. Of the candidates, only Oliver spoke at the Des Moines Register's Soapbox in August. ter Maat's campaign website hasn't listed him visiting the state since he gave a speech at the Iowa Libertarians' annual convention in April, and Mapstead told the Register that the debate was his first appearance in Iowa. Smith, a resident of Iowa, has only made three appearances leading up to caucus night, according to his campaign's site — none in Iowa.

More: Here's when the Iowa Caucuses start, how they work, who can participate, where to go

Candidates united on shutdowns, vaccines

Each candidate took the opportunity to decry COVID lockdowns and the various stay-at-home orders that were enacted over the course of the pandemic. Smith argued that everyone who initiated shutdowns should be tried for crimes against humanity.

ter Maat echoed Smith, but focused on his issue with the COVID vaccine. He asked the audience to imagine a perfect vaccine, one that has a 100% survival rate if taken and a 100% mortality rate if not.

"In such an example, would the government have the right to tell you you have to take this vaccine? Absolutely not," he said. "I don't give a damn how good their science might ever be. We need a complete separation of science from the state in this country."

United States' military presence should be lessened, candidates say

When asked about how the next administration should respond to foreign policy and security issues, Oliver took stance against selling arms to other countries and offering aid. He suggested the United States offer refuge to peaceful Ukrainians instead of weapons.

Mapstead also spoke against inserting the United States military in outside conflicts, stating that it should only be used for America's defense.

"We don't like when our government puts their authority onto us. Imagine how other countries feel when America projects its authority onto them," Mapstead said.

Farmers are better off without incentives, candidates say

Oliver called for taking taxpayer money out of agriculture and rolling back subsidies for farmers, arguing that a free market will bring more stability to the marketplace.

"You should be able to grow what's going to provide you money and provide prosperity, not government handouts," he said.

Joshua joined him, adding that farmers would have more luck without government oversight.

"The truth is, the farmers in Iowa would be a lot better off if the government would step out of the way and let them sell their products like they would at a Saturday farmers' market," he said. "The government should not have a hand in the farming industry in the United States, period."

Addison Lathers covers growth and development for the Des Moines metro. Reach her at ALathers@registermedia.com and follow her on Twitter at @addisonlathers.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Libertarians host debate on the eve of the Iowa Caucuses