Cedar Rapids , Iowa ( CNN ) -- The Iowa caucuses are 16 months away , but judging from the way potential presidential candidates are visiting this state , you 'd think they were next week . But White House hopefuls are taking advantage of the fact that next week is the first competitive Senate election here in decades . They 're coming to campaign with the candidates early and often . Hillary Clinton 's Wednesday with the Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Braley was about electing Bruce Braley . She talked almost exclusively about his bona fides , and the problems with his Republican opponent . But just the fact that she was here , helping her fellow Democrat , will score points with the local leaders and hard core party voters she will need to back her in 2016 -- especially since Iowa was the beginning of the end for her candidacy eight years ago when she came in third in the Iowa caucuses . Although this time around Clinton does n't appear to have as much competition , other Democrats with 2016 buzz have been here too -- from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren to Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders . On the much more wide open and chaotic GOP side , Republican Senate candidate Joni Ernst can barely go a day without a White House hopeful next to her . The day we were with her it was Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio , who broke his own rule of not picking sides in GOP primaries to endorse Ernst early on , and he 's been here several times since to campaign with her . `` How Iowa goes , the Senate will go . The Senate Majority may very well be decided here in Iowa this year , '' Rubio told us in an interview during one of his three campaign stops with Ernst . And though he too was careful to make his public remarks about the Senate race , helping Ernst win , pressing the flesh with Iowa voters who are used to getting to know their presidential candidates is undeniably helpful . Rubio said he has visited Iowa three or four times this midterm election year , ( but who 's counting ) and he 's hardly alone . Texas Gov . Rick Perry , former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum , New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie , former Arkansas Gov . Mike Huckabee , Texas Sen. Ted Cruz , Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan , Louisiana Gov . Bobby Jindal , and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul have all made multiple visits to the Hawkeye state in 2014 alone . Even South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham , who said recently he might consider running for president , campaigned with Ernst last week despite the fact that he 's on the ballot in his own state Tuesday . Paul had the good fortune of being chosen by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce , a powerful GOP force , to appear straight to camera in their new closing television ad here . `` If you 're a freedom loving , liberty loving voter I urge you to get out and vote for Joni Ernst this Tuesday , '' Paul says in the ad . But sometimes testing the waters can be treacherous . Though Rubio received several warm greetings with not-so-veiled references to his presidential ambitions , one voter , Jan Larson , was looking for someone else -- and told him so . Larson stopped Rubio when he was working the crowd in Williamsburg , Iowa , to ask about Mitt Romney . `` Can we convince Mitt to run ? '' Larson asked Rubio . `` I do n't know you 'll have to ask him , '' Rubio responded with a smile . `` I did , '' Larson said . CNNs Adam Levy contributed to this report .
White House hopefuls have spent recent weeks stumping for Iowa congressional candidates . The Democratic presidential candidate has been campaigning in the state since last week and is scheduled to hold a rally at Drake University on Saturday night. Many GOP presidential possibilities have stumped for Joni Ernst who 's running for senate .