DES MOINES, Iowa -LRB- CNN -RRB- The 2016 Republican presidential race in Iowa got its unofficial start Saturday with a marathon of speeches, giving close to a dozen potential candidates a chance to introduce -LRB- or re-introduce -RRB- themselves to a core group of caucus-goers roughly one year before the contest. Immigration and Islamic extremism took front and center as the White House hopefuls sought to test-drive their stump speeches. On style, it was Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz who saw strong receptions from the audience, though support for a wide number of candidates was expressed in the hallways after the event. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also sought to establish a deeper bond with Iowa. The Hawkeye State receives outsized attention in presidential years thanks to its first-in-the-nation status during the primary season. Marathon time For the 10-hour day of back-to-back speeches, the candidates -- as they were called -- joined other high-profile Republicans at Hoyt Sherman Place, an old, intricate theater built in 1877 that also became the first public art museum in Des Moines. Billed as the Iowa Freedom Summit, the event was co-hosted by Citizens United and Rep. Steve King, a revered lawmaker who represents the northwestern part of the state and has considerable clout among the more social conservative and Christian right faction of the