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DES MOINES Hillary Rodham Clinton returns to Iowa this weekend for the first time since her devastating loss in the 2008 presidential caucuses, arriving as the undeclared front-runner for the 2016 Democratic nomination but still trailed by criticisms about her first campaign here.

The former secretary of state and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, will be in Iowa for Sen. Tom Harkins annual steak fry on Sunday. But if the ostensible purpose of her visit is to pay tribute to Harkin (D-Iowa) who is retiring after 40 years of elective office in Washington she will not escape from the speculation that this is simply one more step toward a formal presidential campaign. At a minimum, it will mark her initial foray on the campaign trail for this falls midterm elections.

I dont expect her to talk about her future decisions, said Harkins wife, Ruth, who is a longtime Hillary Clinton friend and supporter. Theyre going to be announced next year. But this is a very significant moment for her to greet Iowa voters.

Clintons 2008 effort in Iowa was plagued by startup problems and affected by the overall dysfunction of her national campaign team. By the time she corrected her course, then-Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) had moved ahead of her on the ground.

But it was more than staff problems that hurt Clinton here in 2008. As a candidate, she often chafed at the demands of the caucus process, including the time required to court individual activists across the state. She disliked traveling too far from Des Moines and certain friendly hotels.

Added to that are questions raised by this summers book tour about whether her campaign instincts have dulled. Clintons time since leaving the Senate has been devoted to foreign policy discussions inside the administration, interaction with world leaders and more than a year of lucrative speechmaking as a private citizen rather than being in more regular contact with everyday Americans.

At this point, Clinton has no strong challenger in Iowa for her, a welcome contrast to eight years ago when she faced Obama and a well-entrenched John Edwards, the partys 2004 vice presidential nominee.

Nonetheless, she wont have Iowa totally to herself this weekend.

Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), who is contemplating running for president, will appear at several events, while Vice President Biden, who was the featured speaker at last years Harkin steak fry, will be in the state next week. Gov. Martin OMalley (D-Md.) has been a frequent visitor here.

Still, she remains the dominant prospective candidate in her party. Anticipation of Clintons appearance (as well as her husbands), and that this is the last of Harkins 37 steak fry events, will draw a large crowd at a balloon field in Indianola on Sunday afternoon.

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Hillary Clinton returns to Iowa, trailed by criticisms about 2008 loss