2015

Every Iowa Caucus season brings in the big names running for president, but it also attracts a lot of issue-based groups who organize for the caucus as well. One of the most visibly active this cycle has been NextGen Climate, which is ramping up in Iowa this summer. You’ve probably seen their signature orange shirts…

Presidential candidate Marco Rubio should be pleased with his recent visit to Des Moines. Young professionals packed the house at the Exile Brewing Company to hear him speak July 7. Later that day, nearly 200 people turned out to State Representative Chris Hagenow’s 2015 Summer Cookout in Windsor Heights, where Rubio made a guest appearance.…

State Senator Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids made a big step toward challenging Senator Chuck Grassley in 2016 today, forming an exploratory committee to look into a potential run. Hogg had been widely expected by many within the party to be considering a U.S. Senate campaign. The Senator from Cedar Rapids is one of the…

A few months ago, Democrats eagerly waited for Hillary Clinton to announce her campaign for president of the United States. Clinton has an impressive resume and name recognition, and many pegged her as a shoo-in for the Democratic nomination. Any suggestion that a 73-year-old independent senator from Vermont could seriously challenge Clinton may have elicited…

Since taking over the reigns of the Republican Party of Iowa in 2014, Jeff Kaufmann has impressed Republican insiders and frustrated Democrats’ electoral efforts. He took over a state party driven to near-bankruptcy and dysfunction by Ron Paul supporters and willed it back to life, contributing to the party’s overwhelming success in the 2014 elections.…

If you are plugged into caucus coverage, there is no bigger story right now than Bernie Sanders. His come-from-nowhere campaign is the only novel thing happening on the Democratic side of the ledger, and Bernie may well be the solitary viable non-Hillary candidate. He is drawing huge crowds of young people in liberal enclaves across…

It’s as if Democrats didn’t even have a majority in the State Senate. Republicans achieved nearly a complete victory in legislative negotiations this year when Governor Terry Branstad vetoed many of the compromises Democrats fought for and won. Issuing the vetoes just before close-of-business before the holiday weekend on Thursday, he struck out funding for…

Politico is up this week with a story about how Rand Paul is (back to) campaigning as a Libertarian. After his current swing through Iowa, I would describe his campaign differently. To me, it seems like Rand is campaigning as the frontrunner. I’ve been to a lot of caucus events. Granted, I’m relatively young, so…

Iowans could see quite the interesting race for the 2nd Congressional District in 2016, as Republican State Senator Mark Chelgren of Ottumwa is reportedly planning a run against Congressman Dave Loebsack, Democrats’ sole remaining member of Congress. Four Republican sources and three Democratic ones in and around the 2nd District tell Starting Line that Chelgren…

Starting Line hears from Democrats throughout Iowa’s 4th Congressional District that Kim Weaver is likely to challenge Steve King in 2016, though a formal decision may still be a ways off. Weaver is a well-known party activist and local AFSCME member who serves on the IDP’s State Central Committee. She’s also the chair of the…