2015

In another sign that Democratic leaders are closing ranks behind Monica Vernon in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has endorsed Vernon’s campaign. “Monica Vernon knows what it means to be a working mom,” Gillibrand said in a statement shared early with Starting Line from Vernon’s campaign. “She started a successful small…

Several Iowa labor leaders have been privately encouraging Jim Mowrer to take another stab at running for Congress. But this time around the goal is running in the 3rd District against David Young – info Starting Line hears from sources close to Mowrer and others in Des Moines. Mowrer recently moved from Boone to Des…

Chris Christie officially kicked-off his campaign today, branding himself as the “Telling It Like It Is” candidate. A Governor who’s built a following based on his charisma and combative personality, Christie becomes the 14th official Republican candidate in the race. He hopes his tough-talking persona will win over Republicans wanting someone with a little more…

Starting Line has spoken to nearly a dozen sources in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District and statewide insiders who report that Pat Murphy is still strongly considering another run for Congress, and is more likely than not to jump in the race. The former Speaker of the Iowa House, Murphy won a five-way Democratic primary in…

It was a tough week for conservatives in America. They saw the Supreme Court give decisive victories on issues they’ve fought against with the gay marriage and Obamacare rulings. And while no major Republican leaders came to the defense of the Confederate flag, plenty of conservatives in the South will see the quick abandonment of…

Once again, Iowa Democrats enter another campaign cycle in which their majority in the State Senate, their last bastion of power in state government, holds on by a 26-24 margin. Democrats can’t afford to lose a single seat, or if so, they must pick up another seat elsewhere in a tough district. The difference between…

Minnesotans Killed Our Straw Poll. Were they Just Jealous? For thirty odd years, the Iowa GOP held a straw poll the summer before a presidential caucus. Voters could travel to Ames, buy a ticket and vote for their favorite candidate. Lots of merriment was had in the carnival like atmosphere, and by the end of…

Imagine Donald Trump squaring off 20 feet from Bernie Sanders arguing about the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United.  Imagine Martin O’Malley jumping out of his seat to interrupt Mike Huckabee’s comments on gay marriage with a question.  Imagine these things happening in a theater filled to capacity but equally divided between Democratic and Republican…

The 2016 Democratic primary got a little chippy today with Martin O’Malley’s Super PAC taking one of the first big swings at another candidate. Generation Forward, the Super PAC set up to back the Maryland Governor for President, released a web video this morning criticizing Bernie Sanders’ past position on gun issues. The simple 15-second…

Pope Francis’ recent encyclical letter about environmentalism has put the climate change debate into the spotlight. Laudato Si’ calls for “a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet,” and urges Catholics to recognize the damage human activities have caused on Earth. It sends a strong message that is getting a…