2015

Just as the Republican presidential race heats up in Iowa, the state’s own Chris Soules will be ending his much-hyped run on ABC’s The Bachelor. Sorry to disappoint, Democratic ladies, but Chris is a big Republican. He’s already met several of the presidential hopefuls, and Starting Line strongly believes that Chris will publicly endorse in…

Update: This morning Ravi Patel officially announced that he is a Democratic candidate for the 1st Congressional District. In a press release he calls himself a “pro-growth progressive” and says, “We need a fresh perspective, we need new leadership, and we need innovative thinkers who are genuinely interested in seeing our country succeed.” Below is…

Good morning readers! A lot happened in the political world this week in Iowa. Enjoy our Sunday Grab Bag of shorter takes on a number of Iowa-based topics: Marco Rubio Book Signing in West Des Moines Over the lunch hour on Friday, Florida Senator Marco Rubio stopped by the West Des Moines Barnes and Noble…

Vice President Joe Biden came to Des Moines yesterday, beginning his trip by talking with students at Drake University. And he talked. And talked. And then talked some more. He gave students a nearly two hour professorial class on economics, foreign relations and a little bit of everything else. But this is Iowa, so a…

Forget D.C. Every politico knows that Iowa is the place you want to be for the most exciting campaigns in the country with the Iowa Caucus. That’s particularly true for young people and college students who want to get involved in politics. Nowhere else in the country can students meet a presidential candidate nearly every…

Which local activists do Democratic presidential campaigns need on their side to win Clinton County? Starting Line presents its first in a new series of in-depth looks into individual important counties around the state.

Legislators and progressive activists filled a conference room at the Statehouse on Monday to advocate for a larger increase in education funding . The roundtable discussion was the first in a series of “Moral Mondays,” a new program from a coalition of progressive organizations aimed at highlighting positive, progressive legislation working its way through the…

Vice President Joe Biden returns to Iowa this week, raising questions as to whether the trip may be preparation for something bigger. Biden admitted recently to be considering a third bid for the presidency. Heading into the twilight of his long and successful career in politics, it wouldn’t surprise many if he took one last…

Iowa Democrats will get their chance to see a few of their party’s presidential hopefuls in the upcoming months. Senator Bernie Sanders and former Governor Martin O’Malley both return to the Hawkeye state to meet potential caucus-goers. Sanders plans a three-day trip in February, hitting a number of towns in Eastern and Central Iowa. From…

No campaign from Hillary Clinton until July? That’s what a Politico report suggested late last week, setting off a fierce discussion among Democratic activists. Iowa Democrats, in particular, worried she may be taking her early lead for granted, and voiced concern over what it meant for the Iowa Caucus. In fact, if you only read…