2016
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Terry Branstad’s Mental Health Care Crisis
Guest post from House Democratic Leader Mark Smith Dead last. That’s Iowa’s new ranking in mental health beds available for our citizens. It’s an embarrassing ranking and a critical situation for Iowa families with loved ones suffering from mental illnesses. The ranking comes from the non-partisan Treatment Advocacy Center in a report that came out last…
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4 Ways Mark Lofgren’s Policies Are Spookier Than Muscatine’s Men In Black
There’s some spooky stuff going on in Muscatine these days: shadowy men in black trench coats are reportedly standing on the side of rural and city roads, upsetting local residents. Some have claimed they try to step out in front of cars as they pass by in the night. No one’s really sure who they…
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Monica Vernon Gets Ground Game Assist From Progressive Turnout Project
Democrats will be getting some extra ground forces in their battle to flip Iowa’s 1st District back to their control. The Progressive Turnout Project is launching a full field operation to assist Democrat Monica Vernon in her campaign against Republican Congressman Rod Blum. They already have more than ten organizers on the ground in the…
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“Legalizing All Drugs” Makes The Iowa Dems Platform Too Easy To Ignore
During a lengthy state convention this weekend, the new official platform for the Iowa Democratic Party got notably more progressive, thanks in particular to the many new Bernie Sanders supporters. An addition to a $15/hour minimum wage was easily passed, the environmental section opposed fossil fuels and had robust water quality measures, and a plank supported a…
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Who Do Democrats Think Should Run For Governor In 2018?
The Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention dragged long into the night yesterday, and there were stretches where voting and the agenda moved very slowly. So what to do? How about start speculating about 2018? Obviously this year’s presidential election and maintaining control of the Iowa Senate are paramount at the moment, but the race for…
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Early Morning Competition at IDP Convention For SCC Seats
The Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention officially began at 9:00 AM this morning, but much of the real action took place in small conference rooms beforehand. The Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders factions competed for seats on the party’s State Central Committee. At earlier district conventions in late April, Democratic delegates selected the at-large Congressional District…
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What Will Bernie Sanders’ Legacy Be? Iowa Supporters Weigh In
Bernie Sanders’ campaign for the presidency is starting to wind down, but the impacts of his incredible run will be felt for years to come in the Democratic Party, progressive politics and the American electoral system. Around this time last year the early hints of a highly successful insurgent campaign were on clear display in…
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David Johnson On How His Switch Could Shake Up The Iowa Senate
When Iowa State Senator David Johnson left the Republican Party last week over issues with Donald Trump’s rhetoric on Judge Gonzalo Curiel, the news quickly went national and international. But while Johnson’s act of registering as an independent generated tough stories for Donald Trump and Republicans, the longer-lasting impact will be felt at the Iowa Statehouse…
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Ryan Drew To Run In Sands’ Open HD 88 As Democratic Candidate
Democrats have recruited an impressive candidate for the now-open House District 88: Ryan Drew, an operating engineers leader from Burlington. Longtime incumbent Tom Sands surprised many last week when he decided to withdraw his name from the ballot two days after the primary. Within hours, Republican Jason Delzell announced he was running. Both Delzell and Drew…
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Digging Into Iowa Primary Numbers To See How Voters Make Their Decisions
Before we move completely on the general election, let’s take one last look at some of the specific numbers from last week’s Iowa primary. For a website like Starting Line, we love having numbers to pore over and didn’t want to move on before examining a few more interesting trends. One thing I think you…
