2018
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Mark Smith Won’t Seek Reelection As House Dem Leader
Representative Mark Smith will not seek another term as House Minority Leader, Starting Line has learned from multiple Democratic sources. He announced his decision yesterday in an email to fellow Democratic House members. It’s an unexpected changing of the guard after Democrats picked up a net gain of five or six seats on Tuesday, one…
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Ep70: Post-Election Reactions And Analysis
Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard walks you through the good, bad and depressing from Iowa’s election night on Tuesday. We cover the statewide and congressional races, looking at what it means long-term for Iowa politics.
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Smear Campaign Backfires On Anna Bergman
The House District 44 candidate forum on October 11th between candidates Democrat Kenan Judge and Republican Anna Bergman was a policy-based discussion that was civil and informative. Before the forum, the Bergman and Judge campaigns talked policy. But the second the forum was over, Anna Bergman posted an attack ad against her opponent on social…
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How Rob Sand Won
A guest post from Andrew Turner, campaign manager for Rob Sand’s State Auditor race. Sand was the only Democrat to defeat a statewide Republican incumbent in Iowa this year. November 6, 2018 will forever be a bittersweet night for many of us. There were great victories and great losses we will remember and learn from. I…
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In Iowa, The Trump Era Realignment Intensifies
Two waves hit Iowa on Tuesday. Unfortunately for Democrats, the red one was just a little bit stronger and in just the right places for Republicans to win statewide and in specific state legislative seats. The election results continued the trend of intensifying polarization in Iowa and national politics, exacerbating both parties’ weaknesses and strengths…
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The Most Shocking Number From Iowa’s Election Night
Democrats were feeling good early on last night. Cindy Axne and Abby Finkenauer had both made history in their congressional victories. J.D. Scholten was actually leading Steve King. Democrats swept a series of Iowa House races in the Des Moines suburbs. Fred Hubbell jumped out to a big lead when Polk County came in fast.…
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Republicans Retain Full Control Of Iowa Government
Republicans will continue to run all of Iowa government following tonight’s elections after a blue wave failed to reach Iowa and Kim Reynolds held off Fred Hubbell’s challenge. Reynolds currently leads by about two percentage points, but several news outlets have called the race for the governor. While numbers are still coming in, the key…
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Rob Sand Defeats Mary Mosiman In State Auditor’s Race
Rob Sand defeated State Auditor Mary Mosiman, ousting a Republican incumbent in one of Democrats’ brighter moments of the evening. A former assistant attorney general, Sand will be the youngest statewide elected official in Iowa. While races for State Auditor are typically quiet, under-the-radar affairs, Sand put together a juggernaut of a campaign, raising over…
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Abby Finkenauer Makes History, Beats Rod Blum
Abby Finkenauer will go to D.C. early next year as one of just two women elected to Congress under the age of 30 (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the other winner). She joins Cindy Axne in the joint honor of being the first women elected to the U.S. House out of Iowa, as well as the first…
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David Young Falls To Cindy Axne in 3rd District Race
Harnessing a Democratic wave in suburban neighborhoods, small businesswoman Cindy Axne has defeated Congressman David Young in a race many thought might be a long-shot for Democrats at the beginning of the 2018 cycle. WHO-TV projected early tonight that Axne would defeat Young tonight, largely thanks to a massive 40,000-vote lead out of Polk County.…
