2019
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How To Win Polk County (Part 2)
Sean Bagniewski was elected as one of the youngest chairs in the history of the Polk County Democratic Party in March of 2017. As his first term comes to a close, he authored this series of four articles for Iowa Starting Line on what has worked well in Iowa’s largest county party, home to almost…
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Push 2020 Dems On Their Rural Plan, Vilsack And Caucus Group Urges
Don’t let Democrats running for president get through the Iowa Caucus without developing a real message for rural America, Tom Vilsack and a rural-focused issue group is suggesting to Democratic leaders in the state. “Every one of us should be taking this mantra to every single one of these candidates,” Vilsack encouraged a group of…
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Cory Booker Expands Iowa Team Ahead Of Visit
Senator Cory Booker is beefing up his caucus operation in advance of his first trip to Iowa as an official presidential candidate. He’s secured several additional experienced Iowa operatives to his team, and the previously-announced staff now have official job titles. Perhaps most notably, they’re already hiring regional field organizers a year out from the…
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How To Win Polk County (Part 1)
Sean Bagniewski was elected as one of the youngest chairs in the history of the Polk County Democratic Party in March of 2017. As his first term comes to a close, he authored this series of four articles for Iowa Starting Line on what has worked well in Iowa’s largest county party, home to almost…
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Iowa Republicans Try To Revive The Death Penalty
Democrats expected that the Republican-controlled legislature and Republican governor would continue to be emboldened to pursue an extreme agenda in the current session. Much of the new legislation introduced so far by Republican legislators confirms the Democrats worst fears. Ranging from abolishing the Iowa Department of Education (Sen. Zaun), ending university tenure, relaxing gun control…
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Love, Reparations, And Fighting Back: A Marianne Williamson Iowa Tour
She’s the presidential candidate that you may not have heard about, but millions of others outside the usual political circles have. Marianne Williamson, who has over 2.6 million Twitter followers, a collection of best-selling books, and frequent guest appearances on shows like Oprah’s, crisscrossed Iowa this week as part of her official White House run…
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Andrew Yang Hopes UBI Pitch, “Cheap” Donors Lift Campaign In Iowa
Entrepreneur and Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang joined the Johnston Area Democrats for breakfast Saturday, his eighth visit to the state. It was part of a three-day tour around Iowa. Yang spent a lot of time emphasizing that, from his experience and career as an entrepreneur, he sees his unique campaign platform to provide each…
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Steve Bullock Places Staff In Iowa To Lay 2020 Groundwork
Montana Governor Steve Bullock has placed at least one staffer in Iowa for preparation for a possible presidential run, Starting Line has confirmed with multiple sources. It would be the latest sign that Bullock is still headed toward a 2020 bid after he visited the lead-off caucus state four times in 2018. His team is…
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Cory Booker Sets Iowa Trip Details For 2020 Announcement Tour
Senator Cory Booker will travel to Iowa for a two-day campaign swing a week after his announcement that he’s running for president. Next Friday and Saturday, Booker plans to visit Mason City, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Marshalltown, and Des Moines as part of an “Iowa Rise Tour” (see details at the end of this…
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More Politics Is Not What Iowa Courts Need
Harold Hill, that smooth-talking con artist in “The Music Man,” persuaded gullible Iowans that “ya got trouble, my friend, right here in River City.” He arrived in town to sell band instruments and band uniforms to parents who didn’t know they wanted or needed them. But his first task was to sell parents on the…
