What Messages Candidates Are Poll Testing In Iowa’s 3rd District Primary

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Two separate polls have been going around the 3rd District in the past few weeks. Both appear to be your standard message-testing polls, in which campaigns gauge various messages for their candidate and others to see which might be the most convincing. They usually test the various stances and biography notes that they’re already talking about on the campaign trail to find out which one or two points would be best for a TV ad. These polls typically initially ask the poll-taker who they support in the election, go through several bios and messages for each candidate and then ask […]

Steve King Posts Photo Of A Nazi On Hitler’s Birthday

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Congressman Steve King’s social media team is at it again. The official Facebook page of Iowa’s 4th District member of Congress has long been a pit of childish and bizarre right-wing memes and petty insults against liberals. But today King had a particularly foolish Facebook post up with what looks to be a photo of a Nazi soldier. And, of course, it just happens to be Adolf Hitler’s birthday. King’s staff shared a version of a popular meme that makes fun of young people, as seen below: Former 4th District candidate Kim Weaver and her PAC for POWER organization noticed […]

Scenes From Iowa’s Student-Led Anti-Gun Violence Rally

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Several hundred middle and high school students from around Central Iowa gathered in front of the Capitol today to rally for stricter gun control measures. It was part of a nationwide walkout effort building upon the increased anti-gun violence activism since the Parkland school shooting. The event was organized by local students and assisted by organizations like Progress Iowa. Young people spoke to the crowd, a short forum was held with Democratic candidates and students who were old enough got registered to vote. “I think this is a problem that is going to define our generation,” said Raj Ojberoi, an […]

Iowa AFL-CIO Endorses Nate Boulton

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State Senator Nate Boulton added to his labor coalition in a big way on Thursday with the Iowa AFL-CIO’s endorsement of his gubernatorial campaign. About 150 union members and supporters gathered at the Statehouse on Thursday afternoon for a rally with Boulton and to sign up for volunteer shifts for the final six and a half weeks of the campaign. “Working people are tired of the same old ideas that have led our state to the brink of financial disaster, led us to the underfunding of schools and disregard for our children’s education, led us to low wages and poor […]

Asian & Latino Coalition Endorse Cindy Axne In IA-03 Primary

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The Asian & Latino Coalition announced this week that they are officially endorsing Cindy Axne in the Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District. The decision follows a forum they held with the three Democrats last week. The Asian & Latino Coalition has a large membership base in the Des Moines metro area and has become increasingly influential in Democratic politics over the past several years. “Cindy has a proven track record of holding government accountable with over 10 years of policy experience in state government,” the organization said in a statement. “Cindy is a small business owner and community […]

Andy McGuire, Eddie Mauro Release First TV Ads

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Two Democratic candidates in major primaries have their first TV ads ready to air this week as the competition heats up a month and a half out from the election. Both Andy McGuire and Eddie Mauro rolled out introductory, biographical pieces for their candidacies for governor and Congress. McGuire focused her first TV spot (titled “Caring”) on her medical background and plans to fix Iowa’s healthcare system. Walking into the picture in her full doctor’s gear, McGuire talks with children and veterans in a hospital-like setting. “I’ve spent my life caring for people,” she says. “I was proud to help […]

Ep27: Abby Finkenauer Interview & LGBTQ Youth Conference Discussion

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 Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard welcomes Iowa Safe Schools executive director Nate Monson & Norwalk student Jaden Deal to discuss the Governor’s Conference On LGBTQ Youth, followed by an interview with Iowa District 1 Congressional candidate Abby Finkenauer.

By The Numbers: TV Ad Buys In The Democratic Gubernatorial Primary

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With under seven weeks left to the Democratic primary on June 5, the TV airways are starting to fill up with campaign ads. While every candidate has traveled the state, spoken at Democratic events, participated in countless forums and drawn media coverage, the reality is that the majority of Democratic primary-goers get informed about their choices through ads on TV, the radio or online. Starting Line predicts that well over 150,000 people will participate in the Democratic primary. And just like in most statewide campaigns, the quickest way to get in front of all those people are with TV ads. […]

Iowa A.G. Tom Miller Leading The Charge Against Trump Administration

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As Republicans steamroll their extreme legislative agenda across the nation, there is a bright spot Democrats need to recognize and celebrate. While many Democratic legislators and activists can only resist the Trump agenda, Democratic attorney generals, including Iowa AG Tom Miller, have been leading the charge to block Trump’s actions. The Democratic AGs are regularly using the courts to fight the Republican onslaught. They have taken a page from the Republican AGs’ playbook that they used to block President Obama’s agenda. The 22 Democratic AGs across the country have become the first line of defense in opposing Trump initiatives and […]