Some Senate Republicans must be feeling pretty cranky following the statewide outcry over Governor Terry Branstad's veto of the $56 million one-time funding for K-12 education. Vaughn Gross, a teacher in Black Hawk County, got a rather unpleasant reply from...
Every Iowa Caucus season brings in the big names running for president, but it also attracts a lot of issue-based groups who organize for the caucus as well. One of the most visibly active this cycle has been NextGen Climate, which is ramping up in Iowa this...
Presidential candidate Marco Rubio should be pleased with his recent visit to Des Moines. Young professionals packed the house at the Exile Brewing Company to hear him speak July 7. Later that day, nearly 200 people turned out to State Representative Chris...
State Senator Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids made a big step toward challenging Senator Chuck Grassley in 2016 today, forming an exploratory committee to look into a potential run. Hogg had been widely expected by many within the party to be considering a U.S. Senate...
Since taking over the reigns of the Republican Party of Iowa in 2014, Jeff Kaufmann has impressed Republican insiders and frustrated Democrats' electoral efforts. He took over a state party driven to near-bankruptcy and dysfunction by Ron Paul supporters and willed...
It's as if Democrats didn't even have a majority in the State Senate. Republicans achieved nearly a complete victory in legislative negotiations this year when Governor Terry Branstad vetoed many of the compromises Democrats fought for and won. Issuing the vetoes...
Politico is up this week with a story about how Rand Paul is (back to) campaigning as a Libertarian. After his current swing through Iowa, I would describe his campaign differently. To me, it seems like Rand is campaigning as the frontrunner. I’ve been to a lot of...
Iowans could see quite the interesting race for the 2nd Congressional District in 2016, as Republican State Senator Mark Chelgren of Ottumwa is reportedly planning a run against Congressman Dave Loebsack, Democrats' sole remaining member of Congress. Four...
Starting Line hears from Democrats throughout Iowa's 4th Congressional District that Kim Weaver is likely to challenge Steve King in 2016, though a formal decision may still be a ways off. Weaver is a well-known party activist and local AFSCME member who serves on...
In another sign that Democratic leaders are closing ranks behind Monica Vernon in Iowa's 1st Congressional District, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has endorsed Vernon's campaign. "Monica Vernon knows what it means to be a working mom," Gillibrand said in a...
