Congressman Rod Blum was defeated in his reelection effort by Abby Finkenauer last November, but that hasn't stopped the Republican from staying politically active. In fact, he's still running advertising online. A quick review of the Facebook Ad Archive shows Blum...
The Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard is joined by State Representative Jennifer Konfrst to talk about how viral moments on the caucus trail affect news coverage. And we interview...
Senator Joni Ernst starts out her 2020 reelection effort in a strong position, garnering a 57% approval rating in a poll released by the Des Moines Register last night. She's spent her first years in D.C. largely unscathed by major controversy or any sustained...
The Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard is joined by Des Moines Register chief politics reporter Brianne Pfannenstiel to talk about Bernie Sanders' run, key takeaways from early...
In every presidential campaign cycle, candidates in a crowded primary field are always looking for that "breakout moment." The clever debate stage quip that gets replayed endlessly on cable news. The powerful speech at a major state party fundraiser that wows the...
For those who have been involved in multiple caucus cycles, you know that the campaign process in Iowa often takes on its own unique character. Every cycle, there are a new group of key local players, issue groups, favorite hang-out spots, and campaign strategies...
Does Cory Booker want to ban the eating of meat? No, of course not. And it's such a preposterous suggestion, most people would roll their eyes and ignore it. But that didn't keep a local Iowa TV station from running a story based on the fake controversy that...
A Cedar Falls Democrat just announced her candidacy for the Senate District 30 special election, and it's hard to imagine anyone with a better profile for public office. Amy Petersen, a professor of special education and a labor activist, wrote on Facebook this...
Jeff Danielson's decision to resign from the Iowa Senate yesterday was the latest reminder of how much upheaval the Senate Democrats have experienced in recent years. The Democratic side of that chamber is a very different place than it was a little over two years...
The Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard is joined by State Representative Lindsay James to talk about presidential drop-ins at the Statehouse, what it's like being a new legislator,...
