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The candidates are on the ballot, the TV ads have been running for half a year and the final two months of the Democratic primary approaches. One major outstanding question remains: will anyone choose a lieutenant governor running mate before the June 5 primary? And...
There was noteworthy news coming out of the Iowa Legislature last week. This may surprise you, but I am not referring to the headlines about Bill Dix, the Iowa Senate’s majority leader, although that news certainly created a buzz from border to border. The Shell Rock...
When Iowa Democrats criticize Governor Reynolds’ leadership, the public might assume it’s simply political bias. However, when an experienced and respected Iowa Republican criticizes Reynolds’ leadership, it certainly should get the attention of Democrats,...
Republicans made a pledge in their massive 2013 commercial and corporate property tax cuts that they would protect cities, counties and schools that lost revenue. They promised these local governments that they would replace or “backfill” the 10 percent lost property...
The consequences of now-former Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix's relationship with a lobbyist did not end with just with his abrupt resignation. Ripple effects from the scandal that shook the Statehouse continue to be felt in the Capitol and beyond. Here's what's...
Republicans in the Iowa House threatened to pull the entire mental health omnibus bill from the floor today to kill debate and a vote on a Democratic amendment on "extreme risk protective orders" that could keep guns out of the hands of potential mass shooters or...
Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court heard a case challenging public unions ability to collect the funds necessary to bargain for their members and non-members alike. Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31" (known as...
Governor Kim Reynolds and the Republican-controlled legislature have chosen to slash essential funding for Iowa universities, courts, human services and the prisons. Why are they refusing to consider a reasonable, common sense alternative to these painful and...
Should Iowa public school students have social study elective courses for Bible literacy? Northwest Iowa Representative Skyler Wheeler hopes so, and his bill to require local school boards to consider offering it passed a subcommittee today of the Iowa House. House...
Iowa Democrats rolled out a four-part plan this week called “Putting Iowans First,” outlining what they want for the future of the state. Democrats hope to focus on what Iowans have said are their biggest concerns. The plan to improve “lives for everyday Iowans”...
The 2018 elections could see Democrats retake a chamber in the Iowa Legislature. But which candidates are best prepared financially to defend their seats? Starting Line compiled the fundraising totals of every incumbent and legislative candidate to find out. You can...
A trio of retirements announced in the past several days could have a big impact on who controls the Iowa House after the 2018 elections. Open seats always create more competition, and the retirements of Ken Rizer, Helen Miller and Clel Baudler could turn districts...
Fred Hubbell added to his list of endorsements from state legislators today - Democratic State Representative John Forbes of Urbandale announced his support of the Des Moines businessman's campaign. Forbes' backing adds another lawmaker who's been heavily involved in...
The gubernatorial fundraising totals drew the big headlines from the January 19 fundraising deadline, but there was plenty of other interesting news in some of the legislative filings. Today, we'll just look at the people challenging incumbents or running for open...
On a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon, one year to the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration, close to 10,000 people gathered outside the Iowa State Capitol building for this year’s Women’s March. Thousands of activists, voters and concerned citizens came out sporting...
Today at 4:30 was the deadline for Iowa statewide and legislative candidates to file their fundraising reports for everything they raised and spent in 2017. Starting Line will have a lot of in-depth coverage on the gubernatorial, other statewide candidates and...
New year, new endorsements. Both Theresa Greenfield and Andy McGuire added some support to their respective campaigns for the 3rd Congressional District and governor today. Both Democrats face seven-way primaries to gain the party's nomination on June 5. AFSCME...
In one of Democrats' best hopes for flipping a Midwestern Republican congressional district, a leading Democratic challenger for Iowa's 1st District has raised over $300,000 in the 4th quarter reporting period. State Representative Abby Finkenauer's campaign informed...
Organize, organize, organize. That's been the model of nearly every Democratic candidate waging an outsider run from the left for major office. If you don't have the connections or the positions to pull in enough money to go toe-to-toe with better-funded opponents on...
Few elections have ever held more longterm consequences for a state than the upcoming 2018 races in Iowa. A few of the issues at stake: the survival of public unions and Planned Parenthood, the existence of mental healthcare services, and the state's own political...
In the Democratic primary for next year's secretary of state nomination, Army veteran and former congressional candidate Jim Mowrer begins the race with a large lead. In the poll that Starting Line commissioned with 20/20 Insight, 27% of likely Democratic...
Des Moines businessman Fred Hubbell has jumped out to an early lead in Iowa Democrats' gubernatorial primary, according to a poll of likely Democratic primary-goers Starting Line commissioned with 20/20 Insight this past week. The June 5 primary next year is still a...
Assistant Attorney General Rob Sand has investigated and prosecuted cases of corruption, fraud and abuse for the past seven years for Iowa. Now he looks to use that experience to turn the State Auditor's office into a more aggressive watchdog agency that keeps a check...
On May 4th, Congressman Rod Blum voted to repeal the ACA. On May 9th, he stood in front of a packed gym at a town hall and admitted voting for it even though, in his words, he knew “it was a bad bill." Had this vote passed, 2,700 Iowa veterans would have lost their...
Democrats in Iowa are still buzzing about the good news - finally, good news - out of Virginia and beyond from Tuesday night's elections. Maybe, just maybe, 2018 will be the sort of wave year for Democrats we're hoping for in this red-trending state. Or, at the very...
Iowans went to the polls yesterday in municipal races for city council and mayoral seats around the state, the second big election date since the 2016 election. Enthusiasm for local campaigns have been up in Democratic circles since Donald Trump's elections, and many...
There was an overwhelming amount of national and Iowa news this past week, from the Trump campaign indictments to Sam Clovis' withdrawal from the USDA position to AmeriHealth Caritas leaving Iowa's Medicaid system to the Texas church shooting. And then there was one...
The political news site Morning Consult has their new round of gubernatorial polls out from all 50 states, and there's good and bad news for Iowa's Kim Reynolds. The poll found she had 45% job approval, 27% disapproval, with another 30% listed as Don't Know/No Opinion...
That didn't last long. Iowa Senate Democrats met today to take the rare step of electing a new minority leader not even halfway through a campaign cycle. Senator Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids was replaced by Janet Petersen of Des Moines, who will now lead the Senate...
Call them liberals, progressives, activists, or Indivisible, but do NOT call them paid protesters or political operatives. What they do is not dictated by some outside entity, it is matter of personal belief and their actions come from the heart. The payment they seek...
