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Kamala Harris must have impressed at yesterday's West Des Moines picnic. Victor Dutchuk, the chair of the West Des Moines Democrats, endorsed Harris this morning after her speech to several hundred local Democrats at the annual event. "Senator Harris is for the...
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock had most of Eastern Iowa to himself this Fourth of July as presidential candidates fanned out in cities around the state to meet Iowa voters. Bullock, one of 24 Democratic candidates running for president in 2020, began his day Thursday...
An immigration roundtable this afternoon gave immigrants the platform to tell their story and explain their struggles to Senator Bernie Sanders during his three-day Iowa visit. About 100 people turned out in Des Moines to see Sanders, who opened with remarks about his...
Senate candidate Eddie Mauro visited an unlikely town Tuesday afternoon as part of his promise to "meet people where they're at" as he campaigns for the Democratic nomination. Wapello, a Southeast Iowa community in Louisa County that's alongside the Mississippi River,...
Just as her standing in state and national polls are rising, so are the ranks of Senator Kamala Harris' Iowa campaign staff. Her newly-expanded field team started their jobs yesterday, with 30 new field organizers coming on board. And Harris is expanding her Iowa...
Governor Jay Inslee said his campaign received “the biggest by far surge in donations” yet following the Democratic presidential debates last week. He believes it’s because his message about climate change is resonating with the American people. Leading up to a speech...
A guest post from Cedar Rapids City Councilmember Dale Todd These days, it seems like finger pointing has replaced solutions and results in Washington D.C. Democrats and Republicans are unable to agree on something as basic as the truth. We desperately need someone...
Welcome to our first Scenes From The Iowa Caucus Trail piece! The Starting Line team has long wanted to do some sort of regular Sunday morning series to give our readers something consistent to read with their coffee and morning news shows. We've settled on doing a...
A new cog in the fundraising machine for Sen. Joni Ernst launched its voter outreach campaign this week with a digital advertising blitz and door-to-door canvassing. The Iowa Values Super PAC said in a press release Thursday it "invested six-figures in a digital...
If you haven’t stopped thinking about Marianne Williamson’s debate promise to harness love to cast out Donald Trump, just know this: that moment was 100% pure, unadulterated Marianne, and yes, she is always in that mode. Iowans have gotten the full Marianne Williamson...
The second group of ten Democratic presidential candidates took the stage in Miami tonight, all while thousands of Iowans got together at debate watch parties to check out their choices. Iowa Starting Line once again sent our team to multiple watch parties, including...
Iowans gathered once again at debate watch parties across the state to watch the second night of the first Democratic debates. Many took notes as they intently watched the candidates square off with one another. Iowa Starting Line sent our team out again to multiple...
Tonight was the biggest night of the year yet for the Democratic field, and hundreds of Iowa caucus-goers filled bars, coffee shops, homes and county party offices to watch the first debate. Team Starting Line deployed reporters to seven different debate watch parties...
First-in-the-nation Democratic caucus-goers gathered en masse Wednesday night to hear what one round of presidential candidates had to say during the first of two 2020 Democratic debates. Iowa Starting Line reporters joined the crowds of Democrats gathered in Ames,...
A fourth Democrat told Starting Line Wednesday he is considering a run against Sen. Joni Ernst, in a field still taking shape to defeat the incumbent Republican. Retired Navy Admiral Michael Franken, originally of Sioux Center, a town deep in conservative Northwest...
Listen and show up. For presidential candidates working to avoid a repeat of Democratic missteps in 2016, ensuring turnout rebounds among African-American voters is key. Listen and show up. Sounds easy, right? Even with three simple words, questions instantly come to...
Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard talks with Erin Murphy, the Des Moines Bureau Chief for Lee Enterprise Newspapers, about how the first Democratic debate could play out....
Prescription drug prices are rapidly outrunning inflation rates, coverage options and people’s income, speakers at today's AARP event in Des Moines warned. AARP brought together their members, volunteers, advocates from other agencies and representatives for Joni...
Iowa Democrats evaluating presidential candidates in this week’s debate will weigh a number of issues and factors in making their choice. How big a role will climate change play in the debate, and who will be the best climate candidate? Addressing climate change has...
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is set to go up on the Iowa airwaves this week, according to a media buy schedule that Starting Line has seen. Her campaign is making a statewide ad buy worth around $42,000 from June 25 to June 30. Hers will be the second presidential...
Foreign aid is often used more in political campaigns as a punching bag than as an applause line, but more Iowans may be pressing their candidates and elected officials on the subject if the ONE campaign is successful here. ONE, a non-partisan advocacy organization...
Despite recent efforts to limit it, abortion is still legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks. However, the procedure isn’t easily accessible to all Iowans. Iowa has eight Planned Parenthood clinics, five of which provide abortion services. There are also a few other clinics...
Guest piece from Dick Goodson, a Des Moines resident and former chair of the Des Moines Committee on Foreign Relations. 10 reasons to support a specific candidate for President: The candidate must be impeccably honest and truthful. The candidate must treat all...
Sen. Joni Ernst’s voting record on Medicaid expansion and protecting insurance coverage for Iowans with preexisting health conditions was the subject of the launch of a new grassroots organization in the state working to amplify examples of everyday hardships. Emily...
A small caravan crossed the United States border last month, but this was not the kind of caravan that has been in the news for more than a year. The caravan was not being led by a “coyote” who was guiding hundreds of illegal immigrants to the border so they could try...
Iowa firefighters showed up for Joe Biden during his latest two swings throughout Iowa, but state union members have yet to officially endorse him. The state group won't offer an endorsement to any candidate until after its state convention June 20 and 21, when...
The first Iowa Water Festival is this Sunday, June 23 from 11:30-2:30 at the Izaak Walton League and Water Works Park in Des Moines. The clean water advocacy organizers have a lineup of speakers, educators and scientists dedicated to improving Iowa’s deteriorating...
Sen. Joni Ernst tied her love of motorcycle riding to a central theme of her 2020 reelection campaign for the U.S. Senate, which she kicked off at her annual Roast and Ride event on Saturday. “I’m often asked what I love most about riding,” said Ernst to a room full...
In the midst of caucus politics and the president’s active Twitter feed, Congresswoman Cindy Axne and her fellow House Democrats continue to push for a more equitable health care system in the United States. Since 64 new Democratic representatives took office in...
Guest post from Connie Klug, an Adel business developer manager and co-chair of Delaney's Iowa campaign. I have lived on 15A west of Des Moines for nearly 20 years, and I am a proud life-long Iowan. I am a widow with two children, both married with kids of their own –...
