Iowa Caucus

A key to any successful Iowa Caucus campaign is having a broad base of support distributed throughout the state’s 99 counties, rather than pockets of strong support here and there. It’s particularly important here because of the way delegates are apportioned — you can’t simply run up the score in one area while doing poorly…

Beto O’Rourke supporters debuted signs at Saturday’s Polk County Steak Fry which mirrored those from Bobby Kennedy’s storied 1968 run. ‘Beto is good’ and ‘Leader for the 20s,’ were phrases held up on homemade wooden posts, imitating Kennedy’s ‘Bobby is good’ and ‘Leader for the 60s’ signs — a stark contrast to the modern, mass-produced…

Of the many voters Starting Line has spoken to about Pete Buttigieg around Iowa, the common sentiment they all share is that they believe he’s trustworthy. In his own words, Buttigieg said he wanted to demonstrate his commitment to openness and authenticity. So, from this past Saturday to Tuesday, the South Bend mayor held a…

As it has in past Democratic primary cycles, this weekend’s Steak Fry event proved a major road marker on the path to the party’s nomination. That, combined with the Des Moines Register’s new poll and Saturday’s The People’s Presidential Forum, helped set the tone for the new state of the race in the Iowa Caucus.…

When Mount Vernon, Iowa resident Karla Steffens talks about Elizabeth Warren’s policies, plans and general character, most of her sentences start out with the words “I love.” “I love the policies of Warren,” Steffens said during a backyard house party that Warren attended Friday. “I love her vigor, her enthusiasm, her smarts. I think she…

Former Vice President Joe Biden said he looks at climate change as an opportunity, not just a problem. In a week where flooding ravaged Western Iowa, students across the state participated in the climate strike and youth involved in the Sunrise Movement hosted presidential candidate forums, Biden addressed Iowa’s most pressing concern at a town…

America’s most progressive generation wants a voice in the 2020 Presidential election. “Our political climate today is very unstable, and I feel like the only way we’re going to get change is if we educate ourselves,” said 17-year-old Suraj Moorjani, a senior at Valley High School in Des Moines. Moorjani was one of about 200…

Polk County Democrats’ largest Steak Fry in history featured 17 of the 18 serious presidential candidates vying for votes in 2020. More than 12,000 tickets were sold for the Saturday event at Water Works Park in Des Moines. In keeping with its name, it was a rainy day at the park. But attendees were prepared,…

Newly-eligible Iowan voters who attended the Polk County Steak Fry are ready to be politically active and ready to demand their needs. Attendees aged 16 to 20 were abundant Saturday at Water Works Park and heard from 17 presidential candidates. While some young voters had already committed to caucusing for a certain candidate on Feb.…

Amidst a day full of chanting, marches, sign wars and a number of other moves to demonstrate organizational strength, Elizabeth Warren’s Iowa team diverged from the pack to focus on something very specific: talking to voters. By the end of the night, Warren found herself in first place in the Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll,…