Iowa Caucus

Joe Biden said it best at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox: “I’ve been around a long time.” Biden, a former Vice President, U.S. senator and three-time presidential candidate, is no stranger to Iowa or its State Fair. Whether it was his status as a long-time politician, second fiddle to a popular president or his…

Iowans flocked to the Des Moines Register Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair for the first time this election cycle Thursday afternoon. While the soapbox is a popular place for Iowa Democrats to gather, they said it’s not necessarily the be-all and end-all for the 20-some field of candidates. “I’m not going to make a…

It’s the first week of the Iowa State Fair, which means every single presidential candidate is flocking to Iowa. Even if you live outside Des Moines or Clear Lake, you may have chances to see four or five candidates around your hometown over just a few-day span. Which got me thinking. Could you literally just…

Sen. Amy Klobuchar released her “Plan from the Heartland” today, kicking off some time in Iowa with a speech at the Griffieon Family Farm in Ankeny, Iowa. Klobuchar refers to the plan as an “optimistic economic agenda” to strengthen and protect the way of life in rural America. “Kids that grow up in rural America…

The AFL-CIO in Des Moines has scheduled at least 21 Democratic presidential candidates will speak at the largest labor cattle call in the nation Aug. 21 at Prairie Meadows. The event is open to union members and the media, though not the general public. Charlie Wishman, secretary and treasurer of the Iowa Federation of Labor,…

With his week-long trek across Iowa during State Fair week, John Delaney is making efforts to reach out to rural voters in conservative areas. Today, Delaney and his Iowa team was in Pella, Iowa for an ambitious task: knock the door of every Democrat in town in one day. Even in a heavily-conservative town like…

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock is rolling out his second round of Iowa endorsements today, which includes six Iowa Democrats, just days before the Iowa State Fair. Several of them hail from rural, Republican-leaning counties, and they include former secretary of agriculture candidate Tim Gannon’s parents. Bill and Kathleen Gannon of Mingo, Iowa are both now…

Joe Biden was in the cross-hairs on Wednesday night. With the exception of Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who instead directed her fire at Sen. Kamala Harris, candidates who wanted to rip on one another largely aimed their sights at the former Vice President. Vice President Biden got in a handful of heated exchanges throughout the night.…

Last night, the CNN-hosted Democratic debates featured a lengthy, sometimes-heated discussion about health care policy. The heat was purposeful. The moderators paid special attention to having candidates respond to each other’s answers. To mixed results. In Ames, Iowa, gathered caucus-goers reacted positively to some of the incendiary moments like Bernie saying he “wrote the damn…

Undecided Iowa voters watching this round of Democratic debates aren’t that interested in the finer points of the private option vs. Medicare for All discussion. They want health care for all, they say, but they’re largely unsure how it should be achieved. Voters at Des Moines debate watch parties both Tuesday and Wednesday night weren’t…