Iowa Caucus

Rand Paul’s presidential campaign hasn’t exactly gone as planned. Once seen as a rising star in the Republican Party, many saw him as poised to capitalize on his father Ron’s libertarian base of support and build upon it with Rand’s more conventional policies and a personality more palatable to mainstream conservatives. Instead, less than three…

As caucus night draws near and the polls tighten, the Hillary Clinton campaign is putting increasing pressure on Bernie Sanders to release a detailed plan on his Medicare-for-all proposal. Namely: how is he going to pay for it? The newest battle began after Sanders himself told CNN on Tuesday night that he would release his…

Central Iowa got a lot of love from Bernie Sanders on his latest 4-day swing through the caucus state, with Polk County seeing the Vermont Senator at a number of venues around the metro area. Sanders held two large rallies, one in Ankeny and one on Des Moines’ East Side, along with a Latino round…

Ever since Hillary Clinton’s 11-hour performance in front of the House Benghazi Committee and her subsequent rebound in the polls, most national observers had written off the chance for a Bernie Sanders upset in Iowa. There has been good evidence to back up that idea. Clinton’s ground organization in the state is unmatched in scope,…

He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me… What the heck is going on with Ted Cruz and his stance on ethanol this week? For a year the Texas Senator has come under withering assault from Iowa’s farmers and ethanol industry for his position on the Renewable Fuel Standard. Cruz embarked on a…

Martin O’Malley started to teach the chorus to the crowd, but most of them already knew the words. A packed bar of volunteers, staff and well-wishers crammed into the Des Moines dive bar of Carl’s last night, singing along with O’Malley, dancing and taking photos. About a half hour later, 15 blocks away, Rand Paul…

Who will union members back in the Iowa Caucus? On paper it would seem like Hillary Clinton will enjoy the overwhelming percentage of labor support in her corner on caucus night. Clinton has racked up endorsements from 17 national labor unions, representing more than 11 million members, including some of the largest and most influential…

*Knock knock* “Hi, I’m Martin O’Malley, I’m running for President.” “Oh, hi!” For underdog Democratic candidate Martin O’Malley, finding new caucus-goers to support you means looking everywhere – even in 20-degree weather in a snowy neighborhood in Des Moines. That’s where O’Malley was on Wednesday, going door-to-door with his son William. A few days earlier…

Now that we’re under a month out from the Iowa Caucus, the Republican presidential field once again shows some real movement. The top two spots seem pretty secure at this point, but everything underneath looks increasingly up in the air. The battle to emerge from the first two states as the alternative to Cruz and…

First and second place in the Iowa Caucus appear to largely be set at this point, with Ted Cruz and Donald Trump far ahead of the rest of the Republican pack. But what about third place? That may end up as the real prize here. There’s a fascinating and competitive race right now to emerge…