Pat Rynard founded Iowa Starting Line in 2015. He still keeps a close eye on Iowa politics, his dog’s name is Frank, and football season is his favorite time of year.
Pat Rynard
Latest from Pat Rynard
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Who Might Run For IDP Chair Now?
With the unexpected departure of Derek Eadon from the Iowa Democratic Party’s top job due to health reasons, Democrats face another big, uncertain election. Last January’s election for IDP chair was the first time in a very long time where an actual competition for the position took place. Typically the top Democratic incumbent, like Tom…
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Derek Eadon Resigns As Iowa Democrats Chair
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Derek Eadon will step down as the head of the state party today, Starting Line has learned from multiple sources. IDP 1st Vice Chair Andrea Phillips will serve as the temporary chair and an election to fill the position permanently will be held at the State Central Committee meeting on July…
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Democrats Missed Two Opportunities In Pottawattamie Special Election
Pottawattamie County voters elected Republican Jon Jacobsen to fill the remainder of recently-passed Representative Greg Forristall last night. But the surprising part here was just how close the independent bid of Forristall’s widow, Carol, got to victory. Jacobsen received 1,069 votes (43.9%) to Forristall’s 803 (33.0%), with another 465 write-in votes (19.1%). The vast majority…
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How Ron Corbett Is Making His Case Against Kim Reynolds
Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett kicked off his campaign for governor last week in front of a crowd of about 250 well-wishers in the city’s NewBo Market. There was no singing this time. But will Corbett’s candidacy grow to anything more than a sideshow in the many 2018 contests? Corbett faces extremely long odds in upsetting…
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Democrats’ Gubernatorial Contenders Stake Out Their Issues In Forums
Though two of the candidates have yet to officially declare their campaigns, Iowa Democrats’ eight-person gubernatorial field is nearing the end of the introductory phase. Now we’re into the never-ending forum stage, also known as the “fun” stage for people who have no concept of what that word means. Now primary-going Democrats start to see…
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All These “Moral Victories” Sure Are Demoralizing
Another night, another round of Democratic losses. Two this time, with Jon Ossoff and Archie Parnell’s defeats. Democrats are getting awfully good at losing. We lose special elections. We lose regular elections. We lose nail-biters. We lose landslides. More optimistic Democrats than myself point to Democratic over-performance in these contests versus past races, arguing it predicts…
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These 15 GOP Legislators Weren’t On Kim Reynolds’ Endorsement List
In advance of Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett’s announcement for governor today, Kim Reynolds’ campaign looked to flex their organizational muscle by releasing a list of 1,050 county chairs. Yes, 1,050 for a state with 99 counties. I’ve seen a lot of county leader endorsement lists in my time during past caucus campaigns, but that…
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EMILY’s List Endorses Abby Finkenauer In 1st District
State Representative Abby Finkenauer got a big boost in her quest to take on Republican Rod Blum in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District today. EMILY’s List, the major political advocacy group that helps elect pro-choice women, endorsed Finknauer today. “Abby’s record stands in stark contrast with a Trump ‘yes man’ like Rep. Rod Blum, who supported…
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State Representative Curt Hanson Passes Away
State Representative Curt Hanson of Fairfield has passed away, House Democrats confirmed this morning. The Democratic lawmaker and retired teacher had represented House District 82 in Southern Iowa since 2009. Hanson was a very well-liked and respected member of the Legislature, known for his kind personality and dedication to his work. “Iowa lost an exceptional…
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Governor, This Isn’t How You Get A Fresh Start
It’s too early to know, three weeks into her tenure as Iowa’s chief executive, whether Gov. Kim Reynolds will be much different from Gov. Terry Branstad. It’s too early to know whether she will approach issues from a different perspective. It’s too early to know whether she will adjust the course Branstad had set for…
