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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House Candidate Gehlbach Says He Doesn’t ‘Trust’ Public Schools, Claims LGBTQ ‘Brainwashing’
A public school board member told a Republican audience that he no longer trusts public schools as he successfully sought their vote to be the party’s nominee for an Iowa House seat. Dan Gehlbach emerged as the winner from a special nominating convention on Monday after coming in third place in a five-way GOP primary…
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Gov. Reynolds Blasts Biden Moments After Touting Funds From Biden’s Rescue Plan
In what has been a recurring theme for the Republican governor, Kim Reynolds this morning took credit for a new Iowa project funded largely by one of President Joe Biden’s policies while also sharply criticizing Biden’s policies. The only difference today was just how little time elapsed between the two statements. “We have a good…
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Key Takeaways From Iowa’s Primary Results
Iowa’s June 7 primary results provided us with a clearer picture of where the state’s politics are headed as we approach the midterm elections, with some surprises in local races across the state yesterday. As always, this is not an exhaustive list of every interesting race, just some things that immediately stood out. Republican Attacks…
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Anger On Gun Violence Boils Over At Grassley Town Hall
Iowans fed up over inaction on gun reform in the wake of multiple new mass shootings, including the Uvalde, Texas elementary school massacre, let Sen. Chuck Grassley have it at his town hall meeting in Columbus Junction yesterday. About 20 people were in the audience at his Louisa County forum—smaller crowds typically result in more…
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How Each Democrat Plans To Win Back Iowa Voters In US Senate Race
Taking on Sen. Chuck Grassley is no small task, given his large victory margins dating back to the 1980s. It doesn’t help that Iowa has been trending ever more red over the past decade. But the three Democrats running in the June 7 primary all see a path to pulling off the upset, winning back…
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Meet The Democrats Running To Challenge Chuck Grassley
The important June 7 primary election is fast approaching in Iowa, with early voting already underway at local county auditor’s offices. As more Iowans tune into the campaigns in the final weeks, the biggest contest is the race to take on Sen. Chuck Grassley. Three Democrats are facing off for the party’s nomination, hoping to…
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Two More Ties To The Fringe For Mariannette Miller-Meeks
First-term Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks has long dabbled with online fringe conspiracy theories, and two more recent incidents add to the pile. Photos posted by Miller-Meeks’ campaign manager a week ago on Twitter show volunteers putting together yard signs while posing in front of flags that include one used by a far-right, anti-government militia. The “Three…
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New Effort To Hold Hinson Accountable On Working Iowan Issues
First-term Rep. Ashley Hinson will have closer scrutiny over her early voting record from a new effort launched last week in Iowa. The Unrig Our Economy campaign will highlight where Hinson, a Republican, stands on economic issues impacting working-class Iowans. Organized by several Iowa local and progressive groups, the effort will focus in on issues…
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Local Dems Challenge, Question Sen. Jack Whitver’s Residency
Where exactly does Sen. Jack Whitver live? That’s the question Democrats want to know as the Senate President prepares for his run in a new, more Republican-leaning district in 2022. A challenge was filed against Whitver’s candidacy late Friday afternoon, and the Secretary of State will hold a hearing on it and other challenges on…
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Iowans Donated $19,000 to Canadian Trucker Protest
Iowans contributed $19,037 to the Canadian trucker COVID-19 protests through a Christian fundraising website GiveSendGo, according to Starting Line analysis of the leaked data from the site. Earlier this week, data from a reported hack of the donation site was leaked online, providing records of people from all over the world, primarily Canada and the…
