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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Ep97: Tom Vilsack On 2020 Dems’ Rural Iowa Message
The Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard interviews former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on how 2020 Democrats are talking about rural America, how the Trump Administration is undermining the renewable fuels industry, and why he decided to take a pass on a U.S. Senate run.
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Bernie Sanders Adds Top Iowa Operative To Team
Bernie Sanders is bringing on Jessica Vanden Berg, a well-known veteran of Iowa and national campaigns, to his caucus team. She will serve as a senior advisor for their Iowa operation. As the AP reported last month, Vanden Berg was approached by Joe Biden’s team for a top role in his eventual campaign in Iowa.…
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Cory Booker Lands Second Iowa Legislative Endorsement
The second public legislative endorsement of the Iowa Caucus goes to the same candidate who received the first: Senator Cory Booker. State Representative Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights made her choice of Booker known today in a short video message. “Cory is exactly what our country needs right now,” Konfrst said. “He has the perfect mix…
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Want To Do An Iowa Caucus Sight-Seeing Trip? Plan It Now.
Iowa is heaven on earth for political junkies, especially so for the Democratic activists who are closely following this year’s historically large field of candidates. But if you live outside our great state, do you ever watch the TV clips of presidential contenders stumping in coffee shops and diners across Iowa with just a little…
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In Rural Iowa, “Socialism” Skepticism May Boost John Delaney
Places like Iowa Falls feel a long way away from the national discussion on the Democratic primary. An Iowa town of 5,000 people, it’s a long drive away from any county that even used to vote regularly for Democrats, and the kind of place where Fox News is the default channel running on the TV…
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Ep96: IA-02 Opening, Buttigieg Visit, NARAL Interview
The Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard talks with State Representative Jennifer Konfrst about Dave Loebsack’s retirement plans and the 2nd District race, Pete Buttigieg’s momentum, and the Noah Wasserman’s arrest. And we talk with two leaders for NARAL, the pro-choice organization, about what they’re seeing candidates talk about on the caucus campaign trail.
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2020 Campaigns Build Out Their Iowa Teams
As presidential candidates fan out across Iowa to woo caucus-goers, their campaigns are staffing up to build the organizing infrastructure to bring home a win on caucus night. Here’s a quick roundup of some of the most recent top staff hires for the Iowa campaigns. You can see Starting Line’s full tracking list of all…
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Terry Branstad Donates To Steve King Primary Opponent Randy Feenstra
Current Ambassador to China and former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad donated $1,000 to the campaign of Randy Feenstra, the Republican primary opponent of Steve King, newly-released fundraising numbers show this afternoon. It’s the latest sign that key Iowa Republican leaders have had enough with the behavior and controversies of King, hoping to see him ousted…
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Dave Loebsack’s Retirement Plans Puts Iowa At Top Of 2020 House Map
Congressman Dave Loebsack will retire after his current term comes to an end, reported the Quad Cities Times this afternoon. He has served in Congress since his 2006 election when he won in a surprise upset, and was Democrats’ lone federally-elected member from Iowa for four years after 2014. An open seat in Iowa’s 2nd…
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Kamala Harris Lifts Up Other Women Looking To Run During Iowa Swing
Senator Kamala Harris is running for president, but an event of hers in Des Moines yesterday was focused on other candidates – women running or thinking of running for local offices. She spoke with a group of about 125 women at an Emerge Iowa house party, where she acknowledged the many barriers women run into…
