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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A Democratic Iowa House Majority (Part 1): Des Moines Suburbs
For many Iowa Democrats, retaking the Iowa House majority is the top priority this year second only to the governor’s race. And if Governor Kim Reynolds is able to hold on to Terrace Hill, controlling one of the legislative chambers will be essential to halting Iowa’s descent into red-state status and further far-right policies. To…
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How Not To Deal With The Press, A Rod Blum Example
Congressman Rod Blum does not seem to like reporters. Like, he really, really does not like them. At least that’s the case for two Iowa reporters that Blum has clearly built up a hatred for after they asked him tough questions or ran investigative stories on his businesses. He lashed out at both this week,…
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Ep54: Post-Labor Day Phase For Legislative Races
Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard talks with Greg Hauenstein about how state legislative campaigns change after Labor Day, whether the many independent candidates on the ballot will affect any congressional race, and what the Polk County Democrats’ Steak Fry speaker line-up looks like.
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Will Governor’s Race Come Down To Medicaid Or Younkers?
When Iowans enter the voting booth in November, which will weigh more heavily on their mind: Younkers or Medicaid? That seems to be what the race for governor is boiling down to at this point as Governor Kim Reynolds and Fred Hubbell are now months into their TV ad campaigns. Reynolds hopes to turn Hubbell’s…
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Neo-Nazi Robocall Hits Iowa On Tibbetts’ Murder: “Kill Them All.”
A white supremacist group appears to be running robocalls in Iowa over the Mollie Tibbetts murder. A Starting Line reader in the Des Moines area sent in a recording of a robocall that they received Tuesday evening around 8:00 PM. In the recording, a group called The Road To Power claims responsibility for the message…
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Ep53: New Caucus Rules & Julian Castro Interview
Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard talks with former IDP executive director Norm Sterzenbach about the DNC’s changes to caucus states and superdelegates. And we sit down with Julian Castro to discuss his potential 2020 run and what he sees as key to Democrats’ success.
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Pro-Choice Leaders: Iowans Are The “Most Powerful People” In Kavanaugh Fight
Don’t believe the news and political analysis that Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court is a done deal, a panel of national pro-choice leaders and activists told Iowans this week. While Iowa’s own Senator Chuck Grassley has been trying to push forward hearings for President Donald Trump’s choice to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy…
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Reynolds’ Team Helped Man Wanting To Run On Mollie Tibbetts’ Murder, He Says
A man with a long history of bizarre, racist social media posts, including those which claimed Barack Obama was a secret Muslim, thanked Governor Kim Reynolds today for her team’s assistance in trying to get him on the ballot for Attorney General. [Update: Starting Line hears that while Republicans initially helped Anderson with signatures, around…
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A Looming 2020 Litmus Test: Lock Him Up?
If there’s one thing we’ve learned in national politics over the past several years, it’s that the issues we think will matter to voters are not always the ones that do come the election. Media firestorms can change the public attention’s at any moment, while new policy ideas can catch on fast. Medicare-for-all was hardly…
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A Look At How A Julian Castro Run Could Play Out In Iowa
For an initial Iowa visit to test the presidential waters, Julian Castro hit all the usual marks last week. The former Housing and Urban Development secretary spent his three days in the lead-off caucus state meeting activists, touring the State Fair and introducing his life story and overall vision for the country. But many of…
