Political Mercury
Hawaii is Barry Obamaâs home state, Illinois is Barack Obamaâs home state, but Iowa is President Obamaâs home state.
By Douglas Burns
2/3/2021
President Joe Biden speaks in Carroll before the Iowa Caucuses. He campaigned across Iowa with Tom Vilsack, the nominee for U.S. secretary of agriculture and a Biden friend. (Photo Courtesy of Carroll Times Herald)
In incoming U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Iowa has not just an experienced hand leading a federal agency vital to the Hawkeye Stateâs economy, but he is a close adviser and friend of President Biden.
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Ross Wilburn chosen as Iowa Democratic Party chairman
Ross Wilburn
The Iowa Democratic Party has a new chairman. It’s Ross Wilburn, a former Iowa City mayor who currently lives in Ames and was just elected to a second term in the Iowa House.
“I’m honored by the responsibility and I’ve got faith in our party,” Wilburn said.
The party’s governing board elected Wilburn chairman this weekend. He’s the first black Iowan to lead either of Iowa’s two major political parties.
“I will start with the words of Vice President (Kamala) Harris, you know, the first, but make sure that I’m not the last,” Wilburn told reporters during an online news conference.
Des Moines Register
Ross Wilburn will lead the Iowa Democratic Party as its next chairperson, steering Democrats through what is expected to be a challenging midterm election in 2022 and a battle to retain the state s first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Wilburn was elected Saturday at a virtual meeting of the party s State Central Committee. He replaces outgoing chairman, former state Rep. Mark Smith, who announced in November he would not seek a second term. I m honored by the responsibility, and I ve got faith in our party, Wilburn said. I ve spent time talking to a lot of Iowans over the past few weeks, and those conversations have helped give me an immense confidence in the party and what we can do with the State Central Committee moving together.
IPR file
Rep. Ross Wilburn, D-Ames, announces with other sponsoring legislators the More Pefect Union plan. It has the goal of preventing violence between law enforcement and residents. 6/4/2020 Photo by John Pemble
The Iowa Democratic Party State Central Committee elected Rep. Ross Wilburn of Ames as its new state party chair on Saturday. His election follows a number of blows for Democrats at the ballot box in Iowa last November, including now-President Joe Biden losing to former President Donald Trump by about 8 points
Rep. Wilburn has been a member of the Iowa House of Representatives since 2019 and in 2006 became the first Black mayor in Iowa City history. He has also served as city council member in Iowa City. Wilburn also served in the Iowa Army National Guard
Lang 1/24/21 A former Iowa City mayor will now head up the Iowa Democratic Party. Ross Wilburn was selected Saturday as the party's chair, earning 64.6% of the