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Articles by

Barbara Rodriguez

State Politics and Voting Reporter

I’m Barbara Rodriguez, The 19th’s state politics and voting reporter. I’ve covered politics for several years, first as a statehouse reporter for The Associated Press and then as a politics reporter for The Des Moines Register. In 2019, I was assigned to cover the presidential campaigns of then-California Sen. Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg, then mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Immediately after the 2020 Iowa caucuses, I jumped into the health care beat, where a global virus was beginning to appear in Iowa and beyond.

I joined The 19th a few months later in 2020 to cover statehouses, a role that allowed me to write about the women and queer people making policy outside of the halls of Congress. In 2022, I switched to writing about voting, with an eye still on state-level politics. My background as a generalist reporter allows me to jump into reporting on anything as needed in our newsroom.

I’m interested in writing about the barriers that people face in accessing the ballot, and what it says about true representative democracy. I’m always on the lookout for people-centered stories to highlight policy debates.

My work is free to consume and free to republish because of contributions from readers like you. A donation of $19 goes a long way toward sustaining our nonprofit newsroom.

Latest from Barbara Rodriguez

‘Just because Trump goes away doesn't mean that extremism goes away’: Massachusetts AG Maura Healey talks about threats following Capitol attack

The attorney general of Massachusetts is among the law enforcement officials preparing for potential violence at state capitals and other sites following a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Barbara Rodriguez · January 15, 2021
Women hold unprecedented power in Vermont's statehouse. This is how they'll lead.

Women hold the three top positions in Vermont’s legislature. With them they bring an understanding that to focus on economic recovery means to focus on caregiving.

Barbara Rodriguez · January 15, 2021
Members of Congress test positive for COVID-19 in wake of Capitol attack and lockdown

Two other Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill to fine their colleagues who refuse to wear a mask on Capitol grounds during the pandemic.

Barbara Rodriguez · January 12, 2021
Kim Janey will become Boston’s first Black and woman mayor

Janey is expected to join a small group of Black women who lead the nation’s largest cities.

Barbara Rodriguez · January 8, 2021
Pelosi calls on Pence to remove Trump from office

The Speaker of the House said that Congress was prepared to act if the Vice President or the Cabinet did not.

Barbara Rodriguez · January 7, 2021
Elected officials faced relentless harassment and threats of violence this year — women got some of the worst of it

Escalating threats around the country were fueled by disinformation and misinformation around several events in 2020, including the election.

Barbara Rodriguez · December 30, 2020
The pandemic has been extra hard on single mothers

Single mothers have scrambled during the pandemic to secure child care. What will the federal government do to help in 2021?

Barbara Rodriguez · December 29, 2020
Biden is on track to have a record number of women in his Cabinet

Joe Biden has committed to having the most diverse Cabinet in history. It’s likely future presidents will be expected to match or increase representation.

Barbara Rodriguez · December 23, 2020
LGBTQ+ people and ‘equality voters’ overwhelmingly supported Joe Biden in election, poll finds

The new poll also shows equality issues — standing up for immigrants, people of color and LGBTQ+ people — played a large role in turnout for the president-elect.

Barbara Rodriguez · December 21, 2020
Women will shape Biden’s energy and climate agenda

Rep. Deb Haaland would be the first Native American to head the Interior Department and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm was nominated to run the Energy Department.

Amanda Becker, Barbara Rodriguez · December 18, 2020

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Articles by

Barbara Rodriguez

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