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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

Tennessee helped ensure White women’s right to vote. A century later, Black women there fight new battles.

In August 1920, the Tennessee Legislature ratified the 19th Amendment, adding women’s right to vote to the U.S. Constitution. A century later, three Black women involved in Tennessee politics talk about the unfinished business behind the anniversary.

Barbara Rodriguez · August 17, 2020
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik wants to elect more Republican women into office

In a conversation with The 19th, the Republican congresswoman talked about why her new political action committee aims to elect more women to her party, and she offered advice to women thinking about running.

Barbara Rodriguez · August 13, 2020
Colorado’s top elections official on the key to safe voting

As the pandemic struck the nation and other states expanded the option for mail-in voting, elections officials turned to Jena Griswold, the Colorado secretary of state, for guidance.

Barbara Rodriguez · August 13, 2020
Michigan’s ‘tampon tax’ challenged in new lawsuit

The litigation is part of a national movement toward exempting menstrual products from states' sales taxes.

Barbara Rodriguez · August 11, 2020
What it takes to build a nonpartisan pipeline for women candidates

In a space dominated by Democratic groups, the LBJ Women’s Campaign School highlights its nonpartisan approach in trying to help more women get elected to office. It’s not that simple.

Barbara Rodriguez · August 7, 2020
Mothers are increasingly running for office. Will COVID-19 sideline their momentum?

The long-term ramifications of the pandemic on political campaigning are still unclear, but there are signs that mothers could be disproportionately affected.

Barbara Rodriguez · August 3, 2020