The Electorette Podcast

(Archive Episode) Long before today's debates over Supreme Court legitimacy, ethics, and reform dominated the headlines, The Electorette explored one of the central questions facing American democracy: How do we fix the Supreme Court? In this archival conversation, host Jen Taylor-Skinner sits down with Meagan Hatcher-Mays to discuss one of the most debated reform proposals—expanding the Supreme C...

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Rebekah Caruthers, President and CEO of Fair Elections Center, joins The Margin to examine why this moment may be the most consequential for American democracy since Reconstruction. Using the All Roads Lead South march in Selma, Alabama, as a starting point, this conversation explores why today's fight for voting rights feels fundamentally different—and...

A timely re-release exploring the history behind one of the Supreme Court's most consequential constitutional questions. With the Supreme Court poised to issue a landmark ruling on birthright citizenship, I'm re-releasing one of the most important conversations we've had on the subject. In this episode, historian Martha S. Jones discusses her groundbreaking book, Birthright Citizens: A History of...

For generations, Black women have been among the most influential voices in the fight to expand American democracy. Yet many of their stories have been overlooked—or erased altogether. In this episode, political strategist, organizer, and author Atima Omara joins me to discuss her new book, The Instigators, which traces the legacy of Black women who challenged injustice, organized their communitie...

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joins The Margin to discuss her campaign for governor and the challenges facing Michigan—from housing affordability and economic growth to protecting voting rights in an increasingly polarized political climate. Benson reflects on defending Michigan's 2020 election in the face of election denialism, explains why she believes states must step in as federal...

Taylor Jung on how Zohran Mamdani uses media, messaging, and policy to shape public perception Zohran Mamdani has been mayor of New York City for less than a year, but his influence already extends far beyond the five boroughs. In this episode of The Margin, Taylor Jung, a journalist with Epicenter NYC, joins host Jen Taylor-Skinner to discuss Mamdani's first months in office, the excitement surro...

Just one year after Zohran Mamdani's rise to City Hall, New York City voters are headed into one of the most consequential primary elections of the 2026 cycle. With more than 200 offices on the ballot, the results could reveal whether the coalition that helped propel Mamdani to victory—a multiracial alliance of young voters, immigrants, and progressives—has the power to reshape New York politics f...

One of the most common—and least examined—words in politics is authenticity. We hear it constantly when discussing candidates, campaigns, and electability. But who gets to be seen as authentic? And are all candidates judged by the same standard? In this episode of The Margin, Jen Taylor-Skinner speaks with political strategist Maya Rupert, author of The Real Ones: How to Disrupt the Hidden Ways Ra...

The Wisconsin Senate Democratic Leader on childcare, affordability, and the fight over Trump's anti-weaponization fund. Wisconsin is once again at the center of American politics. In this episode of The Margin, Wisconsin Senate Democratic Leader Diane Hesselbein joins me to discuss her effort to prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to compensate January 6 insurrectionists and fake electors thr...

The Supreme Court recently preserved access to mifepristone, the medication used in nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States. But according to Julia Kaye, Senior Staff Attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, the legal battle over medication abortion is far from over. In this episode of The Electorette, Kaye explains the ongoing Louisiana v. FDA litigation, why anti-abortion...

Connecticut is taking a different approach. While many states have moved to restrict access to the ballot, Connecticut expanded voting access by passing its own John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act and implementing no-excuse absentee voting. At the same time, state leaders have found themselves responding to federal immigration enforcement, protecting access to schools and public services, and addressi...

Homelessness is one of the most important issues in Los Angeles—and one of the most politically challenging. Phoenix Tso of L.A. Public Press joins Jen Taylor-Skinner to unpack the debate over encampment sweeps, CARE Plus operations, Mayor Karen Bass's homelessness strategy, and the growing pressure on elected officials to balance public frustration with long-term solutions. They discuss why progr...

The Human Rights Campaign president on LGBTQ voters, anti-trans politics, authoritarianism, and why “hope is a discipline.” In this episode of The Margin — a midterm election coverage collaboration between The Electorette and URL Media — Jen Taylor-Skinner speaks with Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson about the state of American democracy, rising attacks on LGBTQ Americans, and the p...

What happens if your mail ballot is picked up by USPS… but never actually delivered? In this episode of The Margin — a midterm election coverage collaboration between The Electorette and URL Media — Jen Taylor-Skinner speaks with ACLU attorney Theresa J. Lee about the Trump administration’s executive order targeting mail-in voting and the ACLU’s legal challenge against it. Lee explains how the exe...

Nikki Fried on organizing, voter suppression, and rebuilding Democratic infrastructure. Florida has become shorthand for Republican dominance — but Nikki Fried says the national media narrative is missing what’s happening on the ground. In this episode, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried joins Jen Taylor-Skinner to discuss Florida’s newly drawn congressional maps following the Supreme Cour...

Last week, the Supreme Court issued a decision in Louisiana v. Callais that could fundamentally alter the future of voting rights in the United States. In this episode of The Electorette, host Jen Taylor-Skinner speaks with Sophia Lin Lakin, Director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, about what the Court’s ruling means in practice. At the center of the decision is Section 2 of the Voting Rights...

Across the world, women are leading—often outside traditional systems of power and often without recognition. At the same time, women’s rights are under pressure, making that leadership even more consequential. For nearly three decades, Vital Voices has identified and invested in women leaders tackling some of the world’s toughest challenges. In this episode of The Electorette, Alyse Nelson, Presi...

Amanda Litman on local power, political messaging, and rebuilding the Democratic bench At a moment when national politics feels stalled and increasingly disconnected from everyday life, something very different is happening at the local level. In this episode of The Electorette, Jen Taylor-Skinner speaks with Amanda Litman, cofounder of Run for Something, about why Democrats are seeing success in...

Patricia Martin on identity, algorithms, and the quiet politics of the inner self In the digital age, life online increasingly involves shaping and presenting versions of the self—across platforms, in real time, and often multiple times a day. Over time, that performance begins to influence how identity is formed and understood. In this episode, Jen Taylor-Skinner speaks with Patricia Martin, auth...

Why women candidates are winning—and changing what “electable” means For years, politics has been shaped by assumptions about who is “electable”—assumptions that often sideline women candidates. But those assumptions are starting to fail. In this episode, Jen Taylor-Skinner speaks with Jessica Mackler, President of EMILYs List⁠, about what that shift looks like in real time, starting with Illinois...

How flipped seats are shaping the response to federal immigration enforcement — A conversation with Sarah Curmi of ⁠States Win⁠ From lawsuits to new legislation, states are beginning to push back on federal immigration enforcement in ways that were once unthinkable. This shift isn’t happening in a vacuum. Since the last election, Democrats have flipped 30 state legislative seats—changing who holds...

ICE at airports, a weeks-long shutdown, and why the DHS Secretary may not be in charge The Department of Homeland Security has been partially shut down for weeks. At the same time, ICE agents are showing up in airports, and Markwayne Mullin has just been confirmed as DHS Secretary. So what’s actually going on—and who’s really in charge? In this conversation, I’m joined by Andrea Flores, former DHS...

Kelly Hall on how lawmakers are quietly dismantling ballot initiatives—and how voters are fighting back. Ballot measures have become one of the most powerful tools voters have to bypass politicians and pass policy directly—from raising the minimum wage to expanding Medicaid to protecting reproductive rights. But according to Kelly Hall of The Fairness Project, that power is under coordinated attac...

In this episode of The Electorette, Jen Taylor-Skinner speaks with Rebekah Caruthers, President and CEO of the Fair Elections Center, about growing concerns around voter intimidation and the potential role of federal agencies like ICE at or near polling places. They discuss how proposed laws like the SAVE Act could change voter registration requirements, the broader strategy behind voter suppressi...

Democracy Is Not Passive: Chris Melody Fields Figueredo on Ballot Power in 2026 When we think about elections, we think about candidates. But some of the most consequential fights in 2026 won’t be about who’s on the ballot — they’ll be about what’s on it. Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, Executive Director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, joins me to break down the 24 democracy-related ball...