You Should Run

Education has become a major flashpoint in American politics in 2021, with contentious school board meetings and elections across the country. In this You Should Run Podcast, Devin Del Palacio talks about his experience as an at-large member of the Tolleson Union High School Governing Board in Arizona, what prompted him to run for office in the first place, and looking out for students, parents, a...

Colorado State Representative David Ortiz has an incredible perspective as a disable veteran and activist who has been using his life experience to connect with voters and other legislators. In this You Should Run Podcast, Representative Ortiz talks about his motivation for running for office, the challenges of running as a first time candidate without a large financial network, forming coalitions...

Ras Smith's mother is a former military police officer who became a pastor and his father spent 40 years working for John Deere as an active member of his union. Through a life focused on farming, education, working class issues, labor rights, and social justice, Ras was already heavily involved in all aspects of politics and society in Iowa before he successfully ran for the state legislature in...

Timothy Ragland returned to Talladega and saw a community that needed help. So he decided to run for Mayor and won in a very close election. In this You Should Run Podcast, Mayor Tim talks about making Talledega, AL, a community that attracts people and businesses, bringing in tech jobs by partnering with colleges and schools in the region, imposter syndrome, being a young voice in a high profile...

Gloria Johnson is a Tennessee State Representative, retired special education teacher, healthcare advocate, ally of public schools, and now a featured guest on the You Should Run Podcast. In this You Should Run episode, Gloria Johnson shares her personal story in politics, from seeing political action in other states to organizing for Presidential candidate Barack Obama to becoming a County Chair...

Government should be representative of the population, and young people are very unrepresented in elected office today. Austin Marsman is looking to change that. Today, Austin is a trustee on the Board of Education and now he's running for Allegan County Commissioner in Michigan. In this You Should Run Podcast, Austin talks about the viewpoints of young people in politics, changing the complexion...

Everybody in America seems to have an opinion of Chicago, whether good or bad. In this You Should Run Podcast, Chicago Alderman Matt Martin talks about the realities of Chicago politics, including addressing crime and racial justice, understanding issues at the very local level, the impacts of environmental policy on cities, infrastructure and more. The You Should Run Podcast has featured elected...

In 2020, Marie Pinkney unseated a multi-decade Democratic incumbent in a primary election for Delaware State Senate. She was able to convince voters to make a change during a pandemic, when traditional campaigning was challenging. How did she do it? And why take on what seems like such an uphill battle? In this You Should Run Podcast, Delaware State Senator Marie Pinkney talks about the many issue...

The time to focus on midterm elections in 2022 is now and Michigan State Rep. candidate Noah Arbit knows that he cannot waste one minute if he wants to win a competitive election and flip his district. In this podcast, we talk about Noah's work on behalf of other Michigan candidates, being prepared for a contentious and expensive campaign, why people should pay attention to legislative races now,...

Nina Liang was born and raised in Quincy, Massachusetts and now she serves as President of Quincy City Council and leads efforts to promote women running for office through Emerge MA. Her current roles are not what she expected of herself growing up, and she hopes that her story will encourage others to find their place in political life. In this You Should Run Podcast discussion, Nina talks about...

With COVID cases surging all summer in Florida, Mike Harvey joins the You Should Run Podcast to discuss why he is running for the State Senate in Florida. In this episode, Mike talks about his family's personal struggles with COVID, how politics became so partisan and divisive, and how to look after everyone regardless of their political affiliation. Listen, share, and subscribe and follow Mike on...

The You Should Run Podcast goes back to Maryland with a special conversation with Baltimore City Council Member Zeke Cohen. In this episode, Zeke shares his personal story including how his faith instilled progressive values and how Baltimore welcomed him from the start. Zeke talks about a wide range of issues that matter for Baltimore and beyond, from crime to helping young people with trauma to...

In 2019, Samantha Perlman became the youngest woman to win a seat on the Marlborough City Council in Massachusetts. She had already been active in promoting voting rights and other important issues, but, with some encouragement, she saw that if she wanted to get into politics, then she should run for office herself. In this episode, we talk about the dynamics of local politics and how people view...

After surprising even himself by becoming the youngest person ever elected to office in Caroline, NY, Dominic Frongillo is leading a movement to inspire people at all levels of government to take the climate crisis seriously. In this You Should Run Podcast, Dominic Frongillo talks about the impact that global warming will have on every community in the country, how local governments can implement...

You Should Run for office and PA State Rep. Jennifer O'Mara is here to tell you why. In this episode, we talk about the challenges and joys of elected office, including Rep. O'Mara's significant bipartisan victories for her district through the state budget process. Jen O'Mara knew about the importance of politics from an early age, but she never planned to run herself. Listen as she explains her...

One of the most important issues in legislatures across the United States in 2021 is education, which is what makes the perspective of educator and North Carolina State Representative Ashton Clemmons so valuable. In this You Should Run Podcast episode, Representative Clemmons talks about the events that led her to run for office, the need to make government more representative and the value of div...

Alexandria Ayala is the first Latina to be elected to the Palm Beach County School Board. As she discusses in this You Should Run Podcast episode, this may be the most critical time ever to run for and serve on school boards, as education is becoming a lightning rod for far-right ideologues. The average age of a school board member in America is 59 years old, yet the policies decided by school boa...

Perhaps no single state has the a political landscape as unique as Alaska. Legislative districts in Alaska can have the same landmass as some of the other 49 states. There are countless indigenous cultures, languages, and small towns, all with special challenges and needs. In this You Should Run Podcast, State Senator Jesse Kiehl talks about the processes and changes that have led to the current s...

Nevada is consistently a swing state at the Presidential level, but what about down ballot? In this You Should Run Podcast, Assemblyman Edgar Flores discusses the unique politics of Nevada and demonstrates how the gratitude he feels for his own upbringing impacts his own outlook today. Also in this episode, Assemblyman Flores talks about his work as an immigration lawyer, union representation in N...

From Mayor of Braddock, PA to LT. Gov and US Senate candidate, John Fetterman has made a big name for himself. In this You Should Run Podcast, John speaks about his journey into politics, staying consistent to the same messages, what has changed and what has not, and his view of the 2022 PA Senate race, which he hopes to win. Where does John stand on the question of not just being another pretty f...

Fresh off of leading a walkout of Democratic legislators in Texas to oppose a bill restricting voting rights, Representative Jasmine Crockett is joining the You Should Run Podcast to discuss her motivation for running for office, fighting for South Dallas, the changes in Texas, and why YOU should run for office. Jasmine was an underdog in her primary election and, as a first term legislator, there...

Alex Dominguez represents South Texas, but his votes affect an entire evolving state. In this You Should Run Podcast, Representative Domiguez talks about the changing politics of Texas, how Texas Dems are more united than years past, and how to be effective as a member of the minority party but passing policies like support for veterans with PTSD. Every state has unique politics, and Alex explains...

In addition to his work as a professor at Millsaps College, Nathan Shrader has over 20 years of experience in government and campaigns in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Mississippi. In this You Should Run Podcast, we cover a wide range of topics from the change in party politics over the last few decades to strategies for Democrats and Republicans to the joys of campaigning to why you...

Michigan is at the epicenter of American politics and young voters were critical to the outcome of the 2020 election. That makes newly elected Michigan State Rep Mary Cavanagh the perfect guest for the You Should Run Podcast. In this episode, Mary Cavanagh talks about running for office as a young person finishing school, why young people should be involved in the political process, her family his...

He has worked with notable political leaders like Congressman Jamie Raskin and Stacey Abrams, but now Sam Park is focusing on working for the people of Georgia. In this You Should Run Podcast, Rep. Park talks about how hard work from candidates and organizers has changed the political landscape in Georgia, and how that same hard work helped him win a seat in the legislature. We talk about the impo...