You Should Run

Arizona State Representative Nancy Gutierrez is the latest elected legislator who started out as a teacher. In this You Should Run Podcast, Nancy talks about what motivated her to run for office, what she learned as a candidate, and why YOU should run for office. Other topics include: What is more challenging: being a first time candidate or first time legislator? Comparing Arizona's politics to F...

Mickey Dollens went from high school and college football player to oil worker to teacher to Oklahoma State Representative. Every step of his journey gave him perspective to be the legislator he is today. In this You Should Run Podcast episode, Rep. Dollens talks about what motivated him to run for state representative, the uphill battle for Democrats in Oklahoma, taking care of mental health, how...

Armin Thomas, better known as Thorongil on Twitter, spends his time and expertise making sense of elections for split-ticket.org. In this You Should Run Podcast, Armin talks about the trends in America's electoral politics, some of which go back decades, and whether candidates truly can buck those trends. Other topics in the podcast include understanding state politics, giving honest analysis whil...

In 2022, Laura Terech went from the classroom to the Arizona state legislature after a successful campaign in one of the most contentious states for politics. Today she is working on bipartisan solutions on education and keeping communities safe. In this You Should Run Podcast, Representative Terech talks about the changing politics in Arizona, the ongoing work to protect and defend democracy, how...

While some state legislatures are taking a hard right, states like Minnesota are using new Democratic majorities to pass progressive legislation. In this You Should Run Podcast, Minnesota State Senator Liz Boldon talks about her journey to the legislature and why it is important to take action while you have the opportunity to do good things. Senator Boldon talks about her work on healthcare, LGBT...

Monica D'Antonio from Norristown Area School District is here to share why school boards are so important and what you should know about the issues impacting education today. In this episode, Monica discusses why she ran for school board, her many responsibilities as a school board director, what the top issues are for school districts in 2023, how schools have changed over the last 40 years, addr...

School boards are now some of the most contentious elections in America, with battles over what is allowed to be taught, book bans, funding, and more. In this You Should Run Podcast, Dana Foley talks about what motivated her to run for school board in Central Bucks School District in Bucks County, PA. There has been great controversy in the Central Bucks School District over the past few years, fr...

Jade Harris is looking to bring youth and new ideas to the Virginia legislature. In this You Should Run Podcast, we talk about what Jade Harris has learned in local government as a Vice Mayor, how to be friendly without compromising values, pushing back against extremism, fighting for rural Virginia, and, of course, why YOU should run for office. Listen, share, and subscribe today.

Ashley Aune was inspired to run for office following her work with Moms Demand Action to address gun violence. As a State Representative in Missouri, she is standing up against far-right legislation while working to address needs in her community. In this You Should Run Podcast episode, Rep. Aune talks about her motivations for running, being effective as a member of the minority party, protecting...

How can someone measure success while in the minority in a legislature? What's the difference between being effective and being right? In this You Should Run Podcast, South Carolina State Representative Spencer Wetmore answers these questions and more as she encourages YOU to consider running for office. Rep. Wetmore talks about her past work as prosecutor, protecting coastal communities, protecti...

Montana State Representative Jonathan Karlen joins the You Should Run Podcast to talk about policies affecting Montana communities and how Montana's issues connect to the rest of the country. In this episode, Representative Karlen talks about the needs and concerns of rural communities, the growing diversity of Montana, building alliances across the political aisle while staying true to your value...

Civil Rights are always a hot topic of discussion in politics. From government surveillance to LGBT rights to free speech, there are regular debates about civil liberties and what should and should not be allowed. In this You Should Run Podcast, Andy Hoover discusses his work with the ACLU in Pennsylvania, how legislation impacts civil liberties, what makes for successful advocacy, and why you sho...

In 2020, Deb Andraca unseated a Republican to win a seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly, one of the most gerrymandered legislatures in the entire country. In this You Should Run Podcast, she talks about what motivated her to run, where she received help and resilience from friends, and her efforts to stand up for issues like gun safety and abortion rights. Assemblywoman Andraca also discusses the...

The You Should Run Podcast returns with a new episode featuring Montana State Representative Paul Tuss. In this episode, Rep. Tuss talks about being a Democrat in a state controlled by Republicans, the diverse politics of Montana, creating policies to assist aging communities, and, of course, why YOU should run for office too. Listen, share and subscribe today!

Local school board elections are taking on national importance. In this You Should Run Podcast, Nick Gothard talks about what motivated him to run for school board in Loudoun County, VA. Nick responds to the major questions facing education today, from making sure all kids can read to addressing issues of diversity and equity. The average age of a school board member in the United States is 56. Ni...

Jason Salus is a County Treasurer and new Montgomery County Democratic Party Chairman. In this You Should Run Podcast, Jason talks about what a Party Chair does, why committee people matter, the value of running for local office, and why Montgomery County is the key to winning the Keystone State. We also discuss how the politics of Montgomery County and Pennsylvania as a whole has changed over the...

State legislative elections are some of the most important races in the United States, not just in 2022, but every year. Dan Almoney saw that his conservative Republican State Representative in Central PA did not have an opponent and he decided that voters deserved a choice, so he made the choice to run for office. In this You Should Run Podcast, Dan Almoney talks about the impact of overturning a...

Jessica Miranda ran for local office to improve education in her community. After serving on school board, Jessica saw that if she wanted to make a big difference for education, she would need to make changes in the state legislature, and that is what motivated her to run for the Ohio State House. When Jessica first flipped her State House seat, she won by just a few dozen votes. In this You Shoul...

Precious McKesson was the first black woman to cast one of Nebraska's electoral votes when she provided the 306th vote for President Biden and Vice President Harris in 2020. But before she did that, Precious was leading Democratic organizing efforts for approximately 20 years. Now she is leading again, this time as Executive Director for the Nebraska Democratic Party. In this You Should Run Podcas...

Michigan State Senator Jeremy Allen Moss joins the You Should Run Podcast to talk all things Michigan. In this episode, Senator Moss talks about what motivated him to run for office in the first place and why it was important to him to see more young voices in politics. Senator Moss talks about the current divisions in politics and the challenges of governing with the people who you are trying to...

The You Should Run Podcast usually focuses on why and how people should run for office. In this episode, Ezra Thrush from Penn Future talks about policy from a different direction. Ezra discusses the major successes for environmental protection in the recently passed Pennsylvania state budget. We talk about how climate and conservation touch every level of government and how the conversations chan...

Elected office is supposed to be about public service, and Ohio State Representative Casey Weinstein's life and family is all about service. In this You Should Run Podcast, Casey Weinstein talks about his start in local office and how that has given him the ability to prioritize passing policy vs focusing on partisanship. Casey talks about the challenges of being in the minority party in Ohio, suc...

There are over 500,000 elected positions in the United States. People pay attention to the President and Congress, but local office offers a way to create direct change on our communities and experiment with solutions that can have a wider impact. In this You Should Run Podcast, Jonathan Grieder talks about his experience as a Council member in Waterloo, IA. He has used his opportunity as a younge...

State legislatures have never been more important, which is why candidates like Lisa Borowski in Delaware County, PA, have never been more important either. The Pennsylvania legislature is looking to pass bans on abortion rights and continue to cast doubts on elections. In this You Should Run Podcast, Lisa answers questions about the pressure to win her election for state representative, what insp...

There are over 500,000 elected positions in the United States, from the President and Congress to lesser known roles. In this You Should Run Podcast, Mohammed Alyajouri talks about his work on the Portland Community College Board of Directors, why this role is so important, and how he became possibly the first elected Muslim in Oregon. We talk about the pandemic, inspiring others to public service...