An Honorable Profession

In the wake of the midterms, An Honorable Profession co-hosts Debbie Cox Bultan and Ryan Coonerty joined forces to discuss what we saw in this week's elections and some main takeaways, including how mainstream Democrats beat back Republican extremism. They were joined by several special guests: former Michigan House Majority Floor Leader Steve Tobocman, who discussed Democrats' great night in his...

In the third episode of our special Freedoms At Stake 2022 Election Series, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan talks with President and Founder of iVote Ellen Kurz. They discuss the critical role secretaries of state play in our democracy and why iVote's work to elect pro-voting secretaries of state is so important. Ellen also talks about how disinformation is affecting these races across the...

In the second episode of our special 2022 election series, host Ryan Coonerty welcomes Harvard Professor of Government Ryan Enos, author of the groundbreaking book The Space Between Us , to the show. They discuss his research on the phenomenon of partisan segregation in our communities and why this trend seems to be accelerating. When we live apart, Enos argues, the ability to make coherent polici...

In the first episode of our 2022 election series, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan talks with Jessica Post, President of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC). They discuss the importance of state legislative elections in 2022 and how focusing on these races helps to build and maintain the power and influence of the Democratic Party from the bottom up. With so much at stake in...

In this week's episode, we replay NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan's appearance on a recent episode of the Moderate Party Podcast - a political podcast for Moderates, Centrists, and Independents hosted by Hillari Lombard. They talked about the true makeup of the party electorate and how these moderate, working-class voters will dictate the party's future. As we move forward, a generational change is...

In this week's episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan talks with Maryland Senator Antonio Hayes of Baltimore City. We talk about some of his legislative successes over the past session, including his sponsorship of the Time to Care Act. Prioritizing increased paid family leave for the many Marylanders who serve as caregivers to family members is something Senator Hayes understands on a pe...

Host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan talks with Quentin 'Q' Williams, a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives and Chair of the Housing Committee. Q makes it clear - all communities within Connecticut are facing the same problem: not enough housing. He talks through the housing crisis and how we can mitigate intersectional inequality's negative consequences. Q uses his expertise as a...

In this week's episode, host and NewDEAL Leader Ryan Coonerty talks with Michelle Wilde Anderson, author of the new book, The Fight to Save the Town: Reimagining Discarded America . She discusses the never-ending, vicious poverty spiral and how we desperately need to shift its momentum by promoting mutual investment and coalition building at the institutional level. Plus, she discusses the great r...

In this week's episode, host and NewDEAL Leader Ryan Coonerty talks with Massachusetts representative Andy Vargas and discusses his time in politics while working tirelessly to pass legislation that addresses the needs of his constituents. From passing and implementing the Universal School Meals program to pursuing affordable housing projects and addressing the high cost of living in Massachusetts...

In this episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan is joined by Kate Bolz, former NewDEAL Leader and Nebraska state senator, and current United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) State Director for Rural Development in Nebraska. With USDA, it's Kate's role to oversee the Biden-Harris administration's outreach to and partnership with communities across Nebraska. Kate gives us some insight...

In this episode of An Honorable Profession, host and NewDEAL Leader Ryan Coonerty talks with Michigan Representative and Minority Leader Donna Lasinski, management consultant turned legislator, about the political situation in the State of Michigan and the important work she is doing there. Donna uses her experience and passion for the community to bring her ideas and perspectives directly to vote...

Host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan talks with California Senator Ben Allen, who co-chairs the environmental caucus in the legislature, and chairs the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. Senator Allen talks about his groundbreaking plastic pollution bill, signed into law this year, and delves into the specifics of the bill, who it will affect, and how they built comprehensive bipartisan sup...

In this week's episode of An Honorable Profession, NewDEAL CEO and host Debbie Cox Bultan talks with San Francisco Treasurer Jose Cisneros about the nuances of managing a major city's portfolio, something he knows well after five terms of serving San Francisco! Treasurer Cisneros explains the importance of thoughtful planning for local governments, whether in bear or bull markets, to ensure they c...

In this week's episode of An Honorable Profession, host Ryan Coonerty talks with Indianapolis City Councilmember Maggie Lewis about leading by example to creating an inclusive and pro-growth city in a conservative state. She discusses her personal call to serve others and how her full-time job as CEO of Boys and Girls Club Indianapolis overlaps with her role on the council, particularly in creatin...

In this week's episode of An Honorable Profession, NewDEAL CEO and host Debbie Cox Bultan talks with Arkansas State Senator Clarke Tucker about his state's political shift to the right and away from prominent Democratic personalities, such as President Bill Clinton. They identify lessons learned as Democratic majorities slipped away quickly due to a lack of listening and impactful community invest...

In this episode, host Debbie Cox Bultan is joined by Francisco Heredia, a council member in Mesa, Arizona. Mesa is a city of 520 000 people situated in Maricopa, one of the fastest growing counties in the United States!  During this episode, Francisco shares where his passion for politics and community empowerment originated, and why he decided to become a public servant. We discuss the current po...

In this week's episode of An Honorable Profession, NewDEAL CEO and host Debbie Cox Bultan talks with Atlanta Councilmember Amir Farokhi about how local governments can restore faith and trust with effective leadership. Whether through participatory budgeting or reducing generational poverty, Councilmember Farokhi highlights the importance of returning agency to local communities. They also discuss...

In this week's episode of An Honorable Profession, NewDEAL Leader and host Ryan Coonerty talks with Nashville, Tennessee Senator Jeff Yarbro. Senator Yarbro and Ryan have a great discussion highlighting the cultural shift Tennessee has undergone, from a bellwether swing state to a staunchly red conservative stronghold. From his perspective as the Minority Leader of a caucus of 6, Senator Yarbro di...

In this week's episode of An Honorable Profession, NewDEAL Leader and host Ryan Coonerty talks with Montgomery County, PA Commissioner Ken Lawrence. He shares what the past couple of years have been like at ground zero for the "Big Lie," giving background and insight into the mechanics of how conducting elections works. Ryan and Commissioner Lawrence discuss how two separate battles have developed...

In the second part of a special mini-series on the far-reaching consequences of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, host and NewDEAL Leader Ryan Coonerty talks with fellow NewDEALer Raumesh Akbari, state senator from Memphis, TN, about the pending difficulties that await women of color throughout Southern states. Senator Akbari shares what individuals in blue states can do to suppo...

In a special episode addressing the far-reaching consequences of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, host and NewDEAL Leader Ryan Coonerty talks with fellow NewDEALer Elizabeth Brown, Columbus City Councilmember, about what Americans can do to hold the line against continued attacks on reproductive rights. Councilmember Brown shares her own reaction to the decision, how it affects...

Happy Pride Month! Host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan talks with Josh Boschee, North Dakota House minority leader, and the first openly gay person to be elected to the legislature in that state. He shares his experience running for office, and his work to make Dakota more inclusive during a time when political red herrings are used to block the progress already made. Josh shares the recent pol...

In this week's episode of An Honorable Profession, NewDEAL Leader and host Ryan Coonerty talks with New Jersey Senator Vin Gopal. He shares insights on how being a small business owner influences his policy-making, and how his stance on small business issues and understanding of the potential impacts of economic policies like the $15 minimum wage has earned his constituents' trust. Senator Gopal s...

Join host Debbie Cox Bultan for a conversation with Albany, NY City Auditor Dorcey Applyrs! They discuss the role of the city auditor, and how Dorcey is working to make government more transparent. Dorcey describes the equity audit her office is conducting, which will help her ensure government services are meeting needs of all of Albany's residents. You'll also hear about how her childhood in DC...

Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs joins host and NewDEAL Leader Ryan Coonerty for a discussion on how he is making change through strategic investments of state funds, the keys to running for re-election in an unfavorable environment for Democrats, and how he approaches effective team building.