Charting the Way Forward

MISSISSIPPI HOT DAMN!! Admittedly, this podcast was recorded before the race was called. Still, the Way Team felt pretty good about our chances (and having invested there) as we headed to CrookedCon in DC last weekend, where Tory and Jen spoke on two different panels. Way to Win also hosted the Take Center—and believe us, the takes were hot and plentiful! Tune in this week to hear Tory and Joe’s t...

Texas has been the cornerstone of the Republican electoral map for over three decades. This week, all that came to an abrupt end as voters toppled a political dynasty and kicked off a new era in American politics. The Way to Win crew was on the ground in Texas for election night and reflects on the Democratic rout, how we got here, and the opportunities and pitfalls that lie ahead. Join us!

Don’t miss our last episode before the election, as the in-house team discusses what we’re watching just a few days away from November 3. Kerry is joined this week by our in-house regulars, Co-Founders Tory and Jen join Political Director Joe Hamill, and Media Consultant Dan Ancona, to weigh in on the closing arguments and viral moments, as well as what the early data is telling us so far. 

This week on Charting The Way Forward: The one and only Jessica Byrd! A nationally recognized political strategist, Byrd has spent the last 18 years intentionally focused on building multiracial democracy and the last 6 years developing a visionary, relational approach to leadership development called Black Camp. She joined us to discuss how she is bringing that vision into reality, and the contin...

Today we continue our 2-year-anniversary Closing Argument series with Ryan O'Donnell, Executive Director of Data For Progress, to survey the greater political landscape with just over 2 weeks left until Election Day! Ryan is a master of electoral polling methodology—something sorely needed in a Democratic campaign ecosystem that often leaves candidates looking wishy-washy instead of helping t...

"Latino voters are not a monolith, BUT—"  This week on Charting The Way Forward, words we never thought we'd hear, especially not from Chuck Rocha! But Chuck, President of Solidarity Strategies and Latino Expert Extraordinaire, was very clear. Between horrific racial profiling and detention policies and doing absolutely nothing to benefit the economy, this administration's BS i...

Today we're dropping the first episode of our "Closing Argument" series celebrating TWO YEARS of Charting The Way Forward. First up: Indivisible's Leah Greenberg on The Grassroots and the largest early vote mobilization in history! Plus—her closing arguments are 🔥🔥. Jenifer Fernandez Ancona and Dan Ancona join host Kerry Eleveld for this truly inspiring conversation. We'...

As Ian Bassin, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Protect Democracy, said on this week's episode, few people would disagree that we're in a crisis of democracy — but we're also in a crisis of spirit. And yet, it may be the crisis that precedes the opportunity. Because if we can, in fact, Protect our Democracy, we can start implementing real reforms to make sure our country rewards...

This week, the Way team is in the weeds preparing for the final election day push—so we're revisiting a show from a couple months back with Luke Martin, diving into tough terrain for Dems with innovative battleground polling. Last week, we looked at the Part 2 of this research with Celinda Lake (give it a listen if you haven't already!), so here is a look back at the foundation on which...

This week, we are joined by pollster extraordinaire, friend of the pod, and President and Founder of Lake Research Partners, Celinda Lake, to discuss the rapidly shifting electorate in the South and Southwest, and just how effective our most recent message testing has proven to be at shifting voter sentiment. With less than 8 weeks left until the Midterm elections, the decisions we make now could...

Black voters are poised to make the difference this cycle between Democrats regaining control of the Senate and falling just short. From the Sunbelt states of Texas, Georgia, and Mississippi all the way north to Michigan, Democrats' path to the majority runs through Black voter engagement and persuasion. Terrance Woodbury, founding partner and CEO of HIT Strategies, joins us to share his insi...

Could the Mississippi Senate race also possibly, somehow, be in play this cycle? According to new polling, ABSOLUTELY. Mississippi NAACP Executive Director Charles Taylor, the ultimate organizer-meets-consulant, joins us to share deep insights from the front lines of a state that should not be written off either this cycle or in cycles to come. Way to Win President Tory Gavito, Strategic Advisor J...

More wealthy people than you'd think are funding movements for stopping fascism and enacting fundamental, structural change in our society. Organizer Michael Gast has been on the front lines of this work and shares his wealth of knowledge on the deep history of these kinds of actions with Way to Win President Tory Gavito and host Kerry Eleveld.

Neither the Bernie left nor the right wing Dems have the right path to persuading less engaged voters, but a lot of Dems and their campaigns are starting to get this right in a big way anyway. Way to Win Executive Director Tory Gavito, Chief Strategy Officer Jenifer Ancona and research consultant Dan Ancona join host Kerry Eleveld to discuss midterm results and clips that lie along the continuum f...

Special guest Ben Wikler, former chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, joins Charting The Way Forward this week to talk to host Kerry Eleveld about his new book, "This is The Plan: How to End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy," and the role every one of us can play in building a better American future. Wikler brings a mix of hope and humor to this conversation about his gr...

This week on Charting The Way Forward, we discuss the mood on the Hill heading into the August recess, why Republicans are clinging to immigration like a life raft amid a wreckage, and why it might not provide the salvation they're looking for. Joining host Kerry Eleveld is friend of the pod Kristian Ramos, media and public relations consultant at Autonomy Strategies.

For this midsummer midterm election pulse check, Way to Win Political Director Joe Hamill and media and research consultant Dan Ancona join host Kerry Eleveld to cover Dem chances in the electoral landscape, and where Way to Win organizations are getting work done.

Rather than pitching the recent surge of candidates from the left as a story about how voters of all kinds are uniting for the kinds of change most Americans want, most of the Democratic establishment has instead decided to brand this movement as a threat. Way to Win President Tory Gavito and media and research consultant Dan Ancona join host Kerry Eleveld to weigh perspectives (two in particular,...

For decades and with very few exceptions, challenges to the Democratic establishment have been generally doomed to failure. That changed this week when three Mamdani-endorsed candidates prevailed in NYC congressional primaries. Justice Democrats Executive Director Alex Rojas joins Way to Win President Tory Gavito and CSO Jenifer Fernandez Ancona to both dig into and savor these results.

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton is one of the most infectiously inspiring leaders from across the entire left and Democratic family. She joins Way to Win President Tory Gavito and host Kerry Eleveld to discuss everything that's moving forward in her home state.

Worthy Strategy head researcher Gretchen Barton joins Way to Win Chief Strategy Officer Jenifer Ancona and Superhost Kerry Eleveld to dive into a rich new ethnographic study of Latinos in South and Southwest. This collaboration between Valiente, Way to Win and Worthy goes far, far beyond the "Latinos aren't a monolith" cliche and digs into how identity shapes these voters and what t...

Way to Win President Tory Gavito and Consultant of Destiny Dan Ancona join host Kerry Eleveld to talk kitchen table, big tent, WelcomeFest, and big research questions, all through the lens of some really interesting results from Iowa in this week's primaries. And don't miss another banger of a Jon Ossoff clip.

First up, we cover the very sad news (for Republicans) that shockingly corrupt MAGA loser Ken Paxton prevailed in the Texas Senate primary, and will now be going up against James Talarico and his uncanny ability to bring up incredibly weird manly insecurities in Republican operatives. Then the team — Way to Win President Tory Gavito, Head of Political Joe Hamill, Consultant of Destiny Dan Ancona,...

SURJ Executive Director Erin Heaney joins host Kerry Eleveld and Way to Win head of political Joe Hamill to go through the surprising and hopeful results of some extremely sophisticated deep canvassing work SURJ is doing, very deep in opposition in territory.

AOC on integrity and ambition, Trump on his total disregard for Americans' financial situations and his unbelievable swimming pool guy, and a big shift from Rep Hakeem Jeffries in response to Republican gutting of the civil rights agenda. Way to Win President Tory Gavito, Chief Strategy Office Jenifer Ancona and host Kerry Eleveld break down the week.