Pro Politics with Zac McCrary

Send a text Antjuan Seawright is a veteran political strategiest, founder of Blueprint Strategy , & political contributor to CBS News. In this conversation, he talks growing up with roots in rural South Carolina, early lessons from mentors Congressman Jim Clyburn and DNC Chair Jamie Harrison, the work he's done with the DNC, DSCC, & DCCC...and his best practices and insight on how can...

Send a text Kati Card is coming off two stints as Chief Digital Officer for the DSCC and is now a Senior VP at the digital firm MissionWired . Kati talks her initial path to politics, a key internship with Senator Hillary Clinton, spending time around Senators Reid, Schumer, and Cortez Masto, working on big campaigns and in Senate offices, and spending two cycles as Chief Digital Officer at the De...

Send a text Antonio Villaraigosa is the 41st mayor of Los Angeles and arguably the most impactful Latino elected official in American history. In this conversation, he talks his roots as blue-collar kid in East LA, how public schools offered him a second chance after early struggles, cutting his teeth as a union organizer and in the civil rights and farm workers’ movements, his rapid ascent from f...

Send a text Brandon Davis is a media consultant and partner at Technicolor Political – and the senior media strategist for the winning campaign of Chicago Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson. In this conversation, we go deep on the Chicago race – how Johnson emerged from a crowded field, the role of public safety & crime, the contrasts that defined the runoff, key strategic decisions made by both John...

Send a text Jono Kupferberg spent 10 years running his start-up, small business sneaker company before revisiting his early passion of politics to become CEO of Hubdialer - a predictive dialer tool that works with progressive candidates and organizations, including Bernie Sanders for President, Everytown for Gun Safety, the DCCC, major unions, and more. In this conversation, Jono demystifies what...

Send a text Gary Hart has perhaps the most unique political career of his generation...staffer for Robert Kennedy's Justice Department...manager of George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign...two-term US Senator...nearly becoming the Democratic nominee for President in 1984...starting 1988 as the Democratic frontrunner before leaving the race amid a media frenzy...and 5+ decades as a...

Send a text Holly Harris , founder & president of The Network , has one of the most unique careers in politics. Starting as a local TV news reporter in Lexington, KY…becoming a GOP political operative for names like Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, James Comer…then trading in her partisan spurs as part of the coalition to reform the U.S. criminal justice system - including helping pass the landmark...

Send a text Guy Cecil recently announced his plans to step down as Chair of Priorities USA - the major Democratic super PAC - after being at the helm for 8 years. In this conversation, he talks his time in the ministry before moving to politics…learning important political lessons amid personal tumult and tragedy…working with big personalities like Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, and Fritz Hollings…run...

Send a text Greg Speed is President of America Votes , the infrastructure hub of the progressive community - which coordinates 400+ organizations nationally and in 20+ states. In this conversation, Greg talks how the anti-apartheid movement piqued his political interest, diving into campaigns at the University of Wisconsin, lessons learned on Capitol Hill, and 16+ years as, first-E.D. and now, Pre...

Send a text The 2024 open-seat US Senate race in California is the most wide open Senate race in the state since 1992. To dive deep into next year's monumental race, I'm joined by veteran CA strategist Rose Kapolczynski - manager of the winning campaign from that very 1992 Senate race for Barbara Boxer. In a previous episode , Rose talked through her career managing all four successful B...

Send a text You know David Axlerod ...the chief strategist for President Obama, CNN commentator, and founder of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics . The Obama years come up a bit in this conversation, but we focus mostly on his 20+ years as a working political media consultant before connecting professionally with then-State Senator Obama. We talk cutting his teeth in NYC, how the app...

Send a text Rebecca Lambe is often described as the architect of Nevada’s “Reid Machine” that has shaped politics in the state over the past 20 years. In this episode, she talks cutting her teeth in Missouri politics with both Governor Mel Carnahan and Senator Jean Carnahan and then moving west to Nevada to build the state Democratic political organization with Senator Harry Reid...plus co-foundin...

Send a text Josh Wolf managed his first race at age 19, spent 10 years on the road running top House, Governor, and Senate races before becoming a media consultant & partner at AL Media. He also is the founder of Warchest , the innovative campaign budgeting software that - in a few short years - has become omnipresent on Democratic campaigns. In this conversation, Josh talks managing races fro...

Send a text Who's lived a more varied, interesting political life over the last 6 decades than Jeff Greenfield? Aide and speechwriter to Senator Robert Kennedy...staffer for NYC Mayor John Lindsay...successful political consultant with the famed David Garth...and then as an omnipresent political commentator at CBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN...5 time Emmy Award Winner...author of several books. T...

Send a text Ghida Dagher came to the U.S. at age 9 seeking asylum after she and her family fled their home in Sierra Leone amidst civil war. Soon after locating in Dearborn, MI the 9/11 attacks created more instability in her Arab-American and Muslim community and helped forge her own budding political conscioussness. Her focus on politics and public service led her to become Director of Appointme...

Send a text Congressman David Price served 34 years representing North Carolina's Research Triangle, leaving the House just this January. Beyond his time as an institution in the House, he's lived a remarkable political life...present on the Washington Mall during the MLK "I Have A Dream" speech...a Senate staffer witnessing key civil rights votes in the mid 1960s...a leading p...

Send a text For nearly 40 years, Mark Mellman has been an industry leader in Democratic polling. In this conversation, he talks the serendipitous start of his consulting firm, stories from his iconic clients Al Gore, John Glenn, and Harry Reid, and lessons as lead pollster from John Kerry's '04 Presidential campaign. Mark also talks his founding of Democratic Majority for Israel and the...

Send a text Liam Donovan , a principal at Bracewell PRG, is a regular presence on cable news , in print, and on twitter as an expert explainer of what's going on in Congress and in the Republican Party. With a background both in GOP campaign politics and government relations, Liam's expertise on the intersection of politics and policy gives him tremendous insight to distill what really m...

Send a text Tom O'Neill is a legendary political figure in his own right - operative, legislator, statewide official, government relations juggernaut - and is, of course, the eldest son of former US House Speaker Tip O'Neill. In this conversation, Tom talks early memories growing up in a political household, lessons from his father, time spent around figures like John Kennedy and Ted Ken...

Send a text Christie Roberts is the DSCC Executive Director, coming off of the first cycle since 1962 when Senate Democrats expanded their majority while holding the White House...during a cycle when many observers assumed a "red wave" was imminent. Christie talks her path to politics, the importance of learning her craft in Montana politics, and managing Jon Tester's 2018 re-electi...

Send a text Political forecaster Logan Phillips had the 2022 election cycle's most accurate projections. His website, RacetotheWH.com , hosts all of his models - including his recently-released 2024 White House and Senate polling trackers. In this discussion, Logan talks his time as an Obama White House intern, his path to political modeling, recapping his hyper-accurate 2022 models that came...

Send a text Zee Cohen-Sanchez came to politics from an unconventional background…growing up in Australia as the child of “atheist, socialist American Jews”. Back in the United States she took her passion for social justice to work in the labor movement, for Bernie Sanders in 2016, and AOC’s upset primary win in 2018. In this conversation, Zee talks these early formative experiences and how they le...

Send a text Marshall Cohen is the Political Director of the Democratic Governors Association. Over 7 years at the DGA, he's been involved in 50+ races - and before that was an accomplished operative who - in 2016 - managed (and won) the most expensive congressional primary in history. In this conversation, Marshall talks his path to working in politics, his best practices for running and winn...

Send a text Brendan McPhillips was the campaign manager for John Fetterman's general election campaign, helping guide it to a win over Dr. Oz in the cycle's most chaotic and closey watched Senate race. In this conversation, Brendan talks his path to politics that started in a community college in conservative Southern California and includes running Iowa for Buttigieg in the 2020 primari...

Send a text Tim Persico , the Executive Director of the DCCC, provides a post-election debrief with his thoughts on all things 2022 House races. He gets under the hood as to how House Democrats beat the odds to exceed pundit expectations...and weighs in on the winning blend of messaging for candidates, the leadership provided by Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney and Speaker Pelosi, specific seats that...