Sound Politics

One year into President Trump's second term, we check in with Washington state’s biggest Trump supporter (or at least, the biggest one in our Congressional delegation) Rep. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane. We also talk with the biggest Trump adversary in the state, Attorney General Nick Brown, who sued the administration 50 times in the last year. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help...

Democrats think that this is the year when voters and the courts will side with them on an income tax. Axios' Melissa Santos and the Washington Observer's Paul Queary join us to talk about why. They'll also break down what they're watching during this year's state legislative session. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to  https:...

Seattle's new mayor, Katie Wilson, joins us to talk about being in the media spotlight, her priorities for the coming year, and what new taxes she might get behind. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/ . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Ou...

Outgoing Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson reflects on her tenure as she leaves office. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/ . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Sarah Leibovitz and H...

State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen is talking about passing a new income tax during next year's short legislative session. Plus, how the state will pay for flood damage with a tight budget. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/ . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a p...

For weeks, pundits wondered whether incoming Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson would fire the city's police chief. We now know she won’t, but we still have questions about how a democratic socialist who used to support "defund" the police will run the police department. Listen to the full Soundside interview with Chief Shon Barnes here .  Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this...

It’s the most of the wonderful time of the year in Olympia, the time when the Democrats figure out how to fill a giant budget hole. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our pr...

We're bringing you an interview with incoming Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans. Voters resoundingly supported Evans in last month's elections. How much will the incoming city attorney roll back her predecessor's policies? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW...

How her campaign team took a political newcomer and got her elected mayor of Seattle. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Hans Anderson and Sarah Leibovitz. Our h...

Today's episode is all about certainty. Seattle voters got some certainty on who will be the city’s next mayor. Federal employees can be more certain about getting paid now that the longest government shutdown in history is over. But much about the future of local and federal government remains uncertain: Will government employees stay for the next shutdown or look for work somewhere else? A...

You heard it here first, folks. Election night in Washington state isn’t exciting. So many ballots left to count. So many potential changes in the coming days. But, a boring election night never stopped us from doing an analysis episode the next day, and we actually do have some likely winners. Let's dig into to what we know on day one after the 2025 general election. Thank you to the suppor...

We got a listener question, and we had to answer it. Rich wrote in to say: “I have a question regarding School Board elections. I was surprised when filling out my ballot to be voting for school board directors from across the district rather than just for the director that represents my area of the district. I think neighboring Highline School District ( that’s in South King County) d...

There's a local election in less than a week. Maybe you've been procrastinating with your ballot. You're not alone. Half the people who voted last year will sit this election out. Well, we're here to help. We’ve got a procrastinator’s guide to why you should care about this year’s election. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help...

Does Seattle want the stability of an experienced politician? Or do voters want new ideas, and new blood, in the Mayor's office? Mayor Bruce Harrell and challenger Katie Wilson  debated  the direction of the city here at KUOW. Now, we’re breaking down their differences on homelessness, public safety and taxes – to help you understand how their promises could shape the future...

Expect to see protestors out this weekend during Saturday's No Kings rally. There are numerous events planned in Washington and nearly as many reasons why people are turning out. We're taking a look at the complex patchwork of political ideologies on the left when it comes to protests, non-violence, and Antifa. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to h...

The Pacific Northwest has become a target for President Trump. He’s trying to send the National Guard to Portland. He also invited a group of right wing influencers from across the region, including Seattle, to the White House to talk about problems plaguing the “war ravaged” city. What’s the truth on the ground in Portland? Dirk VanderHart of OPB's Politics Now podcast bre...

King County voters will elect a new executive for the first time in 16 years. So far, the defining feature of the race to replace former Executive Dow Constantine is the similarity between the two candidates. Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay agree on a lot, but how would they run the county? We held a debate and asked them. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible....

This week, we're talking TV. What we see on our screens and what goes on behind the scenes -- and how that shapes the political landscape. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to  kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith....

Our guest this week is Brandi Kruse, conservative influencer and host of the UnDivided Podcast. We decided to have her on as the nation and our region are still reeling from the murder of Charlie Kirk -- and struggling with how to discuss the event. This episode of Sound Politics touches on some of the toughest political topics to discuss, and we think it's an example of the types of conversations...

Brian Heywood is back in the political spotlight. He’s the deep-pocketed conservative donor behind the group Let’s Go Washington. You may remember him from his initiative efforts last year. He collected hundreds of thousands of signatures for a slate of policies targeting a handful of key Democratic laws. And this week, he announced he's gathering signatures for two new initiatives to...

We talk about lawmakers a lot on this podcast, we talk about donors, we talk about the public – but there’s one group that’s a big deal in this constellation of political power, but we don’t often talk about: lobbyists. Over the past decade plus, as gridlock has gripped Congress, lobbying spending in states like ours has shot up. Of the states that track spending, Washingto...

President Trump promised retribution during his presidential campaign. He also talked about giving himself tremendous power, and his vice president has talked about defying the courts. And despite all of that, voters all over the country looked at the Trump ticket last year and said they'd rather have that than a Democrat. So what’s so wrong with the Democrats? And what’s it gonna take...

The Trump Justice Department is threatening to withhold funds or even prosecute local officials who enforce Washington’s sanctuary policies. But can they? We’ll hear how state leadership is responding as Trump tries to consolidate even more power. Plus, we'll talk about the impact of federal immigration policy on communities in Washington. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW,...

Next year's midterm elections are top of mind for politicians. And the stakes are incredibly high, especially for our state's most competitive Congressional seat: Southwest Washington's 3rd district. While the district broke for Trump three times, it also sent Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez to the U.S. House -- twice. But her challenger in 2026 will test whether voters support her unique politic...

If your ballot was sitting on your counter waiting to be turned in, well, it's expired now. The primary election is past. Results, however, are coming in. This week we take a look at two different trends. At the city level, voters have an anti-incumbent bent, but in state legislative races, incumbent Democrats who voted for tax increases seem to (mostly) be okay. Thank you to the supporters of KUO...