The Electorette Podcast

Civil Rights Lawyer, and author of the book "Sexual Justice: Supporting Victims, Ensuring Due Process, and Resisting the Conservative Backlash," Alexandra Brodsky, discusses the Biden administration's forthcoming changes to Title IX, as well as the history of Title IX — from changes under the Obama administration, to the law's gutting at the hands of Betsy DeVos under the Trump administration, and...

Nsé Ufot, the CEO of New Georgia Project, an organization that has changed the political landscape in Georgia, discusses the current state of politics in Georgia, including an analysis of the upcoming gubernatorial rematch between Stacey Abrams, and Brian Kemp, and the Senate races between Raphael Warnock, and Republican candidate, Herschel Walker. #MidTerms #NewGeorgiaProject #VoterSuppression Vo...

Amanda Hunter, the Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, discusses their new research exploring how political races change when two women compete. In our conversation we explore key findings including how women must prove their qualifications, where men are assumed to be qualified—a fact that doesn't change when the race is between two women. Also, we discuss the significant rac...

Lala Wu, the Executive Director of the Sister District Project, discusses the Supreme Court opinion leak which revealed that conservative justices were planning to overturn Roe v Wade, thus making abortion illegal. We address whether access to birth control may be their next target, what state legislatures can do to mitigate the harms of overturning Roe v Wade, and how we can fight back against at...

One year ago, last spring, six Asian-American women were murdered at an Atlanta Spa during one of many vicious attacks against members of the AAPI community in recent history. Run AAPI Executive Director Linh Nguyen discusses what has and has not changed for members of the AAPI community, and in addressing escalating hate crimes. She also discusses how we can promote reform from within via politic...

Tatenda Musapatike, the Founder and CEO of the Voter Formation Project, discusses how social media companies, like Facebook, proliferate, and profit from political disinformation. She also explains why it takes so long for social media companies to respond to disinformation, and groups that could potentially foment violence. Additionally, we discuss whose job it is to hold social media companies a...

Emily Bingham, a historian and Louisville-native, has spent years examining the troubling history of this iconic American melody, the Kentucky's State Anthem, "My Old Kentucky Home." She provides an analysis and an historical context for the song's lyrics, and given it's problematic association with mistral shows, she addresses the question of how to move forward while learning from the country's...

Lala Wu, the Executive Director of the Sister District Project, discusses the historic confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, and the impact and importance of having diverse representation at all levels of government. We also discuss the status of the Republican long-game to undermine democracy, specifically as it relates to redrawing congressional maps. Recently, Republicans attem...

Amanda Hunter, the Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, discusses the unique challenges women face in gubernatorial races. We discuss upcoming gubernatorial races like Stacey Abrams in Georgia and Nan Whaley in Ohio, as well as, biases in the way voters view a woman's preparedness to lead when seeking election to an executive level position. Listen to All Electorette Episodes h...

Emily Cherniack, Founder & Executive Director of New Politics, an organization focused on recruiting, and electing leaders who've served the country, through military service, discusses the those who've served in the military can bring to the table in elected positions. Emily also discusses two of New Politics' elected candidates, Representatives Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, and Seth Moulton of...

Amanda Litman, Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director of Run For Something, a progressive political organization dedicated to recruiting and supporting young candidates running for down-ballot office, discusses the upcoming midterms, and how Democrats can counter threats to democracy by targeting down ballot races. Episode Resources Run For What: Click here to find out what down ballot seats are open...

Laura Packard is the Executive Director of Healthcare Voter, an organization that holds elected officials accountable for their votes on health care. Laura is also a healthcare advocate, and cancer survivor who credits the Affordable Care Act with saving her life; in this episode, she discusses the details of President Biden's Cancer Moonshot Initiative which aims to reduce cancer deaths by 50 per...

Meagan Hatcher-Mays, the director of democracy policy at Indivisible, discusses the historic nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court. We discuss Jackson's unimpeachable record as a federal appellate court judge, conservative pushback to her nomination, and why Jackson has been embraced by all factions of the Democratic Party, from progressives to moderates. Listen to All Electore...

Financial Journalist and co-host for NPR’s Planet Money podcast, Mary Childs, discusses her new book, "The Bond King: How One Man Made a Market, Built an Empire, and Lost It All." The Bond King is the story of American Investor, and fund manager Bill Gross, who was the co-founder of the powerful, and wildly successful investment firm, PIMCO (Pacific Investment Management Co.). Gross also played a...

When members of the Progressive Caucus released a statement regarding United States involvement in Ukraine, Kimberly St Julian-Varnon, a PhD student in Soviet, Russian, E. European history and presidential fellow in the Department of History at Pennsylvania, had some concerns over some of the talking points. Kimberly St Julian-Varnon is in an expert on the region, and its history, and she wrote an...

The economic fallout following the pandemic will affect certain segments of the population harder than others; women, people of color, Black Americans, and other marginalized groups will have a tougher professional and economic road ahead of them once the pandemic ends. The effects of the pandemic on groups who are burdened by intergenerational poverty will be even deeper. Alison Moore, the CEO of...

Political Strategist, Atima Omara discusses the recent democratic losses in Virginia, including the gubernatorial race between political veteran, and former VA governor Terry McAuliffe, and political newcomer, Republican Glenn Youngkin. What could Democrats have done differently? What role did the Critical Race Theory debate have on the election outcome? And were Democrats too "woke" as some pundi...

Greisa Martinez Rosas, the Deputy Executive Director at United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth-led community in the country, discusses legislation for a pathway to citizenship for immigrants, and DACA recipients, and whether a pathway to citizenship will finally pass under President Biden's Build Back Better agenda. Listen to All Electorette Episodes https://www.electorette.com/podcast Suppo...

Kathleen Belew discusses her "There Are No Lone Wolves: The White Power Movement at War," from her new book, "A Field Guide to White Supremacy." She explains what white supremacy is, and how it differs from racism, white nationalism, and white power movements. She also discusses how the narrative and public discourse around violence white nationalist, and racist events helps their efforts by perpe...

Meagan Hatcher-Mays, attorney, and director of democracy policy at Indivisible.org, discusses the process of expanding the Supreme Court as a remedy to its current make-up which heavily favors conservatives. We also discuss the history of court expansion, the popularity of the current proposal to expand the Supreme Court in Congress, and Biden's commission that was formed several moths ago, and ta...

Gaby Goldstein, cofounder of The Sister District Project, discusses the history of how Republicans gained majorities in state legislatures, and the ways in which they've used that power to shrink rights, including voting rights., and reproductive rights. She also provides some practical solutions for Democrats to begin to win over majorities in state legislatures, starting with Virginia: one of th...

Maya Contreras is an activist, a voting rights advocate, and now she's running for Congress in New York's 12th District. Maya was one of the very first guests on The Electorette, and has always been passionate about legislation that works for everyday working people. We talk about what drove her to run for office, and why she chose to primary a sitting Democratic incumbent. We also discuss current...

Historian and author of the prize winning book "Set the World on Fire," and co-editor of the New York Times bestseller, "Four Hundred Souls," Dr. Keisha Blain discusses her latest book, "Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America" which explores the extraordinary life, and work of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. EPISODE REFERENCES Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's En...

Activist and healthcare advocate, Laura Packard, is the Executive Director of the group Health Care Voter, and the founder of Health Care Voices, a non-profit grassroots organization for adults with serious medical conditions. Laura credits the Affordable Care Act with saving her life while battling Stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma; now she helps others use their voices to achieve comprehensive healthcare...

Heidi Sieck, the Cofounder and CEO of #VOTEPROCHOICE discusses the extreme anti-choice legislation that's happening at the state level, and gets into the details of the legal, and legislative process behind the latest bills. We also talk about the upcoming Mississippi anti-abortion case that will soon go before the Supreme Court, and provides a list of actionable steps to fight back against these...