The Electorette Podcast

Emily Tisch Sussman, a veteran political strategist and host of the podcast, She Pivots, discusses how she handled a mid-career shift after having her first child, and how national paid leave legislation could transform the lives of working parents, and in particular, working moms. We also discuss the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which goes into effect June 2023, and lastly, what we should expec...

New interactive maps, from Power to Decide, powerfully illustrate the post-Roe abortion care landscape. Power to Decide's CEO, Dr. Raegan McDonald Mosley, and Policy VP, Rachel Fey take up through a deep-dive into that data following the Dobbs decision, and what the degradation of access has meant to those seeking abortion care. Power to Decide's Interactive Abortion Access Map Click here to view...

Christian Nunes, the President of NOW.org (National Organization for Women) discusses the crucial role that women played during the 2020 midterm elections, and the role they women will play in the upcoming 2024 election cycle. Women were "angry as hell" following the overturning of Roe, Nunes explains, driving turnout to the ballot box. We also discuss how conservatives use fear and scare tactics...

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 significant improvements to the Affordable Care Act — including expanded coverage and lower costs —...

Elyssa Feder, the Executive Director of Rising Organizers, an organization focused on training new and emerging leaders to build power in their own communities for change, discusses the importance of organizers in shaping policy, and building better communities for everyone. We also discuss the outlook for the upcoming 2022 midterm elections and the role of organizers is shaping what voters care a...

Shauna Siggelkow, the Director of Digital Storytelling for the non-profit Define American, discusses their recent report analyzing anti-immigration messaging and disinformation campaigns on YouTube. The report was the culmination of three years of original research which looked at the impact, tactics, and reach of anti-immigration narratives on YouTube. Shauna discusses whose behind these campaign...

Jamia Wilson and Kate Kelly, hosts of the Ordinary Equality Podcast, join me to discuss the repeal of Roe v Wade, how the repeal with impact the upcoming midterms, and we try to answer the question, "Where do we go from here?" #midterms #midtermelections #midterm2022 #RoevWade Jamia Wilson is an award-winning feminist activist, best-selling author, speaker, and podcaster. Kate Kelly is an activist...

Professor and author, Patricia A. Turner discusses her latest book, Trash Talk: Anti-Obama Lore and Race in the Twenty-First Century, which explores the rumors, legends, and conspiracy theories that plagued President Barack Obama and his family throughout his presidency. In our conversation she examines how these patterns have persisted and what this means for American political culture. Mentioned...

International Chair for Democrats Abroad, Candice Kerestan talks about the importance of energizing the Democratic voting bloc abroad for the upcoming midterm elections. With millions of Americans living and working abroad, their vote, and their activism could make or break an election. #Midterms #MidtermElections #Midterms2022 #StateLegislatures Mentioned in this episode: Democrats Abroad Listen...

The president and CEO of Women's World Banking, Mary Ellen Iskenderian, discusses how women globally disproportionately bore the economic cost of the pandemic, and how for many women, the concept of microfinance has been an economic lifeline, especially for many women in developing countries. We also discuss her recent book, There’s Nothing Micro About a Billion Women, in which Iskenderian explore...

Democracy Forward is an organization dedicated to defending democracy in the courtroom. Their innovative legal team has taken the Trump administration to court more than 100 times, challenging unlawful policies and abuses of power. Skye Perryman, the president and CEO of Democracy Forward, discusses their current and past legal cases, including challenges to abortion bans, censorship, as well as i...

Co-founder of Sister District, Gaby Goldstein, and the Senior Political Director at Crooked Media, Shaniqua McClendon discuss winning state legislative races as a strategy for saving democracy, and how Democrats can wrest back control from conservatives who’ve used state legislatures to rule from the minority. We also discuss what level of voter engagement is required to strengthen democracy. #mid...

Meagan Hatcher-Mays, the director of democracy policy at Indivisible, discusses the recent controversial decisions from the Supreme Court, including the Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v Wade, their decision to limit the regulating power of the Environmental Protection Agency (West Virginia v. EPA), and the decision on concealed weapons in New York (New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Brue...

When Kate Dineen and her husband sought abortion care in the state of Massachusetts, following a devastating MRI revealed that the baby she was carrying had a 50% chance of dying before birth, or shortly thereafter. Dineen shares the nightmarish journey to access a later term abortion in her very blue town of Boston, even though local abortion laws should have protected her access to abortion care...

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...