Unmoderated News

Greg Stanton Helped Deliver the New Dems’ Best Year Ever

Unmoderated News — Thu, 12 Nov 2026 12:03:54 GMT

Greg Stanton grew up on the west side of Phoenix, the son of a schoolteacher and a shoe salesman. He spent nine years on the Phoenix City Council and six as mayor before winning his seat in Congress in 2018.

This summer, Representative Stanton fought off a primary challenge from a democratic socialist, winning by a two-to-one margin. Now he runs the campaign arm of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats that represents the biggest Democratic bloc in the House.

The conversation came just after the midterms, with Democrats feeling good about a result even better than anyone had expected. Sarah McCammon spoke with Representative Stanton about why moderates flipped the toughest red seats, what Stephen Miller’s new job means for working with President Trump, and how his father’s daily bus ride to JCPenney made him a champion of public transportation.

Midterms 2026: Moderates Remake the Map

Unmoderated News — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:03:27 GMT

Election night brought a huge victory for Democrats, the biggest night an American political party has had in decades. Democrats will control both the House and Senate next year, with margins that exceed most expectations. It was a resounding repudiation of President Trump and his party.

But does that mean voters actually like Democrats? And what comes next, now that Democrats will control Congress but Trump is still in the White House?

Yemisi Egbewole is a senior fellow at Third Way. She was chief of staff to the White House press office under President Biden and worked on Capitol Hill before that. Lanae Erickson is Third Way’s senior vice president for social policy, education, and politics.

Sarah McCammon spoke with Egbewole and Erickson about how moderate Democrats flipped so many seats in red states, the pastor in Kansas and the seminarian in Texas who won previously unthinkable Senate races, and what Egbewole describes as the “pothole mindset” that she wants every Democrat heading to Washington to adopt when it comes to solving voters’ problems.

Sarah Longwell Eats the Elephant One Trump Voter at a Time

Unmoderated News — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:01:28 GMT

Sarah Longwell grew up in a small town in central Pennsylvania, a place where they canceled school on the first day of deer season. She finished college not long after 9/11 and went to work for Republicans, the party she saw as being on the side of America. Longwell spent the next 15 years as a party operative and became the first woman to chair the Log Cabin Republicans, a group for gay, lesbian, and bisexual Republicans and their allies.

Then Donald Trump took over her party, and Longwell walked away. She helped start the media company The Bulwark and now spends her time trying to better understand the voters who put Trump in office. Her new book, How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time, is about what those voters have been telling her and what Democrats should do about it.

Sarah McCammon spoke with Longwell about why a “messy guy” like Trump feels familiar to voters, promoting Rick Santorum’s book while quietly going to lesbian bars, and why so many Trump voters are angry heading into the midterms.

Mike Murphy Knew Trump Was Trouble in the 90s

Unmoderated News — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 11:03:49 GMT

Mike Murphy spent decades working for Republicans, including Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, and John McCain. Then came Donald Trump.

It was a turning point for Murphy. He never got on board with Trump, and now he’s one of the Republican Party’s sharpest critics, even while insisting he’s still a conservative. He co-hosts the Hacks on Tap podcast and co-directs the bipartisan USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future.

Before the midterms, Sarah McCammon spoke with Murphy about why Trump’s 2016 campaign was so hard to compete with, the wave he expects to give Democrats more power on Capitol Hill, and how the party can win back voters who make a living with their hands.

Cheri Bustos Won Trump Country, One Grocery Aisle at a Time

Unmoderated News — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:03:46 GMT

Cheri Bustos spent almost two decades as a newspaper reporter before entering public life. She served on her city council and then, in 2012, flipped a Republican seat in a working-class stretch of northwest Illinois.

Even when Donald Trump won her district in 2016, Bustos held on to that seat and won by more than 20 points. Her colleagues later chose her to lead the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for the 2020 cycle, where she fought back Republican attacks and protected the Democratic House majority. Since leaving Congress, Bustos has spent her time thinking hard about how Democrats can win in places where the party usually loses, and what makes them successful.

Sarah McCammon spoke with former Rep. Bustos about why she’s keeping an eye on Iowa, how “Supermarket Saturdays” helped her hold on in Trump country, and what Democrats should prioritize if they win back Congress.

Dr. Annie Andrews Doesn't Ask Patients Their Party

Unmoderated News — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 11:01:08 GMT

When Dr. Annie Andrews launched her Senate campaign in a solidly Republican state last year, she knew she was the underdog. No Democrat has won a Senate race in South Carolina in close to three decades, and the state has voted for Donald Trump by double-digit margins in every election he’s run.

Dr. Andrews is running against Darline Graham, the sister of the late, long-serving Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). She’s a pediatrician who spends her days caring for children—and as a doctor, she has ideas about what leaders can do to care for their constituents.

Sarah McCammon spoke with Dr. Andrews about why she wants to pause new data centers in South Carolina, what she’s seeing in the hospital as vaccine skepticism spreads from the top of the federal government, and how she plans to win over Republicans who can’t imagine supporting Darline Graham.

Jared Polis Made Colorado #1 in Education

Unmoderated News — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:03:56 GMT

Jared Polis took an unusual path into politics. When he was 25, and not yet a parent, he won a seat on Colorado's State Board of Education. He later had kids of his own and became the first openly gay parent to serve in Congress. In 2018, Colorado made him the first openly gay man ever elected governor in the United States.

Eight years later, education is still Governor Polis's signature issue, from passing universal preschool and full-day kindergarten to breaking with most of his party on school choice. He's zagged on plenty of other issues, too, vetoing dozens of bills from a legislature his party controls.

Now, with a few months left in his final term, Governor Polis is talking about what he's learned. Sarah McCammon spoke with him in Washington, DC, about how Colorado paid for universal preschool, why he cut Tina Peters's sentence, and why he wants Democrats to be pro-capitalism.

Quinton Lucas Wants Democrats at the Chiefs Game

Unmoderated News — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:03:15 GMT

For stretches of his childhood, Quinton Lucas was homeless. He crashed at motels, with relatives, and even at the nursing home where his great-aunt lived. Now he’s the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri.

He was elected in 2019, the youngest mayor of Kansas City in more than a century. Four years later, he was reelected with more than 80% of the vote.

Sarah McCammon, who grew up in Kansas City, spoke with Mayor Lucas there in person about growing up poor on the city’s east side, why he goes on conservative talk radio every week, what free buses taught him, and why Democrats should celebrate the American story.

Jessica Tarlov Wins Arguments Without Losing Friends

Unmoderated News — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:04:06 GMT

Jessica Tarlov is, for lack of a better term, a prominent moderate. She’s one of the most recognizable Democrats on Fox News, arguing daily with people who don’t agree with her, and she co-hosts the podcast “Raging Moderates” with Scott Galloway.

In her new book, I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends, she draws on those daily fights to share what she’s learned about arguing well—with colleagues, with critics, and with her own family.

Sarah McCammon spoke with Tarlov about the family dinner table that taught her to argue while still staying connected, her belief in fighting for health care as a human right, and what she thinks it will take for moderate Democrats to out-organize the party’s left flank.

Yadira Ramos-Herbert Says Real is Better Than Polished

Unmoderated News — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:02:43 GMT

Yadira Ramos-Herbert grew up in Queens, the granddaughter of immigrants. She started her career as an attorney in New York City, then spent a decade in leadership at Columbia University Law School.

She was working with students there when the campus was rocked by protests over the war in Gaza, after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Soon afterward, she became the first woman and the first person of color ever to lead the city of New Rochelle, New York.

Today, Ramos-Herbert presides over one of the most closely watched affordable housing efforts in America while leading a deeply diverse city through a divided political moment.

Sarah McCammon spoke with Mayor Ramos-Herbert about her family’s immigration story, the backlash she sometimes faces for speaking Spanish on the job, and how she held her city together after October 7.

Frank Sharry Says Democrats Could Still Win on Immigration

Unmoderated News — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:03:41 GMT

Third Way Senior Fellow Frank Sharry has been at the center of nearly every major push for immigration reform for decades — and watched almost all of them fall apart.

Now he wants Democrats to reckon with where they went wrong on immigration, and how the party can reclaim the middle in the midterms and beyond.

Sarah McCammon spoke with Sharry about how Democrats lost credibility on the border, the “both-and” answer he thinks can win back swing voters, and how four decades working with refugees shaped his view of the issue.

Jake Auchincloss Wants to Save Democrats from Permanent Minority

Unmoderated News — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 11:02:31 GMT

Most kids hang posters of their favorite bands on their walls. Jake Auchincloss decorated his room with pictures of the Founding Fathers.

His grandfather, the son of Jewish refugees, snuck into a Marine recruiting station as a teenager during World War II, over his mother’s objections. Representative Auchincloss joined the Marines to carry on that legacy. He commanded infantry in Afghanistan, then came home and ran for office. Now he is pushing the Democratic Party toward the center—and back to winning.

Sarah McCammon spoke with Representative Auchincloss about how Afghanistan shaped his view of American power, why he calls social media a failed society, and the governing vision he thinks can redefine the center around the middle class.

Elissa Slotkin is on Trump’s List… and She’s Fighting Back

Unmoderated News — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:03:06 GMT

Elissa Slotkin arrived in New York City as a student one day before 9/11—and before the smoke cleared, she knew what she wanted to do with her life. She went on to serve in the CIA, did three tours in Iraq, and worked in the White House under two presidents: one Republican and one Democrat.

Michigan voters elected Senator Slotkin to the US Senate in 2024—the same night Donald Trump carried the state. She won in part by winning in places Kamala Harris couldn’t. And her tenure in the Senate has been defined by a willingness to take on powerful interests and stick up for what she believes in. After Senator Slotkin and other intelligence and military veterans made a public statement reminding American troops that they can refuse illegal orders, President Trump accused her of sedition. Lately she’s also been taking on what she sees as the failures of her own party.

Sarah McCammon spoke with Senator Slotkin in Washington, DC, about how her mother’s illness and the AIDS crisis shaped her politics, what she means when she says Democrats need more alpha energy, and why she wants a crowded 2028 primary.

Brooke Jenkins Won’t Apologize for Prosecuting Crime

Unmoderated News — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:01:55 GMT

Brooke Jenkins was a homicide prosecutor in San Francisco when she walked out the door and helped lead a campaign to fire her own boss. That boss was one of the most famous progressive prosecutors in America. He had promised fewer prosecutions and a new model of justice.

But as drug markets spread and theft videos went viral, voters in one of America’s most liberal cities decided the experiment had gone too far. After they recalled him in 2022, Jenkins was appointed to replace him.

Since then, San Francisco has become a test of a question Democrats face everywhere: Can the party get serious about crime and disorder without giving up on reform?

Sarah McCammon spoke with District Attorney Jenkins about how she found her calling prosecuting violent crime, how she balances holding dangerous offenders accountable and partnering with at-risk communities, and what San Francisco can teach national Democrats.

Tom Suozzi: The Trump Country Democrat Pushing His Party to the Middle

Unmoderated News — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:03:25 GMT

Tom Suozzi grew up in a family where public service was the family business. His father immigrated from Italy, and flew bombing missions over Europe during World War II, before becoming a mayor. Suozzi went on to follow his father into politics.

Today, he’s the only Democrat in New York who holds a congressional district that Trump won. He’s on a campaign to push his party to declare itself capitalist not socialist and proud rather than ashamed of America.

Sarah McCammon spoke with Representative Suozzi about immigration, the future of the democratic party, and how Jonah Hill inspired an odyssey of the soul before his return to Congress.

Ken Salazar on Immigration, the Border, and the Future of the Democratic Party

Unmoderated News — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 11:03:14 GMT

Ken Salazar comes from a part of Colorado with a complicated history that has shaped the way he understands immigration and identity. Salazar has represented his home state in the U.S. Senate, served as President Obama’s Interior Secretary, and more recently, he was President Biden’s ambassador to Mexico—at a time when Biden’s border policy was under scrutiny.

Now, Salazar is sharing his ideas about what went wrong and where Democrats should go from here. His new book ‘Borderlands’ is out now wherever books are sold.

Sarah McCammon spoke with Secretary Salazar about the politics of border security, the future of U.S.-Mexico relations, and Salazar’s proposal for a new North American alliance.

Justin Bibb on Winning City Hall at 34

Unmoderated News — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:00:37 GMT

Justin Bibb grew up in a house where public safety was personal. His father was a police officer and firefighter, his grandmother led the neighborhood watch, and those experiences shaped how he thinks about government, safety, and civic responsibility.

Even after leaving Cleveland, Bibb never stopped thinking about how to make his hometown stronger. He eventually returned to run for mayor, becoming one of the youngest leaders of a major American city. Today, he’s focused on policing, the housing affordability crisis, and the long work of revitalizing a Rust Belt city that has spent decades reinventing itself.

Sarah McCammon talks with Bibb about what it takes to govern through difficult tradeoffs, why he believes cities are leading the country on problem-solving, and what national Democrats can learn from local leaders delivering results.

Mark Cuban Has a Plan to Fix Health Care

Unmoderated News — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:03:52 GMT

Most people know Mark Cuban as a Shark Tank investor or longtime owner of the Dallas Mavericks. But a few years ago, he started Cost Plus Drugs to cut out the middleman in a pharmaceutical industry he says is fundamentally broken.

Cuban wants healthcare for everyone—even if he doesn’t think Medicare for All is the answer. He argues that transparency is the missing ingredient, and lays out what he thinks it would actually take to build a universal healthcare system that works.

Sarah McCammon speaks with Cuban about healthcare reform, AI, wealth inequality, the future of the Democratic Party, and why he believes politicians need to spend less time talking and more time solving people’s everyday problems.

Jackie Payne on the Moderate Women Who Decide Elections

Unmoderated News — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:03:06 GMT

After Donald Trump won in 2016, Jackie Payne did something unusual. She got in a car and spent two years just listening to women. What she found was a huge number of moderate women — in the suburbs and small towns — that both parties keep underestimating, and keep getting wrong. Closing that gap with America’s largest single voting bloc would meaningfully expand the coalition for progress and put extremists on the ropes.

Payne is the founder and executive director of Galvanize Action, a group focused on moderate women. That makes her uniquely plugged into what these women want, and full of ideas on how to persuade them.

Joe Walsh and Yemisi Egbewole Diagnose the Brand

Unmoderated News — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:03:44 GMT

Democrats have a branding problem. Joe Walsh and Yemisi Egbewole think they know why.

They took very different roads into the Democratic Party. Walsh was a Tea Party congressman who campaigned for Donald Trump in 2016. Egbewole ran communications in Joe Biden’s White House — and now she’s a political commentator on Fox News.

They both have ideas about why the Democratic Party feels so out of touch to many red-state voters, and thoughts on how to win them back. Sarah McCammon spoke with them live on stage in Charleston, South Carolina earlier this year.