R-Amy Sinclair, Majority Whip for the Iowa Senate, knows hardship, struggle, and tragedy. She grew up in an apolitical family in rural Iowa without telephone service. She had a baby when she was 19 years old. During her first race in her late 2

Saira Blair - West Virginia's Youngest Delegate

Jun 13th, 2018 25m 37s

At the age of 17 in 2014, Saira Blair ran for a West Virginia delegate seat and beat an incumbent Republican in a primary to eventually become the youngest legislator in the USA. Hear how she managed her overwhelming fear of public speaking, ho

Josh Zakim - Boston City Councilor

May 23rd, 2018 13m 38s

Josh Zakim was elected to Boston City Council in 2013 when he was 29 years old. He is currently running for Secretary of State in Massachusetts against long-time incumbent William Galvin in the Democratic Primary. Will Zakim be the first Bosto

Senator Ikley-Freeman - From Homeless to Oklahoma's Youngest Legislator

May 7th, 2018 41m 39s

Senator Alison Ikley-Freeman is Oklahoma’s youngest state senator. She won a special election in 2018 as a Democrat in a conservative district that President Trump won by 40 points in 2016, and was represented by a Republican for over 20 years.

Julie Emerson - Louisiana’s Youngest Legislator

Apr 15th, 2018 41m 18s

At the age of 26, R-Julie Emerson beat a Democratic incumbent in 2015 to become the youngest legislator in Louisiana. The star of a viral video, she believes that millennials should gravitate towards the GOP and move away from progressive poli

Philadelphia Legend - Ed Rendell

Mar 28th, 2018 32m 46s

Ed Rendell is a Philadelphia legend. Ed began his career as an elected official when his campaigning in bars and subways paid off, and he was elected as the youngest District Attorney in Philadelphia history at the age of 32 in 1976. He served

Paulette Jordan - The First Native-American Governor?

Mar 16th, 2018 29m 54s

Paulette Jordan recently resigned from being the only Native American legislator in Idaho to focus on her run for Governor. If elected, she would be the first Governor elected as a Democrat in Idaho since 1990, the first female Governor in Idah

Melanie Stambaugh - Washington's Youngest Legislator

Mar 9th, 2018 38m 11s

Melanie Stambaugh beat a 5-term incumbent at the age of 23 to become Washington’s youngest legislator, and is the youngest female elected to the Washington state legislature since 1934. If beating a 5-term incumbent wasn’t tough enough, she is

Chloe Eudaly - From High-School Dropout to Portland, OR City Council

Feb 26th, 2018 40m 17s

Chloe Eudaly didn’t finish high school, but she still managed to beat a Harvard Law School graduate to become one of 8 woman ever elected to Portland City Council in 2016. A local book-store owner for decades, she was out-raised nearly 5 to 1 a

Paul Bailey - State Senator for Tennessee

Feb 19th, 2018 29m 45s

Senator Paul Bailey represents an area of rural Tennessee where Donald Trump received a whopping 75% of the vote. In this episode, we talk about the real estate boom going on in Nashville, how the state legislature has supported tourism in Tenn

Candidate Series - Jordan Hines - Delaware State Senate

Feb 12th, 2018 26m 56s

Jordan Hines is the youngest candidate for state senate in Delaware for the 2018 election cycle. He is in the midst of a 3-way primary for the District 3 seat currently held by Robert Marshall, who was first elected 12 years before Jordan was b

Interview with Tom Byrne, Delaware Public Media

Feb 7th, 2018 12m 28s

On January 31, 2018, I sat down with Tom Byrne of Delaware Public Media. Tom was kind enough to let me rebroadcast this as an EOA episode. Tom's write-up about it can be viewed here and says: "In a political climate that has become increasingl

Eddie Melton - Indiana's Youngest State Senator

Jan 30th, 2018 39m 52s

Eddie Melton won a 4-way Democratic primary in 2016 to join a lonely group of legislators: only 9 out of 50 state senators in Indiana are Democrats. He got his start in politics with an appointment to the state Board of Education by then Govern

Chicken Soup for the Candidate's Soul

Jan 23rd, 2018 24m 44s

Does the campaign trail have you down and out? Tired of being told to drop out of the race, that you can't win, all the while missing every fundraising target you set? Have no worries - you're not alone and you're not the first. Countless under

Congressman Tom MacArthur - Chair of Heroin Task Force

Jan 15th, 2018 30m 17s

Congressman R-Tom MacArthur (NJ) was elected to an open seat in the 3rd Congressional District in 2014, after fending off his Democratic challenger in a battleground district that President Obama won in 2012. Since in office, he has authored th

Jewell Jones - Michigan's Youngest Legislator

Jan 7th, 2018 31m 16s

Jewell Jones was first elected to Inkster City Council at the age of 20, and became the youngest representative in Michigan history at the age of 21. He has met Mark Zuckerberg, is an auxiliary police officer, and is currently finishing up his

Candidate Series: Elizabeth Lockman - Delaware State Senate District 3

Jan 2nd, 2018 32m 41s

“Life is about how you respond to challenges.” - Elizabeth Lockman Delaware State Senate District 3 has a primary on its hands: long-time incumbent D-Robert Marshall is being challenged by Jordan Hines and Elizabeth Lockman. In this interview,

Bryan Townsend - From Political Novice to Overthrowing Senate Leader

Dec 27th, 2017 44m 30s

State Senator D-Bryan Townsend was a political newcomer when he pulled off a gigantic upset in 2012 and beat Senate President Pro Tem Tony Deluca in a Democratic primary. Hear about some of the resistance he faced running against such a politic

Victor Pichardo - Bronx Politics: A Contact Sport?

Dec 18th, 2017 39m 41s

Victor Pichardo was first elected in a special election in 2013 to the New York General Assembly to represent the Bronx. Bronx politics is a unique animal: Victor’s predecessor, Nelson Castro, had to resign due to to a bribery scandal, and Vict

Mike Purzycki - From NFL Player to Wilmington, DE Mayor

Dec 11th, 2017 46m 27s

Mike Purzycki survived a crowded Democratic primary and ousted the incumbent in September 2016. Hear his thoughts on Wilmington 11 months after his inauguration, a personal story about Wellington Mara, what he would do to help education in Dela

Aundre Bumgardner - Victorious at 20 Years Old

Dec 7th, 2017 54m 12s

While most kids at the age of 20 are partying it up in college or working, Aundre Bumgardner was campaigning to win elected office and become the youngest legislator in Connecticut history, which he did in 2014 at the expense of a long-time inc

Ben McAdams - The Golden Boy of Utah Democrats?

Nov 27th, 2017 35m 55s

In 2012, Ben McAdams came back from a 20 point deficit in the polls to become Mayor of Salt Lake County in Utah. In August 2017, he disguised himself as a homeless person for two nights to get a better understanding of the issues facing the hom

Brian Pettyjohn - Victory in 37 Days

Nov 20th, 2017 37m 38s

Georgetown, DE native Brian Pettyjohn was elected to the Delaware State Senate on November 6, 2012. 38 days prior, he wasn’t even a candidate yet. After rumors of sex crimes surrounded the Republican candidate and likely winner Eric Bodenweiser

Rob Jones - A True American Hero

Nov 11th, 2017 36m 22s

File this one under “Future Elected Officials of America.” In 2010, Rob Jones volunteered with his Marine Corps unit to go to Afghanistan. While searching for Improvised Explosive Devices, Rob was struck by one, causing both of his legs to be a

Marcia Ranglin-Vassell - From Housekeeper to Deposing the House Majority Leader

Nov 6th, 2017 37m 5s

From housekeeper to overthrowing the House Majority Leader, Rep. Ranglin-Vassall was born and raised in Jamaica without running water. Her father didn’t read or write. Motivated by homicides in Rhode Island, she entered the political scene out