The Fight for Rural America

A year ago, Astead took “The Run-Up” listeners home for Thanksgiving.Specifically, he convened a focus group of family and friends to talk about the election and the question of Black people’s changing relationship to the Democratic Party.This year, he got the group back together ...  Show more

President-elect Trump’s cabinet nominees and major appointments — which have arrived quickly in the days since he won the election — are more than just a list of allies. The roster is a window into how he sees the mission of a second term.One priority will be immigration and bord ...  Show more

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst (R) plans to announce that she will not run for reelection next year. This move would open up a potentially competitive race in the Hawkeye State. Democrats are eyeing the open Senate seat; however, the party continues to struggle in statewide elections an ...  Show more

Wisconsin wasn’t always a battleground state, but following Trump’s victory there in 2016, Democrats are trying to regain their footing among rural voters. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Rob Byers ...  Show more

Jon is joined Democratic message guru Anat Shenker-Osorio and longtime political strategist Michael Podhorzer to talk about how swing voters are reacting to a Harris-Walz ticket and what message the campaign will need to win them over in November. They break down why Tim Walz ...

As the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee takes up oxygen this week, Democrats are having tough conversations, including whether President Joe Biden could have another troubling debate. On this week's episode, host Johanna Maska talks with 21-year-old TikTok influencer H ...  Show more