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PODCAST

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories

Join us on our journey to interview an elected official in each of the 50 states. With a focus on profiling underdogs who beat the odds, find out what motivated our officials to run, the adversities they overcame, and what we need to do to work together again. Do you think politics is only for a select and chosen few? Think again.

news & politics national

All Episodes

32:19

Amy Sinclair - Iowa's Senate Majority Whip

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/12/14

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 20s against a popular three-term incumbent, she was told by her own Party chair, “You’re going to lose.” Her brother tragically passed away during that campaign. Yet she overcame those odds and tragedy to become the youngest serving County Supervisor in Iowa,

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25:37

Saira Blair - West Virginia's Youngest Delegate

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/06/13

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, how she dealt with death threats she received over legislation, and how to handle embarrassing social media situations. 1:30 - Why aren’t you running for re-election? 2:50 - What was the reaction from your family when you told them you were going to run against

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13:38

Josh Zakim - Boston City Councilor

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/05/23

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 Boston City Councilor to win a statewide office in Massachusetts since 1958? 1:40 - What is the day in the life of a Boston City Councilor? 2:40 - What prompted you to put your name on the ballot as opposed to a behind the scenes role like your father? 3:22 - Was

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41:39

Senator Ikley-Freeman - From Homeless to Oklahoma's...

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/05/07

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. NBC chose this headline when Senator Alison Ikley-Freeman won: “Lesbian Democrat pulls off election victory in conservative Oklahoma”. While perhaps going for some shock value, the headline represents just how much of an underdog Senator Ikley-Freeman was in

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41:18

Julie Emerson - Louisiana’s Youngest Legislator

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/04/15

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 politics. As a legislator, Julie is dedicated to fighting off bad legislation and repealing some nonsensical laws still on the books in Louisiana, such as a mandatory 72-hour waiting period for a marriage license. Take a listen and see if the next wave of GOP

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32:46

Philadelphia Legend - Ed Rendell

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/03/28

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 as the Mayor of Philadelphia from 1991-2000 and Governor of Pennsylvania from 2003-2011. It wasn’t exactly an easy road. Ed lost back to back elections in 1986 and 1987 and was thought to be finished politically. Take a listen to hear how he got his start, and

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29:54

Paulette Jordan - The First Native-American Governor?

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/03/16

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 Idaho ever, and the first Native American Governor ever in the USA. Will the Blue Wave propel her over all those odds? 2:40 - Did you face any discrimination as an indigenous female growing up? 4:40 - Can you talk about your first campaign and what motivated you

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38:11

Melanie Stambaugh - Washington's Youngest Legislator

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/03/09

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 now battling 44 ethics violations and facing thousands of dollars in fines and legal fees, simply due to sharing public Facebook and YouTube videos. Melanie is also a musician, self-taught graphic designer, and a small-business owner who is not seeking

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40:17

Chloe Eudaly - From Bookstore Owner to Portland, OR...

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/02/26

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 and yet still became the first candidate to beat an incumbent since 1992. Hear our conversation about she pulled off such an upset, how being a single-mom impacted her campaign, her thoughts on how legalizing marijuana has affected Oregon, and more. 3:00 -

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29:45

Paul Bailey - State Senator for Tennessee

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/02/19

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 Tennessee, the reasons behind Senator Bob Corker not running for re-election, the heroin epidemic, and more. 2:00 - Is CB Trucking a family business? 2:30 - How much overlap is there between your industry and legislation? 3:00 - What was your first interest in

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26:56

Candidate Series - Jordan Hines - Delaware State Senate

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/02/12

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 born. In this episode, Jordan and I delve into his childhood in the foster care system, how the arts impacted him, what kind of resistance he has gotten from people about running, City Council’s discretionary fund, and more. 2:20 - How has the race been going

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12:28

Interview with Tom Byrne, Delaware Public Media

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/02/07

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 increasingly fractured and divisive, politicians at times seem more like partisan caricatures rather public servants.But a former State Senate candidate here in the First State is trying to get beyond the rhetoric to learn more about people holding political office

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39:52

Eddie Melton - Indiana's Youngest State Senator

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/01/30

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 Governor Pence in 2015. An outsider to Democratic politics, he didn’t participate in party politics prior to his election and is now the Deputy Chair of the state party. Hear us chat about the war on drugs, how he gets anything done as a Democrat in a

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24:44

Chicken Soup for the Candidate's Soul

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/01/23

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 underdogs before you have overcome considerable odds while faced with the same hurdles and difficulties that you're going through right now. In this recap episode, we hear from legislators from Alaska to Delaware who beat the odds: 2:00 - D-Matt Meyer beat a

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30:17

Congressman Tom MacArthur - Chair of Heroin Task Force

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/01/15

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 the MacArthur Amendment of the American Health Care Act, successfully fought for a $10,000 property tax deduction in the recent tax bill, and chairs the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic. He entered politics after a successful business career,

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31:16

Jewell Jones - Michigan's Youngest Legislator

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/01/07

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 senior year at the University of Michigan-Dearborn as an ROTC cadet. Take a listen as we discuss the past and future of Detroit, how Jewell wants us to stop understanding and start “over-standing” each other, and more. Instagram: @jewelljonesmi Facebook:

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32:41

Candidate Series: Elizabeth Lockman - Delaware State...

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2018/01/02

“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, Elizabeth Lockman reflects on how the beginning of her campaign has gone so far, some of the challenges she has overcome in her life, and what it is like being an unconventional political candidate. :40 - Can you talk about some of the emotions involved in

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44:30

Bryan Townsend - From Political Novice to...

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2017/12/27

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 political heavyweight, how his political views were shaped by his father as a Newark police officer and his mom a teacher, and his thoughts on his 2016 Congressional run which had him finishing in second place. To view the show notes, head on over to

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39:41

Victor Pichardo - Bronx Politics: A Contact Sport?

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2017/12/18

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 Victor’s opponent, Hector Ramirez, in 2014 was arrested for voter fraud (and still lost!). Hear how Pichardo’s interest in politics got sparked by Senator Schumer’s concern for his family after the tragic murder of Victor’s cousin, some insight into Senator

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46:27

Mike Purzycki - From NFL Player to Wilmington, DE Mayor

Elected Officials of America: Underdog Stories ·

2017/12/11

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 Delaware, and more. 2:00 - Can you talk about your upbringing in Newark, NJ? 6:30 - Mike reflects on his time with the NY Giants. 9:30 - What was your NFL salary? 10:30 - What prompted your first foray into politics? 12:00 - What made you think about running for

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41 results

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