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Sound Politics

KUOW News and Information

A podcast about the candidates, policies, and perspectives shaping the Pacific Northwest. Produced by KUOW in Seattle. There’s a lot to wade through when it comes to Washington State politics. The drama, the facts, the money, and the movers and shakers. In Sound Politics KUOW host Libby Denkmann and politics reporter Scott Greenstone go beyond the ballot to guide you through what’s happening in local politics, why it matters, and how you can use your vote to make a difference. New episodes every

news politics

All Episodes

15:20

Thanksgiving side dish: A morsel of post-election...

Sound Politics ·

2025/11/26

We're bringing you an interview with incoming Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans. Voters resoundingly supported Evans in last month's elections. How much will the incoming city attorney roll back her predecessor's policies? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Hans

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40:12

The inside story of Katie Wilson's win

Sound Politics ·

2025/11/21

How her campaign team took a political newcomer and got her elected mayor of Seattle. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Hans Anderson and Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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32:13

Shutdown drama over, and Harrell exits stage left

Sound Politics ·

2025/11/14

Today's episode is all about certainty. Seattle voters got some certainty on who will be the city’s next mayor. Federal employees can be more certain about getting paid now that the longest government shutdown in history is over. But much about the future of local and federal government remains uncertain: Will government employees stay for the next shutdown or look for work somewhere else? And what will a new mayor bring for the city of Seattle? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help

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35:30

All politics is national

Sound Politics ·

2025/11/05

You heard it here first, folks. Election night in Washington state isn’t exciting. So many ballots left to count. So many potential changes in the coming days. But, a boring election night never stopped us from doing an analysis episode the next day, and we actually do have some likely winners. Let's dig into to what we know on day one after the 2025 general election. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go

en-US

7:19

The weird rule that shapes Seattle school board races

Sound Politics ·

2025/11/03

We got a listener question, and we had to answer it. Rich wrote in to say: “I have a question regarding School Board elections. I was surprised when filling out my ballot to be voting for school board directors from across the district rather than just for the director that represents my area of the district. I think neighboring Highline School District (that’s in South King County) does the same. I’m not sure why I never noticed it before, but is this common in other Washington

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42:23

Send this to a procrastinator voter

Sound Politics ·

2025/10/30

There's a local election in less than a week. Maybe you've been procrastinating with your ballot. You're not alone. Half the people who voted last year will sit this election out. Well, we're here to help. We’ve got a procrastinator’s guide to why you should care about this year’s election. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a

en-US

29:09

Jock vs nerd: who will be the next Mayor of Seattle?

Sound Politics ·

2025/10/23

Does Seattle want the stability of an experienced politician? Or do voters want new ideas, and new blood, in the Mayor's office? Mayor Bruce Harrell and challenger Katie Wilsondebatedthe direction of the city here at KUOW. Now, we’re breaking down their differences on homelessness, public safety and taxes – to help you understand how their promises could shape the future of the Emerald City. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out,

en-US

22:53

He went viral for shouting down 'antifa.' Now he...

Sound Politics ·

2025/10/15

Expect to see protestors out this weekend during Saturday's No Kings rally. There are numerous events planned in Washington and nearly as many reasons why people are turning out. We're taking a look at the complex patchwork of political ideologies on the left when it comes to protests, non-violence, and Antifa. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a

en-US

26:45

The dream of the right wing is alive in Portland

Sound Politics ·

2025/10/09

The Pacific Northwest has become a target for President Trump. He’s trying to send the National Guard to Portland. He also invited a group of right wing influencers from across the region, including Seattle, to the White House to talk about problems plaguing the “war ravaged” city. What’s the truth on the ground in Portland? Dirk VanderHart of OPB's Politics Now podcast breaks down what he's seeing in the Rose City. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show

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43:08

Seagulls shut down candidates as congress shuts down...

Sound Politics ·

2025/10/02

King County voters will elect a new executive for the first time in 16 years. So far, the defining feature of the race to replace former Executive Dow Constantine is the similarity between the two candidates. Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay agree on a lot, but how would they run the county? We held a debate and asked them. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes. Sound Politics is a production of

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32:19

TV on the radio

Sound Politics ·

2025/09/25

This week, we're talking TV. What we see on our screens and what goes on behind the scenes -- and how that shapes the political landscape. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go tokuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Sarah Leibovitz and Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Catharine Smith and Scott Greenstone.See

en-US

75:45

A high horse and a gaslight walk into a bar (with...

Sound Politics ·

2025/09/18

Our guest this week is Brandi Kruse, conservative influencer and host of the UnDivided Podcast. We decided to have her on as the nation and our region are still reeling from the murder of Charlie Kirk -- and struggling with how to discuss the event. This episode of Sound Politics touches on some of the toughest political topics to discuss, and we think it's an example of the types of conversations that are important to have in a healthy democracy. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make

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63:04

Heywood you sign this? Let's Go WA is working on two...

Sound Politics ·

2025/09/11

Brian Heywood is back in the political spotlight. He’s the deep-pocketed conservative donor behind the group Let’s Go Washington. You may remember him from his initiative efforts last year. He collected hundreds of thousands of signatures for a slate of policies targeting a handful of key Democratic laws. And this week, he announced he's gathering signatures for two new initiatives to the Legislature on K-12 schools. Including a controversial measure that would ban transgender girls from

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30:24

What's lobbying got to do with it?

Sound Politics ·

2025/09/04

We talk about lawmakers a lot on this podcast, we talk about donors, we talk about the public – but there’s one group that’s a big deal in this constellation of political power, but we don’t often talk about: lobbyists. Over the past decade plus, as gridlock has gripped Congress, lobbying spending in states like ours has shot up. Of the states that track spending, Washington has seen the most dramatic rise in spending on lobbying. So who are the lobbyists in Olympia and how

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30:17

Democrats' big, blue branding problem

Sound Politics ·

2025/08/28

President Trump promised retribution during his presidential campaign. He also talked about giving himself tremendous power, and his vice president has talked about defying the courts. And despite all of that, voters all over the country looked at the Trump ticket last year and said they'd rather have that than a Democrat. So what’s so wrong with the Democrats? And what’s it gonna take to fix it? Since the 2024 election, one Washington Democrat has been saying – guys, look to our

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27:13

Letter(s) of the law(s): WA and DC trade angry notes

Sound Politics ·

2025/08/21

The Trump Justice Department is threatening to withhold funds or even prosecute local officials who enforce Washington’s sanctuary policies. But can they? We’ll hear how state leadership is responding as Trumptries to consolidate even more power.Plus, we'll talk about the impact of federal immigration policy on communities in Washington. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go tokuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes. Sound Politics

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29:36

A big threat to Democrats' WA swing district

Sound Politics ·

2025/08/14

Next year's midterm elections are top of mind for politicians. And the stakes are incredibly high, especially for our state's most competitive Congressional seat: Southwest Washington's 3rd district. While the district broke for Trump three times, it also sent Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez to the U.S. House -- twice. But her challenger in 2026 will test whether voters support her unique politics or felt her previous opponent was just too extreme. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make

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32:29

August slipped away for Seattle incumbents

Sound Politics ·

2025/08/07

If your ballot was sitting on your counter waiting to be turned in, well, it's expired now. The primary election is past. Results, however, are coming in. This week we take a look at two different trends. At the city level, voters have an anti-incumbent bent, but in state legislative races, incumbent Democrats who voted for tax increases seem to (mostly) be okay. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes

en-US

31:58

Polls, primaries, and a weird b-day for a 1-year-old pod

Sound Politics ·

2025/07/31

We're celebrating our first birthday as a show. And don't worry, it isn't going to be one of those awkward first birthday parties where you have to make small talk with strangers, because we're making small talk about the latest political news, including some recent polls that show voter discontent with new Governor Bob Ferguson. Plus, we break down some mayoral races before the primary and answer a listener question about the future of income taxes in Washington. Thank you to the supporters of

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28:52

Everybody hates big $ in elections. Is this a fix?

Sound Politics ·

2025/07/24

The vast majority of Americans say that money in politics is a threat to democracy. Seattle came up with a novel solution: give everyone money to donate to candidates. In 2015, voters approved the Democracy Voucher program, but is it working? We’ll talk about it ahead of the August 5th primary when voters will decide if the Democracy Voucher program should stick around. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to

en-US

74 results

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