The Downballot

We once again went live for this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, and boy are we glad we did! While we were in the middle of our livestream, Mississippi’s Senate race got called for Scott Colom, an epic upset that reinforces why Democrats need to reinvest in long-neglected areas—especially with Black voters.Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard explain why Colom’s victory opens the door for Democrats in major races throughout the South that are coming up next year. They also dive into the shocking Democratic victory in North Carolina’s 3rd District, the purest example in ages of a dummymander—a gerrymander that backfires on the party that created it.The Davids also took excellent questions from viewers during the livestream. If you’re a paid subscriber to The Downballot, you can participate in our Q&As whenever we go live. Just click to upgrade. Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe

So much is still unfolding from Tuesday’s extraordinary election—and our heads are still spinning—that we decided we had to do this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast live.Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard discuss some of their top takeaways, foremost among them the intense motivation on the part of Black voters to send a message following the Supreme Court’s destruction of the Voting Rights Act. The Davids also check in on some of the biggest uncalled contests and explain exactly how Republican gerrymandering utterly failed to save the GOP.If you enjoy listening to The Downballot podcast each week, we’d be extremely grateful if you’d consider becoming a paid subscriber to support our work. Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe

Finally, Election Day is almost here! But with literally thousands of races on the docket, how will you make sense of election night? The supremely knowledgeable Jeff Singer, our managing editor, joins us for the last pre-election episode of The Downballot podcast to give us an hour-by-hour overview of the key contests to watch.Jeff highlights a host of races that will tell us what kind of night Democrats are having and whether they’re on track to take control of Congress. Starting with Indiana and Kentucky, where the first polls close on Tuesday, he flags a pair of House elections on deep red turf where the margins are as important as the outcome. Making his way across the country with stops in Texas, Wisconsin, Kansas, and more, Jeff wraps up with Alaska, where a pivotal battle for the Senate could determine who wins the chamber.And remember to join us live at 6:45 PM ET on Tuesday for our election night livestream with our partners at Strength In Numbers! Click below to save a reminder to your calendar:Apple | Google | Office 365 | Outlook | Outlook.com | Yahoo Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe

The most appalling ad of the midterms is also the most inexplicable. On this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, co-hosts David Nir and David Beard rip Vivek Ramaswamy for trying to weaponize his opponent’s painful experience of sexual assault as a child in a new campaign commercial. But they also simply can’t believe Ramaswamy defended the ad after it leaked before even airing on TV and explain why it’s already causing grief for other Ohio Republicans.The Davids also welcome back Lou Jacobson to discuss his new rankings of competitive legislative chambers just published at Sabato’s Crystal Ball. Jacobson dives into a whole host of battles, telling us why Democrats are favored to flip New Hampshire’s House even as its Senate favors the GOP; why GOP supermajorities are threatened in a number of states; and why the Pennsylvania Senate is such a huge prize for Democrats.And to take advantage of our special 23% off sale in honor of our 23rd anniversary, just click below! Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe

Amid a years-long GOP assault on direct democracy, voters across the country have the chance to turn the tide next month. On this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, Hannah Ledford of the Fairness Project explains how her organization supports progressive ballot measures and highlights some of the year’s most important. Two proposals in particular—one in Missouri and another in Montana—would clamp down on politicians’ ability to interfere with or roll back ballot initiatives, safeguarding the rights of citizens to pass laws they believe in.Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard also take stock of the strangely quiet death of Republican John James’ campaign for Michigan’s open governorship, which few outlets have covered despite the high stakes. In addition, the Davids discuss two special reports The Downballot published this week: our guide to the top races for state supreme courts, and our new analysis of House polling that points to a Democratic wave. Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe