Sound Politics

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 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 producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts this week are Catharine Smith, Paige Browning, and Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 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 producer is Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts this week are Amy Radil and Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 school districts? And if so, why is it like that? What would it take to change it? I don’t feel like the north and south ends of either district should be voting for each other’s representatives.” It's a good question! So, we reached out to KUOW reporter Sami West to get an answer. 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 producer is Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts this week are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Wilson debated the 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, 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 producer is Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts this week are Libby Denkmann and Catharine Smith.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Catharine Smith.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 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 producer is Hans Anderson. Our host is Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 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 Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone. Special thanks to Zaki Hamid, Tim Meinig, Brad Loving, Dane Johnson, John Sullivan, Eamon Nordquist, Hans Twite, and Felipe Barajas for their work on the debate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 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 Sarah Leibovitz and Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Catharine Smith and Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 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 producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 participating in girls' sports. For an alternative viewpoint on trans rights, follow this link to listen to a conversation with Dani Askini of the Gender Justice League: https://www.kuow.org/stories/trans-in-2025-danni-askini-answers-our-questions-on-sports-bans-medical-care-and-beyond 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 producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 much impact do they have on policy? 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 producer this week is Sarah Leibovitz and Jason Burrows. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 state and our state’s Democratic wins for answers. Shasti Conrad, the Washington Democrats’ state party chair and vice chair of the Democratic National Committee joins Sound Politics to discuss the future of the Democratic party. 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 producer this week is Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Trump tries 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 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 producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 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 producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts Catharine Smith and Libby Denkmann. And we want to hear from you! Send us your politics questions by emailing soundpolitics@kuow.org or give us a call at 206-221-0511.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 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 producer is Hans Anderson. Our host is Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're taking a look at the Seattle mayoral election. Eight people are running, including incumbent Bruce Harrell. The primary election on August 5 will whittle that field down to two candidates. This office is nonpartisan, but the race has turned into a test of progressive versus moderate. Mayor Harrell is seen as a moderate, and he’s being primaried mostly from the left this year. Local Democrats are wondering how races like this one will shake out in the second President Trump era and whether voters want to change course on issues like affordability, homelessness, and budget deficits. You can hear the full interviews with the mayoral candidates on Soundside this week. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts Catharine Smith and Libby Denkmann. And we want to hear from you! Send us your politics questions by emailing soundpolitics@kuow.org or give us a call at 206-221-0511.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Law and Order: Local Government edition. We’re talking legal news and electing lawyers. We take a deep dive into the Seattle city attorney election and whether a Republican can distance herself from the president and win in that deep blue city.  We also recap the week in legal stories in Western Washington municipalities, including an update on King County Assessor John Wilson (who recently dropped out of the executive race) and a conflict in Pierce County between the sheriff and prosecutor. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. And we want to hear from you! Send us your politics questions by emailing soundpolitics@kuow.org or give us a call at 206-221-0511.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.