Introduction to EpisodeWhat does it look like when someone who actually lives the consequences of policy decides to run for office? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Melissa Bird — a social worker, mother, small business owner, and proud descendant of the Shivwits Band of Paiutes who is running for Congress in Oregon’s 4th District. We talk about the exact moment she knew she couldn’t sit on the sidelines anymore, how lived experience shapes leadership, and why grassroots, community-rooted politics matter now more than ever. This conversation isn’t about polish or political theater. It’s about intuition, accountability, and what happens when everyday people decide to challenge systems that were never built for them — or for most of us. Podcast Episode SummaryIn this episode, Michelle Lasley sits down with Dr. Melissa Bird, a PhD-trained social worker, former policy strategist, and first-time congressional candidate, to explore what it truly means to run toward public service rather than away from it. Dr. Bird shares the deeply personal story behind her decision to run for Congress — from yelling at a virtual town hall while sitting on her couch, to receiving unmistakable intuitive nudges that it was her turn to step forward. Drawing on her experience as a lay preacher, wife of a veteran, and survivor of multiple broken systems, she explains why professional politicians often fail to represent the realities of working families, rural communities, veterans, Indigenous people, and those living at the intersections of identity and harm. Together, Michelle and Dr. Bird unpack big questions about democracy, closed primaries, institutional power, and what it looks like to build a people-powered campaign inside a deeply entrenched political system. They talk candidly about healthcare access, reproductive justice, land stewardship, rural economies, and why listening — really listening — has become a radical act in modern politics. This episode is an invitation to imagine a different kind of leadership: one rooted in lived experience, collective care, and the belief that democracy doesn’t have to crumble to evolve. If you’ve ever felt disconnected from politics but deeply impacted by it, this conversation is for you. Quotables“ … we were just talking in the campaign yesterday, like you can't just be against fascism. You have to be for something. And what I am for is introducing bills that help people survive in this economy.” “So it's not just about fighting policies that attack us. It's also about introducing bills and using the tools of Congress to consistently and constantly have a dialogue about where we want CD4 to be improving, using the rural New Deal as a framework to improve economies in rural areas, thinking about our, our farmers and our ranchers and the forests and how are we balancing, how are we not extracting from the land, but really creating bills and policies that nurture the land while we are still keeping industry going.” “I think that we need to bring our congressional leaders to the people so that the people know that they have access to their leaders.” “Progressives in politics keep saying We need more women. We need more people of color. We need more LGBTQ plus folks. // We need more people who are concerned about the environment and sustainability We need. We need, but not you, Missy Bird, because you. You don't quite fit.” “I am Native, I am bisexual. I am a woman. I am a Christian, and also a pagan. I am very deeply concerned about this planet and how we are caring for it.” Recommended ResourcesMelissa on TikTok@bird4congress.bsky.social on BlueskyMelissa on IGa...
