The Downballot

David Nir & David Beard
  • 4.7 (136)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
The Downballot

https://the-downballot.com/ The Downballot podcast is dedicated to the thousands of elections below the presidency, from Senate to city council. With more than 20 years of experience analyzing U.S. elections, we provide unparalleled insight into congressional, state, and local races nationwide. Tune in every Thursday morning for one-of-a-kind coverage of these key contests. www.the-downballot.com

  1. The Second Annual Downballot Awards

    6 DAYS AGO

    The Second Annual Downballot Awards

    We are delighted to wrap up the year with our presentation of the Second Annual Downballot Awards! We honor both the highlights and the lowlights of a wild election cycle. Who will take home the prize for Most Embarrassing Use of AI? Least Impactful Revenge Tour? Most Humiliating Fall from Grace? But it's not just razzies: Tune in to learn who won Most Impressive Overperformance, the Iron Bladder Award, and the top accolade, Best Campaign! The most important honor, though, goes to you, our listeners, for your steadfast support all year long. We could not do this without you. We are truly grateful. As promised, here's a link to the winner of our Best Ad and Worst Ad awards. And if you'd like to contribute to our end-of-year fundraiser on ActBlue, just click here. Thank you! Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe

    37 min
  2. The NC GOP's rancid new power grab

    DEC 12

    The NC GOP's rancid new power grab

    It's been a good news/bad news week for Democrats and democracy in North Carolina, so we're diving deep into the muck to explain it all on this week's episode of The Downballot podcast. A second recount upheld Democrat Allison Riggs' victory in the ultra-close race for the state Supreme Court, and officials threw out challenges from her Republican opponent seeking to invalidate some 60,000 ballots. But the GOP also overrode Gov. Roy Cooper's veto to pass an obscene power grab that's as breathtaking as it is blatant. Just one example: They're moving the board of elections from the governor to the state auditor. Why? Simply because Democrats won the former office last month while Republicans won the latter. The rest of the bill is even more atrocious. Co-hosts David Beard and David Nir will tell you all about it. Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe

    29 min
  3. How EMILYs List's candidates won in a tough year

    DEC 5

    How EMILYs List's candidates won in a tough year

    The last unresolved House race of 2024 is finally in the books, giving Democrats a victory that will narrow the GOP's already precarious margin even further. On this week's episode of The Downballot podcast, co-hosts David Nir and David Beard explore the ramifications of Republicans' tiny majority, which will either result in gridlock or further dependence on Democratic votes. The Davids also discuss Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan's decision to abandon the Democratic Party and run for governor as an independent—though it might not prove to be a catastrophe for Democrats.Joining us for our deep dive this week is Jessica Mackler, president of EMILYs List, a political mainstay that's been devoted to electing pro-choice Democratic women for nearly 40 years. Mackler highlights endorsees who overperformed to win tough races, like Michigan's Elissa Slotkin, while noting that vocal support for abortion rights is only one part of a winning campaign. She also looks toward upcoming races EMILYs is focused on and shares some thoughts on top-shelf candidates who could run again after falling just short in 2024. Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe

    49 min
  4. A come-from-behind shocker in North Carolina

    NOV 21

    A come-from-behind shocker in North Carolina

    In a stunning turn of events almost two weeks after Election Day, Democrat Allison Riggs surged to a narrow lead in her bid for a full term on the North Carolina Supreme Court after trailing by as many as 10,000 votes. David Nir and David Beard discuss this dramatic turnaround on this week's episode of The Downballot podcast—but caution that legal challenges before a far-right judiciary await. Please consider supporting The Downballot with a paid subscription today. The Davids also talk to one of their favorite congressional reporters, Abby Livingston of Puck News, who shares her views on the gap between Donald Trump and the rest of the GOP ticket in this year's elections. Was it a special "Trump sauce" or candidate quality that saw them diverge? The answer might be both! Livingston also pulls back the curtain on the anonymous Democratic "bedwetters" who constantly fret to reporters, explaining that most are at least one step removed from any actual campaigns. Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe

    47 min
  5. Trump makes the House even more ungovernable

    NOV 14

    Trump makes the House even more ungovernable

    While the House was just called for Republicans, the GOP's majority will be incredibly slender—and it's about to get worse. On this week's episode of The Downballot podcast, co-hosts David Nir and David Beard dive into two uncalled races that could flip to Democrats, further narrowing the GOP's advantage. But worse still is Donald Trump, who's been raiding the House for his cabinet, prompting Mike Johnson to beg him to stop. So what did Trump do? Why, he nominated Matt Gaetz for attorney general, of course. Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe

    30 min
  6. How Democrats can still win the House

    NOV 7

    How Democrats can still win the House

    It may seem hard to believe after Tuesday night, but Democrats still have a shot at winning a majority in the House. With many races uncalled and many votes still to be counted, co-hosts David Nir and David Beard analyze the Democrats’ path to 218 seats on this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast. Hang on tight, though, since it could be a while before final results are known. Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe

    22 min
  7. Can American democracy survive a full-scale assault?

    NOV 1

    Can American democracy survive a full-scale assault?

    America’s democratic institutions have been put to the test in recent years, but are they robust enough to withstand what’s coming next? On Thursday, I joined with Aaron Rupar of Public Notice for a live discussion as part of Substack’s Election Dialogues series to examine the threats our democracy faces in the 2024 elections and beyond. We hit a wide variety of topics, including voter suppression, election subversion, and Donald Trump’s dark plans for a second term. We also took questions from our viewers throughout the event, which was a huge success—a thousand people participated! If you weren’t able to catch us live, though, you can listen to the complete recording. Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe

    56 min
  8. Our hour-by-hour guide to election night!

    NOV 1

    Our hour-by-hour guide to election night!

    At long last, the election is almost here, and there are thousands of races to follow. That's why we're lucky to have the supremely knowledgeable Jeff Singer, our managing editor, join us on the last pre-election edition of The Downballot podcast to give us an hour-by-hour overview of the key contests to watch. Jeff highlights the top Senate battles and critical House races that will likely determine control of both chambers, starting when the first polls close in Indiana all the way until voting wraps in Alaska. Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe

    47 min
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4.7
out of 5
136 Ratings

About

https://the-downballot.com/ The Downballot podcast is dedicated to the thousands of elections below the presidency, from Senate to city council. With more than 20 years of experience analyzing U.S. elections, we provide unparalleled insight into congressional, state, and local races nationwide. Tune in every Thursday morning for one-of-a-kind coverage of these key contests. www.the-downballot.com

Information

  • Creator
    David Nir & David Beard
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    148
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Downballot, LLC
  • Show Website
    The Downballot

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