Stated

Jason Kander served as the Missouri Secretary of State before running for U.S. Senate. He also founded Let America Vote – his organization working to end voter suppression – and has fought to ensure greater access to health care for his fellow veterans. On this episode, Jessica talks to Jason Kander about voting rights, the importance of health care access for veterans, and much more. Follow us on social media: Instagram: @dlcc Medium Facebook * More about our host: Jessica Post is President of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates * For comments, feedback, suggestions for who you want to hear on the show, and to share your canvassing stories, email stated@dlcc.org.

Stacey Abrams, former Georgia House Minority Leader, runs Fair Fight Action. She was also the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nominee for the state of Georgia. On this episode, Jessica talks to Stacey Abrams about voting rights, romance novels, and much more! Follow us on social media: Instagram: @dlcc Medium Facebook * More about our host: Jessica Post is the Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates * For comments, feedback, suggestions for who you want to hear on the show, and to share your canvassing stories, email stated@dlcc.org.

Andrew Gillum is the former Mayor of Tallahassee and Florida gubernatorial candidate. On this episode, Jessica talks to Andrew Gillum, the former Mayor of Tallahassee and Florida gubernatorial candidate, about his campaign, gerrymandering, and what’s next for the Sunshine State. Follow us on social media: Instagram: @dlcc Medium Facebook * More about our host: Jessica Post is the Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates * For comments, feedback, suggestions for who you want to hear on the show, and to share your canvassing stories, email stated@dlcc.org.

Ilyse Hogue is the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. On this episode, Jessica talks to Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, about the recent attacks on reproductive rights, the importance of winning state legislatures, and how to make a difference. Follow us on social media Instagram: @dlcc Instagram: @dlcc Medium Facebook * More about our host: Jessica Post is the Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates * For comments, feedback, suggestions for who you want to hear on the show, and to share your canvassing stories, email stated@dlcc.org.

Eric Holder served as Attorney General under President Obama from 2009 until 2015. He is also currently the Chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. On this episode, Jessica talks to Attorney General Holder about redistricting, voting rights, the 2019 and 2020 elections, and the impact the upcoming census will have on all of those. Follow us on social media Instagram: @dlcc Instagram: @dlcc Medium Facebook * More about our host: Jessica Post is the Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates * For comments, feedback, suggestions for who you want to hear on the show, and to share your canvassing stories, email stated@dlcc.org.

Calvin Wilborn is the President of the College Democrats of America. Calvin is a senior at Auburn University majoring in public administration, and he is passionate about voting rights, health care, and southern food. On this episode, Jessica Post and Calvin discuss the role of College Democrats and young people in shaping, growing, and diversifying the Democratic Party. Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter: @thedlcc Instagram: @dlcc * More about our host: Jessica Post is the Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates * For comments, feedback, suggestions for who you want to hear on the show, and to share your canvassing stories, email stated@dlcc.org.

Tom Perez has been serving as Chair of the Democratic National Committee since 2017. Prior to that he was Secretary of Labor under President Obama from 2013 - January 2017. He was also the US Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice. On this episode, Jessica Post and Tom Perez talk about the strength Democrats across the country are showing on all levels of the ballot and the work that still needs to be done to win pivotal elections in 2019 and 2020. Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter: @thedlcc Instagram: @dlcc * More about our host: Jessica Post is the Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates * For comments, feedback, suggestions for who you want to hear on the show, and to share your canvassing stories, email stated@dlcc.org.

We're back with season 2 of STATED, taking you to the frontline of Democratic state politics. Join us starting April 17 when we'll be talking to DNC Chair Tom Perez about Democratic politics up and down the ballot.   Look for new episodes of STATED every other Wednesday starting April 17!

Terry McAuliffe served as governor of Virginia from 2014-2018, where he focused on leading Virginia to a more progressive future. He also served as chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2001-2005. This week, The DLCC and Democrats flipped nearly 400 (and counting!) state legislative seats and flipped our 7th chamber of the cycle. This means, 116 million Americans will live in Democratic-led states where we can expand access to health care, safeguard Roe v. Wade, and protect LGBTQ+ citizens and communities of color. But we're not done yet! Before we start thinking about 2020, Democrats still have major state legislative races in 2019, including taking back the House and Senate in Virginia. On this episode. Jessica talks with former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe about all our big election wins, the importance of Democratic state legislatures, and what we can do to win back both chambers in Virginia next year. * Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter: @thedlcc Instagram: @dlcc * More about our host: Jessica Post is the Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates * For comments, feedback, suggestions for who you want to hear on the show, and to share your canvassing stories, email stated@dlcc.org

This week, Jessica talks with 5 extraordinary candidates running for state legislature across the country, all of whom could flip their seat from red to blue if they win. Listen to them tell you, in their own words, what inspired them to run, what they hope to do first if they’re elected, and what issue or story they think more people should know about this year. Faith Winter is a candidate running to flip Senate District 24 in the Colorado state Senate. She has served two terms in the Colorado House and wants to continue giving a voice to the voiceless in the state. Jared Mead is a candidate running to flip the HD 44b in the Washington state House. Jared has demonstrated his commitment to serving and improving his community through his previous work as a legislative aide in the State Senate and currently while a member of the Mill Creek City Council. Sydney Batch is a candidate running to flip the HD 37 in the North Carolina state House. Sydney is a lawyer, social worker, and child welfare advocate who wants wants to do more for her community by running for state legislature. Domingo DeGrazia is a candidate running to flip Legislative District 10 in Arizona’s state House. He is a Tucson native who has spent his career as an attorney working with families in the Arizona foster care system. Tram Nguyen is a candidate running to flip the 18th Essex District in the Massachusetts state House. When Tram was just 5-years-old, she and her family fled violence in Vietnam to find new hope and opportunity in the US. Today, she is giving back as a legal aid attorney specializing in family and immigration law. * Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter: @thedlcc Instagram: @dlcc * More about our host: Jessica Post is the Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates * For comments, feedback, suggestions for who you want to hear on the show, and to share your canvassing stories, email stated@dlcc.org.

Carrie Pugh is the National Political Director of the National Education Association. The NEA is the nation's largest professional employee organization and is committed to advancing the cause of public education. With her extensive political background and work at the NEA, Carrie discusses the intersection of policy debated on the state legislative level and education. On this episode, Carrie and Jessica discuss the incredible Red for Ed movement that inspired over 1000 educators to run for state legislature, and she identifies how education plays a larger role in our communities. * Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter: @thedlcc Instagram: @dlcc * More about our host: Jessica Post is the Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates * For comments, feedback, suggestions for who you want to hear on the show, and to share your canvassing stories, email stated@dlcc.org.

Marc Elias is an attorney who specializes in political and election law. Marc is a partner at Perkins Coie, and the chair of their Political Law Group. He served as general counsel to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and John Kerry’s presidential campaign in 2004. He has also been called the “Democratic Super Lawyer” by the Washington Post. Marc is a legal expert in voting rights, redistricting, and election and campaign laws. With so many new attacks on voting access and gerrymandering playing a huge role in whether Democrats will flip state legislatures and Congress, Marc offers some excellent insight into Republican attacks on voting rights, what voters and state legislatures can do to combat them, and what you need to know about your voting rights on November 6. On this episode, Jessica and Marc talk about what’s at stake in this year’s elections and protecting access to voting rights. They also discuss the role state legislatures play in expanding or contracting voting rights. And finally, Marc offers his legal expertise your rights as a voter on Election day and what you should do if you are denied access to a ballot. * Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter: @thedlcc Instagram: @dlcc * More about our host: Jessica Post is the Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates * For comments, feedback, suggestions for who you want to hear on the show, and to share your canvassing stories, email stated@dlcc.org.

Michael Blake has been the assemblyman for New York’s 79th state legislative district since 2014. He is also a Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee. Michael Blake is a passionate state legislator, as well as Democratic hype-man. He has first-hand experience as a member of the New York State Assembly and also passionately advocates for Democratic policies and getting more Democrats elected up and down the ballot. On this episode, Jessica and Assemblyman Blake discuss how being a state legislator allows you to help people in your community more closely, the growing danger of Republican voter suppression, how some of your favorite Democratic rising stars have been doing the hard work all along, and what is giving him the most hope this election cycle. * Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter: @thedlcc Instagram: @dlcc * More about our host: Jessica Post is the Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates * For comments, feedback, suggestions for who you want to hear on the show, and to share your canvassing stories, email stated@dlcc.org.

Brian Schatz is the senior U.S. Senator from Hawaii. Senator Schatz didn’t start his political career in Washington though -- he served four terms in the Hawaiian state legislature, was chairman of the Hawaii Democratic party, and served as the state’s Lieutenant Governor. Senator Schatz knows firsthand how politics is done at the local level, and how it compares to the national political arena. On this episode Jessica and Senator Schatz talk about how working locally in the state legislature influenced his work in the U.S. Senate. They discuss how Democrats don't need to wait for one person to tell us what our message is. He highlighted how donors and volunteers can make a significant impact on state legislative campaigns. Senator Schatz emphasized how everyone has a role to play in this election, whatever it is you may be doing to contribute. And you'll even hear a fun story about Senator Schatz's time on his high school debate team. It may not have gone how you would have expected. * Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter: @thedlcc Instagram: @dlcc * More about our host: Jessica Post is the Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates

Stephanie Schriock is the President of EMILY's List, which helps elect Democratic pro-choice women and is the largest national resource for women in politics. On this episode, Stephanie talks to Jessica about the historic number of women running for office this year, but why she doesn't want to call this another Year of the Woman. They discuss some of the similarities they've seen between the wave of Democratic wins in the Virginia Assembly last year and the races in some of the key targeted chambers in other states across the country. They talk about why electing more women is less about a demographic change and more about a culture change. And Stephanie identifies the one thing this election year that she wishes more people knew about. * Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter: @thedlcc Instagram: @dlcc * More about our host: Jessica Post is the Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, where she leads the national strategy for electing more state Democrats and winning legislative majorities.  More about Stated | More about DLCC | Support our candidates    

Hi, I'm Jessica Post, Executive Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, and I'm excited to announce the launch of our brand new podcast, Stated. At the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee - or the DLCC as you might hear us call it - we work to elect more Democrats in state legislatures, and on this podcast, we'll talk about what's happening state politics across the country. Here's the deal: the laws passed in your state capitol have a bigger effect on your everyday life than anything passed in Washington. When, where, and how you vote is decided by your state representatives. Protections for reproductive rights and the LGBTQ community are enforced by your state representatives. Gun laws, school funding, labor rights, immigration - all of these issues start in the states. It's no secret that since 2010, Democrats have been hit hard in state legislatures, but we've never been in a better position than we are now to change all that. On Stated, we'll talk to Democratic stars and experts about everything you need to know about state politics and how you can get involved in your community.