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Democratic Party
Donald Trump
Republican Party
North Carolina
Gerrymandering
Virginia
Redistricting
Abortion Rights
Texas
California
Voting Rights Act
2024 Elections
Florida
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Special Elections
Arizona
North Carolina Supreme Court
Downballot Awards
Elon Musk
Zoran Mamdani

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes220Founded4 years ago
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Artwork for The Downballot

Latest Episodes

“We have to fall in love with math,” Senate candidate Scott Colom tells us on this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast. Colom, a Mississippi district attorney, is vying to unseat Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who blocked his nomination to th... more

Maine’s Senate race hangs in the balance following bombshell accusations by a woman named Jenny Racicot, who accused Democrat Graham Platner of raping her in 2021. As we recorded this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, Platner’s future was sti... more

The Supreme Court’s decision gutting the Voting Rights Act two months ago was a devastating blow to American democracy, but it didn’t emerge out of the blue. Instead, it was the culmination of a decades-long effort on the right to capture the courts ... more

Tuesday’s primary runoffs in Georgia were not good news for Donald Trump—or termed-out Gov. Brian Kemp. On this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, co-hosts David Nir and David Beard explain how the campaign of Trump’s pick to lead the Peach St... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

David Daley
Senior fellow at FairVote; author of Ratfucked and Anti-Democratic
FairVote
Episode: SCOTUS' war on voting rights
Michael Gianaris
New York State Senator
New York State Senate
Episode: Nancy Mace's spectacular crashout
Peter Hubbard
Member of Georgia Public Service Commission
Georgia Public Service Commission
Episode: Tuesday's massive primary night
Aaron Ford
Nevada Attorney General
Nevada State Government
Episode: Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford previews his race for governor
Andrea Hailey
CEO of vote.org
vote.org
Episode: The GOP races to dismantle Black districts
Kevin Morris
Political scientist, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law; author
Brennan Center for Justice / NYU School of Law
Episode: GOP gerrymandering just keeps getting worse
Eugene DePasquale
Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party
Pennsylvania Democratic Party
Episode: How Dems can fight back, post-VRA
Maryam Jazini
Senior Director of Litigation at Common Cause
Common Cause
Episode: Good riddance to Eric Swalwell
G. Elliott Morris
Author of Strength in Numbers, analyst
Strength in Numbers
Episode: The progressive landslide in Wisconsin

Hosts

David Beard
Host of The Downballot
David Nir
Co-host of The Downballot; Publisher

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 186 ratings
  • Educational!

    To the Davids, I wanted you to know that I had a baking get together with a number of high school students and for entertainment I played them your podcast. The episode about Nancy Mace, primaries and NYC. Everyone loved your show.

    The students were really interested. Thank you! đź’™

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    IoB.
    United Statesa month ago
  • A must listen to politics podcast every week!!

    Podcast Addict
    5
    slatersli@hotmail.com
    3 months ago
  • G. Elliot Morris ….

    What a great show! David N. Your conversation and questions with Mr. Morris was so fun and greatly informative. I’m not a numbers geek but you and Mr. Morris made the figures relevant and interesting.

    Thanks.đź’™

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    IoB.
    United States5 months ago
  • I rely on The Downballot

    As a donor advisor, I follow races across the country at all levels of the ballot. I rely on The Downballot’s data and analysis every week and I use their terrific tools like the fundraising charts to give informed advice to my clients.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AlPolSV
    United States5 months ago
  • The Hispanic vote

    As always great breakdown dear David’s. I’m guessing that the Hispanic voters would be more motivated by the terrifying ICE raids on their communities first and affordability somewhere down their list.

    Great show.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    IoB.
    United States8 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Deep dives with data-driven analysis are a hallmark of quality.
Strong guest lineup; practical takeaways for campaigns and media.
Informative and accessible for politics junkies and casual listeners alike.
Some criticisms note perceived bias in labeling candidates as progressive.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Nancy Mace's spectacular crashout
Q: What went wrong with the prior redistricting commission, and why is this reform seen as necessary?
The prior commission was effectively deadlocked five-to-five, with legislators unable to compel action; a genuine reform would empower the legislature when the commission fails to produce a plan, preventing stalemate and maintaining the ability to redraw districts.
Nancy Mace's spectacular crashout
Q: Can you explain how New York could change redistricting mid-term and what the timeline looks like?
The amendment would need to pass two successive legislatures and then a statewide referendum, which means it could appear on the ballot in November 2027 if the process moves smoothly, with the actual map redraw for 2028 once approved.
Tuesday's massive primary night
Q: Peter, before we let you go, what should people know about your upcoming race for reelection and where can they find out more about your campaign?
He explains his Georgia PSC role, his energy-focused platform, and provides the campaign website peterforgeorgia.com as the hub for information and ways to get involved.
The GOP races to dismantle Black districts
Q: What is vote.org and why is it needed?
vote.org focuses on onboarding new voters to democracy by providing clear information on election dates, voting rules across 50 states, and resources from registration to ballot casting; they also engage in legal actions when necessary to protect access to voting.
GOP gerrymandering just keeps getting worse
Q: What are the practical implications of the Callais ruling for state and local elections?
Callais narrows Section 2's ability to protect minority voting power, complicating attempts to challenge vote dilution and making it harder to defend district maps that dilute minority influence, especially in local and state races where most policy action occurs.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Downballot

What is The Downballot about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A highly data-driven politics show that concentrates on elections below the presidency—ranging from statewide contests to local races and ballot measures. It consistently features policy analysis, voting rights discussions, redistricting debates, and down-ballot dynamics across states, with guests who bring legal, academic, and practical campaign perspectives. Noteworthy strengths include rigorous data-informed storytelling, accessible explanations of complex electoral mechanics, and a willingness to tackle structural reforms and state-level strategies. This makes it useful for listeners who want clear, actionable insights into how subpresidential contests shape national outcomes and everyday governance.

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How many listeners does The Downballot get?

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Which podcasts are similar to The Downballot?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Downballot:

1. The Odd Years
2. The TPM Show with Josh and Kate
3. Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts
4. Strict Scrutiny
5. The Focus Group Podcast

How many episodes of The Downballot are there?

The Downballot launched 4 years ago and published 220 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Downballot?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on The Downballot?

Recent guests on The Downballot include:

1. David Daley
2. Michael Gianaris
3. Peter Hubbard
4. Aaron Ford
5. Andrea Hailey
6. Kevin Morris
7. Eugene DePasquale
8. Maryam Jazini

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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