Rephonic
Artwork for The Horse Race
Massachusetts
Trump Administration
Donald Trump
Massachusetts Politics
Housing Crisis
Ed Markey
Immigration Policy
Polling
Transportation
Maura Healey
Seth Moulton
Rent Control
Massinc Polling Group
Boston
Democratic Party
ICE
Education
Massachusetts State Budget
MCAS
Political Violence

Your weekly update on Massachusetts politics, policy and elections. Hosted by Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes410Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
News

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Artwork for The Horse Race

Latest Episodes

This week on The Horse Race is the last week on The Horse Race. That's right folks, its the final episode! We've crunched the numbers: 400 episodes published, 3 million trivia points doled, 75 titles and accolades awarded, and one "giddyup" from Jenn... more

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Do we need humans to gather public opinion anymore? This week, Steve and Jenn are joined by Rich Parr, VP of the MassINC Polling Group, to stare into the abyss of "silicon sampling" and what it means for polling. How is it done? How accurate is it? S... more

YouTube

For the first time in history, a sitting president attended a supreme court hearing. Trump refused to pick up a 48-ounce bucket of iced coffee for Justice Kavanaugh, even though Dunkin' was "on the way." Steve and Jenn discuss the historic hearing an... more

YouTube

Last week, a hangry joint committee heard from proponents of two proposed ballot measures aimed at lowering housing costs. This week on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve chat about a pattern of flabbergastedness from some legislators at the hearings as ... more

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Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Zaina Basma Doyle
Research Director at the Massing Polling Group
Massing Polling Group
Episode: Neigh Sayers
Martina Jackson
Veteran Democratic State Committee member, former chair of party platform committee
Massachusetts Democratic Party
Episode: A Balloting Act
Anne Roosevelt
Married to Jim Roosevelt, volunteer legal counsel for the MA Democratic Party
Massachusetts Democratic Party
Episode: A Balloting Act
Paul Watanabe
Professor of Political Science, Director of the Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Boston
UMass Boston
Episode: "No Longer Invisible" with Dr. Watanabe [Archive Interview]
Jim McGovern
U.S. Representative for the 2nd Massachusetts District and top Democrat on the House Rules Committee
U.S. Congress
Episode: McGovernmental Authority, with U.S. Rep Jim McGovern
Diana DiZoglio
Massachusetts State Auditor overseeing audits of governmental agencies
Episode: Ep 383: Material Misstatements, with Mass. Auditor Diana DiZoglio
Seth Moulton
Congressman representing Massachusetts' 6th District and Marine Corps veteran
U.S. House of Representatives
Episode: Ep 380: Moulton Lava, with U.S. Rep Seth Moulton
Sam Driesdale
Journalist at Statehouse News Service
Statehouse News Service
Episode: Ep 376: The End is Neigh, an Insider's End-of-Year Panel
Brendan Crichton
State Senator and co-chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation
Massachusetts State Senate
Episode: Episode 375: Them's Crighton Words

Hosts

Steve Koczela
President of masses and polling groups; frequent host focusing on Massachusetts politics and polling.
Jennifer Smith
Co-host and reporter with deep ties to Commonwealth Beacon and Mass politics coverage.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 62 ratings
  • Honestly really good

    I look forward to listening to the Horse Race every week!!! The hosts are great interviewers, funny, well-informed— it’s great. I recommend it to all my mapoli involved friends

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Russ Weiss-Irwin
    United States5 years ago
  • Good but biased

    I am a loyal listener and enjoy the hyper local takes on politics in Massachusetts. Caveat emptor however, the content is very biased towards liberals and Democrats. They tend to toss softball questions to liberals and 100 MPH fastballs to anyone remotely center right. But despite that, it’s a good listen.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    BrianFlaherty
    United States5 years ago
  • Essential mapoli podcast

    The Horse Race is a must for mapoli addicts. The presentation style is refreshingly free of rancor and bias and offers true expert analysis.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    amoream
    United States7 years ago
  • Indispensable

    The Horse Race is a weekly must listen for anyone interested in Massachusetts policy/politics. Steve and Dez offer deep insights and it’s fun to boot. Great guests and special correspondents too. Definitely subscribe.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Horse Racing is legal again!
    United States8 years ago
  • Great show!

    Very informative and fun to listen to.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Rebekah39
    United States8 years ago

Listeners Say

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

The hosts are great interviewers, funny, well-informed—recommended to mapoli friends.
Bias toward liberals but strong, local-focused analysis and guest diversity.
Indispensable weekly pulse on Massachusetts politics and policy.
Essential mapoli podcast with deep insights and balanced delivery.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Neigh Sayers
Q: Why is there frustration with the ballot process among lawmakers?
Lawmakers argue the ballot process bypasses nuanced legislative debate, can be expensive, and may lock in rigid policies; proponents counter that ballots force action when legislatures otherwise stall.
Neigh Sayers
Q: What is the core issue with the two housing ballot measures being discussed?
One measure imposes strict rent controls intended to ease affordability, while the other loosens land-use restrictions to boost housing supply, and the hosts note how these approaches can contradict each other as a practical policy package.
Ep 383: Material Misstatements, with Mass. Auditor Diana DiZoglio
Q: Is that sort of an end run around the audit fight?
The auditor is pushing for public records law to make the legislative branch subject to it and bypass current audit challenges.
Ep 383: Material Misstatements, with Mass. Auditor Diana DiZoglio
Q: What are you expecting, I guess?
Due to lawmakers' behavior during the budget hearing, the artist may expect them to continue underfunding the auditor's office.
McGovernmental Authority, with U.S. Rep Jim McGovern
Q: How do we create institutions in America that are durable?
McGovern emphasizes the need for Congress to preserve its authority and duty to serve the public.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Horse Race

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

A Massachusetts politics show that digs into policy, elections, and Beacon Hill dynamics with a data-driven,Polling-heavy lens. Episodes routinely feature insiders, journalists, and policymakers discussing ballot initiatives, state budgets, housing, transportation, and immigration, often interlaced with sharp humor and timely guest perspectives. A notable strength is its ability to pair political analysis with concrete data and real-world implications, making it useful for listeners who want informed, locally focused insights and actionable context for campaigns, sponsorships, or media outreach.

What stands out: frequent guests include high-profile policymakers, researchers, and political reporters, creating a mix of insider viewpoints and ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Horse Race?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Horse Race. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Horse Race and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Horse Race get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Horse Race?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Horse Race, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Horse Race have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Horse Race has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Horse Race?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Horse Race:

1. The Codcast
2. The Lawfare Podcast
3. The NPR Politics Podcast
4. On the Media
5. Political Gabfest

How many episodes of The Horse Race are there?

The Horse Race launched 9 years ago and published 410 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 Horse Race?

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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Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Horse Race from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Horse Race. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Horse Race?

Recent guests on The Horse Race include:

1. Zaina Basma Doyle
2. Martina Jackson
3. Anne Roosevelt
4. Paul Watanabe
5. Jim McGovern
6. Diana DiZoglio
7. Seth Moulton
8. Sam Driesdale

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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