Transcript

Pod Save America Live Election Results with Alex Wagner!

From Pod Save America · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 2 h 59 min · 33,446 words · 384 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Pod Save America Live Election Results with Alex Wagner!", an episode of Pod Save America published November 4, 2026 (2 h 59 min, about 33,446 words). It mentions 165 people, works and ideas, including Democratic Party, Republican Party, Donald Trump, Crooked Media, Congress.

What this episode is about

A discussion of U.S. midterm dynamics, voting, and political polarization, highlighting concerns about election integrity, party performance, and the impact of campaign messaging on public support. It includes commentary on costs of living, political strategy, and the stakes of Republican versus Democratic outcomes.

Key takeaways

  • Midterm noise vs. signal: pundits chase narrative while actual results hinge on turnout, not slogans.
  • Polls misread dynamics when campaigning intensity and late-campaign momentum defy static models.
  • Gilded rhetoric masks policy gaps: ‘big tent’ branding often eclipses tangible relief for everyday costs.
  • Fake polls + red-teaming gerrymanders illustrate how structure, not sentiment, often steers outcomes.
  • Live election vibes mirror showmanship: humor and chaos can obscure sober strategic tradeoffs and accountability.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 15:00: Democratic Party, Donald Trump, Republican Party, South Carolina
  2. – 30:00: Republican Party, South Carolina, Rio Grande Valley, Ziotics
  3. – 45:00: Donald Trump, Republican Party, Georgia, California
  4. – 1:00:00: Georgia, South Carolina, Authoritarianism, Crooked Media
  5. – 1:15:00: Democratic Party, James Talarico, Donald Trump, Republican Party
  6. – 1:30:00: Susan Collins, Republican Party, Maine, Crooked Media
  7. – 1:45:00: Democratic Party, Republican Party, Florida, South Carolina
  8. – 2:00:00: South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, Democratic Party, Darlene Graham
  9. – 2:15:00: Democratic Party, Kansas, Andy Kim, Dan Pfeiffer
  10. – 2:30:00: Democratic Party, Republican Party, Rob Sand, Amy Acton
  11. – 2:45:00: Democratic Party, John Lovett, Ziotics, Crooked Media
  12. – 2:59:21: Crooked Media, Democratic Party, CrookedCon, Donald Trump

Notable quotes from "Pod Save America Live Election Results with Alex Wagner!"

  • Are we starting? You have a rubber stamp Republican Senate and rubber stamp Republican candidates.
    about Republican Party · at
  • The Trump administration is going to try to suppress your vote. just go vote.
    about Donald Trump · at
  • Montana and Idaho. Just as a reminder, 35 Senate seats and all 435 House seats are up for grabs tonight. To win back control of Congress, Democrats need to pick up three seats…
    about Democratic Party · at
  • Okay, now that's out of the way, let's get to one of the other main events and that is Congresswoman Primila Gyipol, representative from Washington State, who is seeking her sixth term. Get it,.
    about Alex Wagner · at
  • What the exact margin is. The Senate as you point out is very much trending towards the Democrats. Are you worried at all about any sort of sand being thrown in the wheels at…
    about Congress · at
  • Map, but I think it is, Latino voters were really the story of Texas in a lot of ways. I saw this amazing quite evocative tweet of a I believe it was a Latino voter in the Rio…
    about Texas · at
  • CNN is projecting Annie Andrews will win the US Senate seat from sort South Carolina. CNN and NBC have officially projected the Democrats will win control of the House. In the mix there is.
    about South Carolina · at
  • My friend Tommy Vtor has dained to do there. It is. can't we just make it a little bit more blue? My friend Tommy Vtor is here with a crooked mug and a suit jacket. Buddy, how we doing?
    about Crooked Media · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Donald Trump — Person · Referenced political figure / antagonist · 28 mentions · first at
    Central subject of criticism and a primary motivating force for voters and Republican strategy discussed throughout the episode.
  • Alex Wagner — Person · Host / Lead anchor for Crooked Media live election coverage · 3 mentions · first at
    Primary on-screen host guiding the broadcast, introducing guests, providing context and transitions during the live election coverage.
  • Annie Andrews — Person · Projected Senate winner (South Carolina) · 18 mentions · first at
    Major surprise Democratic pickup in a deeply red state; used as evidence of a broader Southern shift and candidate-quality impact.
    Huge change and a real rebuke of Trump because the other race that is really close right now senator is Annie Andrews versus Darlene Graham in South Carolina.
  • James Talarico — Person · Democratic candidate / projected Senate winner (Texas) · 15 mentions · first at
    Featured as a major surprise/turnaround victory -- major example of Democratic gains in red states and the result of long-term organizing and candidate quality.
    Sort of more traditional Republicans, he went for Lindsey Graham's sister, who had no experience. And Texas is the example NL's Ultra like kicking John Cornin out because he…
  • John Lovett — Person · Guest / Voting rights leader and commentator · 8 mentions · first at
    Interviewee on the broadcast offering analysis about Georgia, Southern organizing, voting rights, and democratic resilience; credited with long-term voter mobilization efforts.
    I'm excited. We also just picked up the attorneys general seat, which means that Georgia will be on the right side of lawsuits for the first time in a more than a decade. we're delighted to be.
  • Gina Hinojosa — Person · Projected gubernatorial winner (Texas) / Democratic statewide candidate · 10 mentions · first at
    Featured as a major Democratic statewide candidate in Texas (governor), part of the narrative about Texas shifting and down-ballot Democratic strength.
    There is more good news. Gina Hinahosa is predicted by CNN or sorry, CNN is projecting that Gina Henosa will win the election for governor of Texas.
  • Amy Acton — Person · Projected gubernatorial winner (Ohio) · 11 mentions · first at
    Highlighted as an upset/important pickup in Ohio's governor race; symbolic of broader anti-Republican sentiment.
    I have personal not personal investment, but I think it just it is so moving that Amy Actton, whose personal story was not known to a lot of people and is such a an example of…
  • Angie Nixon — Person · Democratic candidate (Florida) / near-upset · 8 mentions · first at
    Profiled as a strong Democratic candidate in Florida who almost won a statewide race; example of competitive Southern/Florida politics.
    And she got in. And look at this. She's doing really well. in Florida, Angie Nixon, she lost that race, but 48% of the vote for Angie Nixon in Florida is an astounding story. I…
  • Adam Hamilton — Person · Referenced winning candidate (Kansas) · 8 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as Democratic winner in Kansas (Senate) and a notable upset/pickup
    Because guess what, y'all? Aaron, thank you. God bless. We got big news. Adam Hamilton, as Jane Codson teased just a few moments ago, the Decision Desk HQ protects Adam Hamilton, the megaurch pastor from Kansas, will win the Kansas.
  • Roy Cooper — Person · Referenced winning Senate candidate · 6 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as a Democratic pickup—former governor winning North Carolina Senate seat
    Openly gay member male in the United States Senate. He's won the seat from New Hampshire. And Democrat and former Governor Roy Cooper has won the US Senate seat from North…
  • Chris Pappas — Person · Referenced winning Senate candidate · 3 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as a Democratic winner and first openly gay male U.S. senator from New Hampshire
    Democrat Chris Papis is now the first openly gay member male in the United States Senate. He's won the seat from New Hampshire. And Democrat and former Governor Roy Cooper has won the US.
  • Chuck Schumer — Person · Senate leader referenced (metric jokingly measured) · 10 mentions · first at
    Referenced via a playful 'Chuck Schumer happiness index' graphic measuring Senate leader's happiness as results come in; symbol of Senate control stakes.
    Do you think that Chuck Schumer is doing the hula? Can we show people the Chuck Schumer needle? I think it's got to be all the way to the It's all the way in the blue. It's all the way in.
  • Dr. Jack Abbott — Person · Referenced politician (incumbent governor of Texas) · 10 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as Texas incumbent governor; his standing used to discuss statewide outcomes vs Democratic challengers
    Of the other statewide Democrats aren't running too far behind James Terico. Greg Abbott, a historically dominant electoral performer. He is currently, I think, almost 20…
  • Keisha Lance Bottoms — Person · Referenced incoming governor (Georgia) · 8 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as winning the Georgia governor race and relevant to presidential succession dynamics
    After the polls closed in Georgia. And we just have a call other people. We just have a call on the governor's race that Kesha Lance Bottoms is going to be governor of the…
  • Darlene Graham — Person · Referenced candidate (Republican, South Carolina) · 8 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as losing Senate race in South Carolina to Annie Andrews (surprise upset)
    The South is one of maybe potentially huge change and a real rebuke of Trump because the other race that is really close right now senator is Annie Andrews versus Darlene Graham in South Carolina.
  • Aaron Ryan — Person · Co-host / Guest contributor (Hysteria; Crooked Media) · 6 mentions · first at
    On-air personality contributing analysis and hosting segments for the Crooked Media live coverage; part of the discussion of results.
    Our sponsors for this evening. Ziotics with whom I would without whom I would be lost and alloy. Right now I am joined by my wonderful friend and colleague Aaron Ryan of Hysteria fame from our Los Angeles studio. Hello Aaron. How are you?
  • Ken Paxton — Person · Referenced politician (Texas AG/Republican figure) · 6 mentions · first at
    Referenced as controversial Republican politician whose candidacy and legal troubles shaped Texas-level dynamics
    It's pretty extraordinary. And not to jump not to jump ahead too much, but we were having this conversation a little bit earlier in the night, but it's just going to be so interesting to.
  • Chris Van Hollen — Person · Guest / Senator providing analysis · 5 mentions · first at
    Appeared early in the broadcast offering analysis and optimism about a Democratic 'blue wave' and specific races.
    Administration. It's great to see the American people fighting back. It's very heartening. Senator Chris Van Holland, it's great to see you. Thank you for your time. I'm sure we'll be trying to check in with you again sometime soon.
  • Jon Ossoff — Person · Referenced Senator (Georgia) · 5 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as part of Georgia results (full name variant appears as John Oaf/Osaf) and as example of Democratic incumbency in the state.
    Of the contested blue seats, and they need to flip four red seats. So, at this stage, here is where we are at. Democrat John Oaf has won reelection to the Senate from the Peach State of Georgia.
  • Trey Jackson — Person · Referenced candidate (Maine) · 4 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as running ahead of Susan Collins in Maine; local chance to flip Senate seat
    The coast in southern Maine. We just got results in from Sanford, which is more central Maine, and Susan Collins won that by 15 points in 2020, and Troy Jackson is ahead by a few points tonight. So, wow.
  • Maria Teresa Kumar — Person · Guest analyst (Voto Latino) · 3 mentions · first at
    Guest offering analysis on Latino voter dynamics (Rio Grande Valley, Texas) and turnout
    Well, this is what's really wild is happening in Texas is that there talk about not only is his numbers high, but it's to what you were saying Sarah. It's in the most rural areas that have been.
  • Sarah Longwell — Person · Guest analyst · 2 mentions · first at
    Guest providing electoral analysis and interpretation of early returns (suburban/rural trends, Kansas, South Carolina)
    It has crossed my lips to say that I think we are somewhere between right now. We're kind of between the big blue wave and the tsunami, right? We're kind of sitting right in the middle. But.
  • Evan Smith — Person · Referenced Texas media figure / analyst · 2 mentions · first at
    Quoted as a knowledgeable Texas observer (Texas Tribune/Tribune founder) providing on-the-ground perspective about Texas returns and legislative implications.
    Tonight. And so I was what about the state legislature? And, Evan's let me look. He's I think the Democrats are on path to take back the state leg the house. Alex, do you remember when we were here in 22? just you all, this is the this is.
  • Pramila Jayapal — Person · Referenced progressive leader / potential House member to interact with · 5 mentions · first at
    Mentioned in the episode's hosts/guest list context as a guest/participant in related Crooked events; represents progressive policy priorities referenced in discussion.
    Now that's out of the way, let's get to one of the other main events and that is Congresswoman Primila Gyipol, representative from Washington State, who is seeking her sixth…
  • Dan Pfeiffer — Person · Pod Save America co-host (referenced) · 5 mentions · first at
    Member of the show's regular host lineup referenced as upcoming participants in the live coverage.
    And Amy Actton, what an extraordinary story. We're going to talk about that more with Dan Feifer in just a second, will be the next governor of Ohio. She's the first Democrat to win the gubanatorial race in 20 years. Down in.
  • Vivek Ramaswamy — Person · Referenced politician · 3 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Ohio (Vivc Ramaswami spelled in transcript) and discussed negatively
    Governor of Ohio, it turns out making hateful, venomous just hugely like bottom scraping ads about people's traumatic childhoods is not the way to close out an election race. Vivc Ramos.
  • Jane Coaston — Person · Guest/panelist · 2 mentions · first at
    Participates in on-air commentary and provides perspective on right-wing reactions and broader election context
    Yeah, this is the exact opposite of that. This is literally the exact opposite of that. I went in here and I was I'm looking forward to this.
  • Barack Obama — Person · Referenced former president · 2 mentions · first at
    Referenced as background (hosts are former Obama aides) and broader political context
    2028 primary, right? If I don't I've always believed that there's not a chance they would have we would have nominated Barack Obama in 2008 if we didn't have such a good 2006…
  • Rob Sand — Person · Referenced Democratic candidate · 9 mentions · first at
    Referenced as part of House/Senate/upset conversation (Iowa-related figure mentioned among other Democratic winners).
    Championship of the human spirit and like all that is good and decent in the world. and Rob Sand also winning the gubinatorial race in Iowa. we've talked so much about the Senate and the House.
  • Susan Collins — Person · 6 mentions · first at
    This is shaping up to be a total bloodbath for Republicans. And it's not looking good for Susan Collins at the moment. we haven't gotten a call yet. We're not there yet. But…
  • Sherrod Brown — Person · Referenced politician · 5 mentions · first at
    Mentioned in passing when discussing Ohio Senate/gubernatorial context
    Running a little bit above, ahead of, Sherid Brown. but right now, we've got Ohio's pretty close. It's, 49.8 to 45.7, in favor of Sherid Brown. and then you've got in the governor's race, you've got Amy Actton is at 51%.8.
  • Tommy Vietor — Person · Pod Save America co-host (referenced) · 5 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as one of the Crooked Media hosts who will appear during the broadcast.
    Take it as a mandate. Like this is our opportunity. This is our moment. Voters just handed you power. Do something with it. We have to deliver for people. And I'm like I'm really glad you made the.
  • Kamal Harris — Person · Referenced politician (Vice President) · 4 mentions · first at
    Mentioned in passing about past campaign activities and as part of wider Democratic context
    Both the way Harris ran, the way Colin Redd ran, like he is crushing Colin Redd's margins. And so, I think part of what's happening is if I had to give an overall summary right…
  • John Cornyn — Person · 4 mentions · first at
    Seemed to have won the Texas US Senate election. No one is more excited about that than John Cornin, the man that Donald Trump kicked out of the race. CNN is projecting that…
  • Bobby Pulido — Person · 3 mentions · first at
    Good. I just got a text from a friend who said, Bobby Pledo was putting up Assad like numbers in Texas.
  • Jonathan Favreau — Person · Referenced Pod Save America co-host · 3 mentions · first at
    Part of the core Pod Save America host group referenced multiple times as participants in the broader Crooked Media coverage.
    The wildest dreams I think on a lot of levels. Finally, I believe the Pod Save America four horsemen are in the building. I believe my favorite polar coaster driver and yours…
  • J.D. Vance — Person · Referenced politician · 3 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as example of a Republican who rose in Trump's party; used as a contrast in discussions of future GOP candidates
    Your point, we've brought them back, but it's just a date. They are not married to us. But I would much rather be in our position where they're back temporarily and we have a…
  • Ron DeSantis — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    It's a dummy mander. Ronda Santis' dummy mander has redounded to Democrats benefit. Democrat Jared Moscowitz has won re-election to the House from Florida's 25th congressional district.
  • John Lewis — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    The trifecta in 28. And hopefully then we actually pass a real voting rights reform that makes John Lewis proud even as he looks down on us.
  • Byron Donalds — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    Speaking of a authoritarianism and fascism, I would be remiss if I did not point out that Byron Donald's has won the election for governor of Florida. He is the first black governor of Florida.

Companies & orgs

  • Crooked Media — Company · Producer / broadcaster · 26 mentions · first at
    Organization producing the live election coverage and hosting the Pod Save America brand and Crooked Media programming referenced throughout the episode.
  • Congress — Company · Core institutional topic · 16 mentions · first at
    Central subject (control of House and Senate) — the show's coverage focuses on which party controls Congress after midterms
  • Texas Tribune — Company · 2 mentions · first at
    That? Okay, guys. We're talking so much about Texas. I want to go now to Taller Rico HQ in Texas where we have reporter Kayla Go from the Texas Tribune. Kayla, can you hear us? We can hear you. Wow.
  • Decision Desk HQ — Company · 5 mentions · first at
    You. God bless. We got big news. Adam Hamilton, as Jane Codson teased just a few moments ago, the Decision Desk HQ protects Adam Hamilton, the megaurch pastor from Kansas, will…
  • New York Times — Company · 5 mentions · first at
    I've been sending New York Times gift articles to my family and friends incessantly, hoping that it might sway their vote.
  • CNN — Company · 3 mentions · first at
    New Hampshire, and Roy Cooper in North Carolina. So far, a clean sweep. and CNN and NBC are predicting the Democrats will win control of the House.
  • Signal Ohio — Company · 2 mentions · first at
    Me. I do want to bring in [clears throat] an we have an Ohio reporter, Andrew Tobias from Signal, Ohio. Andrew, thank you for joining me and Tommy here as we talk about the return of decency to the state of Ohio.
  • Fair Fight Action — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Feel like the gains we are seeing tonight in the Peach State are such a result of the work you and Fairfight Action have been doing for so long and just the way you taught us…
  • The New York Times Magazine — Company · 5 mentions · first at
    Eight con congressional districts have flipped blue. You know what this means, people? It means the New York Times clarifies for all of us Democrats do not need to win Michigan…
  • NBC — Company · 4 mentions · first at
    New Hampshire, and Roy Cooper in North Carolina. So far, a clean sweep. and CNN and NBC are predicting the Democrats will win control of the House.
  • Mid Coast Villager — Company · 2 mentions · first at
    One of them is Michigan and one of them is Maine. We were just talking to Alex Seiteswald of the Mid Coast Villager and he thinks it could be curtains for Susan Collins, a phrase that I have not allowed myself to utter.
  • Associated Press — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Happen happening. It's on the verge of happening. John Cornin has already congratulated James Salarico before the Associated Press has called the race. So people are over the roof right now, like over the moon right now.
  • Milwaukee Brewers — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Hairy situation, but you never know in the cheese state. I feel like the Milwaukee Brewers like opened a portal of excellence. Like the Cubs started something bad in 2016 and the Brewers winning the series like did a reverse curve.
  • Chicago Cubs — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Know in the cheese state. I feel like the Milwaukee Brewers like opened a portal of excellence. Like the Cubs started something bad in 2016 and the Brewers winning the series like did a reverse curve.
  • Fox News — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Wait, are has Jesse Waters weighed in on what's happened? Has the Fox News crew weighed in on what's happened in South Carolina because I do want to I want to kind of like bask in that a little bit more if we can.
  • RealClearPolitics — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Kind of right leaning prognosticators, politics watchers. Sean T at Real Clear Politics, Sean Trend, he said, and I quote, If you are watching this and just have a passing…

Concepts & topics

  • Democratic Party — Concept · Primary political party / beneficiary of election results · 74 mentions · first at
    Central organizational actor; the episode centers on Democratic gains (House majority, Senate pickups) and strategy implications.
  • Republican Party — Concept · Opposition party / subject of critique · 50 mentions · first at
    Primary opposing political organization whose strategies, candidate choices, and actions (gerrymandering, suppression) are critiqued as contributing to the election outcomes discussed.
  • Blue Wave — Concept · Descriptive framing of election outcome · 9 mentions · first at
    Used repeatedly to describe the scale of Democratic gains across federal and state races in the episode.
    It is really, what's a better word for tsunami? I don't even know, but we'll call it that for now. John Love it, are you there, bud? Did we get you? Are you still awake? This isn't a fever dream.
  • Gerrymandering — Concept · Key structural issue · 8 mentions · first at
    Discussed as a tactic Republicans used (e.g., 'dummy mander' in Florida) and as an issue Democrats are countering; relevant to discussions of House results and state politics.
    How do you feel about the I mean I is are we done with this like can we be done with offseason gerrymandering or is it now that the Pandora's box has been opened back up do you expect that now that Democrats are running you know.
  • Authoritarianism — Concept · Core concern / threat frame · 5 mentions · first at
    Used as a framework for the stakes of the election and as a driver of organizing and defensive efforts (10 steps campaign, threats to democracy).
    People who have voted historically Republicans their whole life are voting Democratic. And it shows to me that we are in a moment where we're coming to a sense of what it means…
  • Voter Suppression — Concept · Core topic/concern · 4 mentions · first at
    Raised repeatedly as a Republican tactic and a motivation for organizing and voting-rights activism
    Here in Washington State trying to get voters removed from the roles. He's he's losing all of those lawsuits. But I think what he's trying to do is set up a narrative to the…
  • Voting Rights Act — Concept · Policy objective · 2 mentions · first at
    Raised as a legislative priority for newly elected Democrats to protect elections and counteract suppression
    A very clear and Republicans on a very clear trajectory in terms of what they stand for and what we stand for. So yes, we may have to fight it for a little bit longer, but I…
  • Trumpism — Concept · Contextual political force · 2 mentions · first at
    Used as shorthand for Trump's political movement and its influence on candidate quality and outcomes
    Congratulations to you and the country for shutting the door or beginning to on Trumpism and MAGA. Godspeed. I will see you soon. We're going to end on some menopause ads and I'll let you go to the other room for that. Okay. Do I even.
  • Jim Crow — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Much time this year as I can on state ledge races, on governor's races, on statewide races, because Jim Crow never had a single federal law. When authoritarianism loses at the federal level, it always moves to the states.
  • GOP — Concept · 2 mentions · first at

Places & events

  • Texas — Place · Key battleground / state with major upsets · 11 mentions · first at
    Focus of major surprise Democratic victories (Senate, gubernatorial and legislative races), discussed as an example of shifting politics and Hispanic/Latino voter impact.
  • South Carolina — Place · Key battleground state (surprise Democratic pickup) · 40 mentions · first at
    Site of an unexpected Democratic Senate victory (Annie Andrews) that illustrates changing political dynamics in the South.
  • Georgia — Place · Key state example of Democratic organizing success · 19 mentions · first at
    Site of multiple Democratic wins (Jon Ossoff reelection, gubernatorial victory by Kesha Lance Bottoms) used as an emblem of Southern political shift and organizing work.
    Need to flip four red seats. So, at this stage, here is where we are at. Democrat John Oaf has won reelection to the Senate from the Peach State of Georgia.
  • Florida — Place · Key battleground with mixed results · 20 mentions · first at
    Site of competitive races: some Democratic House pickups, close statewide contests, and a gubernatorial result (Byron Donalds) — highlighted as illustrative of Southern complexity.
    It's a dummy mander. Ronda Santis' dummy mander has redounded to Democrats benefit. Democrat Jared Moscowitz has won re-election to the House from Florida's 25th congressional district.
  • Ohio — Place · Swing state with notable gubernatorial result · 4 mentions · first at
    Site of a Democratic gubernatorial win (Amy Acton), part of broader map showing Democratic gains in traditionally competitive or Republican-leaning states.
    Results, but I Oh my gosh, wait. I didn't know this. Amy Actton will be the next governor of Ohio.
  • Kansas — Place · Race-specific setting · 15 mentions · first at
    Highlighted as a potential Democratic pickup (Adam Hamilton) and bellwether for broader trends
    Because guess what, y'all? Aaron, thank you. God bless. We got big news. Adam Hamilton, as Jane Codson teased just a few moments ago, the Decision Desk HQ protects Adam Hamilton, the megaurch pastor from Kansas, will win the Kansas.
  • Rio Grande Valley — Place · Demographic/political battleground · 8 mentions · first at
    Cited as a crucial region for Latino voters and a bellwether for Texas/Latino shifts
    Water is pulling back from the coastline but come before it comes flooding forward. Maria Teresa I mean we haven't gotten to the Rio Grand Valley numbers yet and I know…
  • Maine — Place · Race-specific setting · 5 mentions · first at
    Discussed as a contested Senate race (Susan Collins vs. Troy Jackson) and example of late-counting state
    Happening in the rest of the country with states that were not blue to begin with. Maine is one of them. Alex, how are you looking what are you looking how are you looking at…
  • January 6th — Event · Referenced event · 1 mention · first at
    Used as a reminder of stakes and reason to not take democracy for granted; referenced by Congresswoman as personal experience
    Prepared post election day and on January 3rd when we're all seated in the new Congress. and we have not forgotten, Alex, what happened on January 6, 2021. I was trapped in the…
  • Washington, D.C. — Place · Setting for host · 11 mentions · first at
    Alex Wagner is broadcasting from Washington, D.C.; referenced as location of political actors and events
    So, I will see you, buddy. I will see you here in Washington DC in less than 48 hours. I hope you're still drunk because there's a lot of partying left to do.
  • Election Day 2025 — Event · Contextual time reference · 1 mention · first at
    Temporal frame for the midterm results discussed throughout the episode (note: transcript references midterm cycle).
    This is the most important midterm in the history of our country.
  • California — Place · Voting timezone/late-vote state · 7 mentions · first at
    Used to note late-closing polls and to reference state-level responses to gerrymandering and voting policy
    East Coast time, which means that polls have already closed in most of the country. The only states where people are still voting are the states of California, Oregon, Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Nevada, Montana, and Ohio.
  • Iran — Place · Foreign policy flashpoint cited as voter concern · 7 mentions · first at
    Referenced as a controversial foreign policy issue used to criticize the Trump administration and motivate voters concerned about war and costs.
    Just reflecting the incredible anger at Donald Trump and Republicans for going to war in Iran, this illegal, expensive, unconstitutional war in Iran, raising grocery prices…
  • Michigan — Place · Potential pickup/monitoring state · 6 mentions · first at
    Named as one of the contested states where results were watched for the overall Senate math
    Flipped blue. You know what this means, people? It means the New York Times clarifies for all of us Democrats do not need to win Michigan or Maine because they only needed to…
  • Tarant County — Place · County-level example · 2 mentions · first at
    Cited as an example of a Texas county where Democratic early-vote performance was unexpectedly strong (Tarrant/Taran spelling)
    That does really help. But the really the reason is because we spent a whole lot of money. Imagine that, y'all.
  • Fort Worth — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Vote is in Tarant County, if James Taller can be up by like two or three in Taran County. This is Fort Worth. This is like Beastwin County. And he was just like mind blown. he…
  • Dobbs decision — Event · 1 mention · first at
    The DOB's decision did not outlaw abortion at the federal level. It said that the states have the right to strip women of their bodily autonomy. We know that they're going to shift the playing.
  • New Hampshire — Place · 7 mentions · first at
    Chris Papis is the US Senator now from New Hampshire, the first openly gay male senator. And Democrat and former governor Roy Cooper has won the US Senate seat from North Carolina. As I.
  • Mississippi — Place · 5 mentions · first at
    Thought that was a serious race. She got in it. Scott Cologne, that is, I'm getting ready to talk to Brandon Presley. He's my guy in south in Mississippi. He's still tracking…
  • Iowa — Place · Referenced location · 4 mentions · first at
    Mentioned among states/polling context during election-night discussion
    East Coast time, which means that polls have already closed in most of the country. The only states where people are still voting are the states of California, Oregon, Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Nevada, Montana, and Ohio.
  • Pennsylvania — Place · 3 mentions · first at
    Obviously, Pennsylvania's seven and eight con congressional districts have flipped blue. You know what this means, people? It means the New York Times clarifies for all of us Democrats do not.
  • Indiana — Place · 2 mentions · first at
    Close. Let's see what happens there. I don't think they've called it yet. but, we're looking at Indiana.
  • Wisconsin — Place · 2 mentions · first at
    Also like David Crowley has the decision in desk has called that he's one Wisconsin governor. I don't think that was ever thought of as being like a hairy situation, but you…
  • Beastwin County — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Vote is in Tarant County, if James Taller can be up by like two or three in Taran County. This is Fort Worth. This is like Beastwin County. And he was just like mind blown. he…
  • Los Angeles — Place · 3 mentions · first at
    Let's go now to my two too frequently silent. I want to hear more from her, Aaron Ryan, who is in Los Angeles, California. We haven't even seen our props tonight, Aaron. It's…
  • Alaska — Place · 2 mentions · first at
    Country. The only states where people are still voting are the states of California, Oregon, Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Nevada, Montana, and Ohio.
  • Maryland — Place · 2 mentions · first at
    Going to be right back to you. But first, I want to bring in Senator Chris Van Galand, the Democrat of Maryland, who has patiently been waiting by through a weird audio track…
  • Washington State — Place · 2 mentions · first at
    Get to one of the other main events and that is Congresswoman Primila Gyipol, representative from Washington State, who is seeking her sixth term. Get it, girl. how are you…
  • Miami — Place · 1 mention · first at
  • Louisiana — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Underlearn this lesson because what you just laid out, what's happening in Mississippi, what's happening in Louisiana, the fact that we had close races, Angie Nixon made it a…
  • Harris County — Place · 1 mention · first at
    What numbers is it Harris County? Are there particular parts of that? I mean the in terms of the story of Texas that have really made your eyeballs pop out of your head.
  • Virginia — Place · 3 mentions · first at
    Up DOBS. There were a couple referendums on abortion that we were kind of tracking tonight. Virginia actually was successfully able to pass an enshrinement of abortion rights…
  • Arlington, Virginia — Place · 1 mention · first at
    My name is Kyle. I am an active service member currently assigned to Arlington, Virginia.

Media & podcasts

  • Pod Save America — Media · Show/Producer · 3 mentions · first at
    Primary program hosting this live election-night coverage and source of the transcript
    We're drinking over here. I have to tell you something. We're It's going to be a loose. We're about to go record the Pod Save America and it's going to be a loose episode. All right.
  • Pod Save America Live Election Results — Media · Episode title · 4 mentions · first at
    Specific episode title for this live election-night broadcast
    Pod Save America Live Election Results with Alex Wagner!
  • Still Counting — Media · 2 mentions · first at
    Claire, you are part of the fantastic Still Counting Crew. I listened to your pre-election day pod and was filled with thoughts, a little bit of anxiety, and many questions. you see the numbers that are coming in. what are.
  • The Daily — Media · 1 mention · first at
    Promoting other people's podcasts, but since it's an upand cominging one, I will. The Daily has an incredible long- form investigative episode today about what's happening with…
  • Hysteria — Media · 2 mentions · first at
    I was I've been kind of like looking back and when we interviewed Primila Gyipol a few years ago on my podcast, Hysteria. my co-host Alyssa Master Monaco and I asked her if she sometimes just goes into her.
  • Charlie Kirk Show — Media · 1 mention · first at
    Well, I have a video moment from the Charlie Kirk show, which is still going on despite the noted lack of Charlie Kirk. where they are coming to terms with events if we've got that video.
  • Batman — Character · 1 mention · first at
    There have also been times, if we're being honest, Chuck Schumer had to be like the like Batman at the end of Dark Knight where he has to be the villain, right? Like he's, he's the he's not he's not the hero we want, but he's the guy the.
  • Dark Knight — Media · 1 mention · first at
    There have also been times, if we're being honest, Chuck Schumer had to be like the like Batman at the end of Dark Knight where he has to be the villain, right? Like he's, he's the he's not he's not the hero we want, but he's the guy the.
  • Field of Dreams — Media · 1 mention · first at
    See the happiness. It's really I read these I read these results and it's a sweep. It's like it is out of like Field of Dreams political edition that this is all happening. yeah, how are you feeling?
  • Stranger Things — Media · 1 mention · first at
    Yeah. PTSD. We live in the upside down.
  • Chandler — Character · 1 mention · first at
    We have to take the House and Senate and then stop Trump from being any more of an ass than he is. Hello, my name is Chandler from North Carolina.

Sponsors

  • Ziotics — Sponsor · Episode sponsor · 14 mentions · first at
    Sponsor product read played multiple times during the episode (pre-alcohol probiotic) with CTA and discount code
    Alloy ships your prescription direct directly to your door with automatic refills. So, head to myalloy.com and use the code crooked and tell them all about your symptoms, and…
  • CrookedCon — Event · Promotional conference event · 8 mentions · first at
    Advertised live event tied to Crooked Media where hosts and guests will appear; used in the episode's sponsor/housekeeping segments.
    You never know what I'll say. Quick reminder, Crooked Con is going down this Saturday in DC. Just like I said with John, we're going to pick up from tonight's conversation to discuss how we head into a presidential election.
  • Alloy — Sponsor · Episode sponsor (menopause telehealth service) · 4 mentions · first at
    Advertiser read during the broadcast; promoted as a menopause digital health platform with a discount code for listeners.
    Alloy is a digital health platform that connects you with a menopause specialized doctor to help you feel and look your best in midlife. Your doctor will help you find the best safe.
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    Advertiser read during the broadcast; promoted as a pre-alcohol probiotic supplement to reduce hangovers with a discount code for listeners.
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Full transcript with timestamps

Ow. The numbers just went up again. It started at 8:30, then it counted at 7:00, then it went 8:30.

Yeah, I just saw that. This is the most important midterm in the history of our country.

Are we starting? You have a rubber stamp Republican Senate and rubber stamp Republican candidates.

He's been a great attorney general. Wasn't he impeached by Zim. I don't have to tell you how tough things are out there.

I don't know what America's going to look like if this continues. You know, all these fake polls, they don't account for one thing. They don't account for the fact that Trump is out campaigning. They never thought this was

We've never had a midterm convention before. You think this is going to pay off? So, pretend I'm on the ballot. Go out and vote.

And you voted for him how many times? Three times. That was my bad. Apparently, I'm an idiot.

And we're going to shove it up their ass. Okay. We are not. And we will never be one NATION UNDER MUHAMMAD BECAUSE WE ARE AND WE ALWAYS WILL BE ONE NATION UNDER GOD.

THIS IS ABOUT DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE assignment of fighting fascism right now? The Trump administration is going to try to suppress your vote. just go vote.

Yes, things are too expensive. Gas is too expensive. Groceries are too expensive.

If Republicans win the House of Representatives and the Senate, I'm going to give all adult citizens in the United States of America $5,000.

You're a worthless pile of But we also have to ask, have we made progress since we came in? And I believe the answer to that is also yes.

You're building gilded ballrooms. You're launching culture wars. And the one thing you're not doing is actually helping me out.

We are a big tent. We must be a huge vast tent. When they COME FOR OUR RIGHTS, WE WILL BACK DOWN.

Hello everyone on the internet. I am Alex Wagner. Thank you for bearing with the technical gremlins that got into our computers for the last 10 minutes. They've been kicked out. and we are here for what may be the beginning of the end of the Trump show for real. Okay, you are watching Crooked Media's live election coverage. Uh we are going to be following all the race results as they happen in real time. I am in Washington DC tonight, which you can of course tell by the brick wall behind me. And I'm going to be joined by some of my and your favorite crooked friends who are all over the country. We also have an amazing lineup of senators and congress people and campaign staffers and campaign chairs and campaign strategists coming on board to offer brilliant an analysis and um expertise. And for all of you friends of the pod subscribers, check this out. You can send in your questions as you watch and we are going

to try and get them answered in that critical liinal space when John Love is tired enough to actually answer them and before he fully falls asleep. So stay tuned for that. And thanks of course to our sponsors for this evening. Ziotics with whom I would without whom I would be lost and alloy. Right now I am joined by my wonderful friend and colleague Aaron Ryan of Hysteria fame from our Los Angeles studio. Hello Aaron. How are you?

Hello. Oh, this this is the camera that I'm on now. Whichever way you want. It's one of those shifting eyline kind of nights.

Um Aaron, we're just it's live on the internet so there's going to be ups, downs, and who knows what's tonight. And I hope you all bear with us because that's part of the fun. Um,

yeah, Mercury is in retrograde. Let's see what happens. What's that? Mercury is in retrograde. So,

Mercury lives in retrograde when you're on the internet doing a live stream on election night. But beware, Mercury is not in retrograde at the polls tonight if you're a Democrat. Let's just give everybody a lay of the land. It is currently 9:00 p.m. actually 9:11 p.m. East Coast time, which means that polls have already closed in most of the country. The only states where people are still voting are the states of California, Oregon, Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Nevada, Montana, and Ohio. Montana and Idaho. Just as a reminder, 35 Senate seats and all 435 House seats are up for grabs tonight. To win back control of Congress, Democrats need to pick up three seats in the House. And in the Senate, Dems need to hold on to all of the contested blue seats, and they need to flip four red seats. So, at this stage, here is where we are at. Democrat John Oaf has won reelection to the Senate from the Peach State of Georgia.

Democrat Chris Papis is now the first openly gay member male in the United States Senate. He's won the seat from New Hampshire. And Democrat and former Governor Roy Cooper has won the US Senate seat from North Carolina. Over in the House, the I don't know, can we officially call it a dummy mander, Eric? I think we can, right, Eric? Yeah, it's a dummy mander.

It's a dummy mander. Uh Ronda Santis' dummy mander has redounded to Democrats benefit. Democrat Jared Moscowitz has won re-election to the House from Florida's 25th congressional district. That was one of those that was g was dummy mandered in order to try and give Republicans a leg up and oops has elected a Democrat. And Democrat Kathy Caster has won re-election to the House from Florida's 14th House district. Um this is just some housekeeping before we get to the meat of the the sandwich as it were. I want you to know if you're watching this at home, we have some very accurate, highly vetted, datadriven graphs in our studio that we will be checking in on periodically. Uh that includes the very official Chuck Schumer happiness index that's going to be monitoring what's how happy Chuck is as the Senate results roll in. And we also have the how blue is my reflecting pool barometer that will change color

throughout the night if we do indeed see a blue wave in the house which you know signs are pointing to at least aquamarine tint for that reflecting pool. And just in case all of this is overwhelming you as it is me quite obviously. Uh we have a fish tank that you can just look at periodically to bring you some zen. So you're welcome in advance for all of that. Aaron, gather your zen. Take a moment. I'm going to be right back to you. But first, I want to bring in uh Senator Chris Van Galand, the Democrat of Maryland, who has patiently been waiting by through a weird audio track where I mistakenly thought he was a technician and not a senator. Senator Van Galand, only things that happen on the internet.

How are you feeling tonight, sir? I'm feeling good, Alex. Can you hear me? Okay,

I sure can. And you don't look like an audio technician at all. Well, no, I I appreciate that, but whatever I look like, I should be looking happy. I'm normally very cautious about counting things this early, but there's no doubt that these early returns show a blue wave. It's just a question of how big it will be at this point in time. So, um, take someone who's normally cautious uh, and I'm feeling bullish.

So, like the phrase nauseously optimistic no longer applies. Maybe it's just optimistic. Let me ask you about the center races that we do know about. First of all, John Oaf was called so early in the evening, almost minutes after the polls closed in Georgia. And we just have a call

other people. We just have a call on the governor's race that Kesha Lance Bottoms is going to be governor of uh the Peach State, which is if you're doing the presidential math for 2028, that's that's good news because that means if John Oaf decides to run for president, Kesha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat, would be able to replace uh would be able to name his replacement. In New Hampshire, Chris Papis will be joining you as the first openly gay man in the Senate. And in North Carolina, Rory Cooper beat out Trump ally Michael Wattley.

Congratulations, Donald Trump, on picking yet another loser. And that is the seat in North Carolina that Tom Tillis vacated because he had had enough with Donald Trump's antics. How do you feel about those races? And how are you feeling about your new Senate colleagues?

Well, I'm feeling good. Uh Roy Cooper is of course the first Senate pickup uh of the evening and I had an event for him in in Maryland. um some months ago and you could tell that this was a guy that was going to connect with people back home because everything you talked about to folks in in Maryland all related of course uh to North Carolina. Thrilled of course with the OAF uh result. I was actually just down in uh Georgia last week and uh you know I sense that OAF was doing well. Uh great to see the governor's race. I mean, we're now going to have, you know, Governor Bottoms, who's going to be the new governor in the state of Georgia, which is huge.

And, uh, Papus's victory is also something that, um, you know, New Hampshire people forgot about for a little while, I think, took it for granted. But,

um, I was up there campaigning with Chris Papus as well, and I'm so glad to see he's over the finish line. So, look, great start to the night. And in Florida, you mentioned these two uh House seats, right, where Republicans had tried to gerrymander out Kathy Caster uh Moscowitz and what a backfire. Uh hopefully backfire will be the story of the night for the Republicans.

Yeah, I mean that's probably being euphemistic. I should note that the two of the other dummy manders look also trending to be in Democrats direction. That would be um Pia Dendia from Florida's 22nd congressional district and Darren Sodto from Florida's 9inth. I mean the story of the South I'm going to count Florida in the South for just geographic purposes even though I know Flidians don't consider consider themselves Southerners but the story of the South is one of maybe potentially huge change and a real rebuke of Trump because the other race that is really close right now senator is Annie Andrews versus Darlene Graham in South Carolina.

I'm saying the word South Carolina and the word Democratic, the words Democratic lead. Am I having a fever dream? Could this really be happening?

I've been watching the same thing with the same big smile on my face. Uh again, this is a situation where Annie Andrews is just a terrific candidate, as you know. She's a a doctor, pediatrician. Uh, and when Trump and the Republicans passed their big beautiful bill, which was beautiful for billionaires, but really sucked for people who are trying to afford their healthcare. She got mad and she got in. And look at this. She's doing really well. You know, in Florida, Angie Nixon, she lost that race, but 48% of the vote for Angie Nixon in Florida is an astounding story. Uh I wish we could have gotten her over the finish line. I was able to do a number of events for her. Uh but that is another sign of course, Alex, of what's happening in the south if you include Florida in the south and obviously South Carolina is in the south

as it is in the name. I mean, it is just like as I I think everybody was about nauseously optimistic going into this, but when you when you hear about those these results so early in the evening, we're in the first half hour of our live stream and there's already I mean signs that we're really entering blue tsunami territory. So, Senator Chris Van Holland, you may have a whole bunch of new Democrats to meet back in uh when you get back to Washington on January 4th and uh have new name plates to memorize. It is a real pleasure to have you and your enthusiasm and your expertise in audio technology with me on this beginning uh stage of our of our crooked coverage. Uh

I'm looking forward to this evening, Alex. And I will say you played that clip of uh Trump on earlier saying this election is all about him and it is all about him. A complete repudiation of this corrupt, lawless Trump administration. It's great to see the American people fighting back. It's very heartening. Senator Chris Van Holland, it's great to see you. Thank you for your time. I'm sure we'll be trying to check in with you again sometime soon.

Good to be with you, Alex. Thanks. Okay, I want to go back to I want to go back to my friend Aaron Ryan in Los Angeles, California. Aaron, you know, we had to get through the housekeeping because um I spilled water on my laptop and and froze the stream for 10 minutes, which is why we were late. That's actually a lie, but let's believe it for the moment. Um, first of all, how are you feeling as you watch these results roll in? And what sort of big questions do you have at this at this 9:20 p.m. hour of the evening?

I do not hear you, Erin. And so, I'm going to just take a minute to go back using one of our props to check out our reflecting pool. That's what we do when you have a technical glitch. Do Can we look at how how blue is our reflecting pool right now while we were work on Aaron's mic? Is it blue? Do we have Aaron? How about a fish tank? Nothing. Oh, well, look at all the people that just popped up. Okay.

Hi. Can you hear me? Guys, this is a very streamlined streamlined organization. Thank you for joining me. Maria Teresa Kumar, head of Voto Latino, and Sarah Longwell, manager and just guru of the bull work. Uh Aaron I think maybe has microphone capabilities and if you do please chime in at some point Aaron guys I'm so happy to see you because obviously we're dealing with a lot of really I mean calls very early in the evening and I was reading on ye old internet um like Jane who has excellent uh polling takes on this that that Trump is getting the rug pulled out of him the Republicans are getting the rug pulled out from them with Hispanic voters and white workingclass voters. Sarah, let me just start with you in terms of, you know, how you're thinking about this. Do the word does the word blue tsunami cross your lips at this hour of the evening?

I mean, it has crossed my lips to say that I think we are somewhere between right now. We're kind of between the big blue wave and the tsunami, right? We're kind of sitting right in the middle. But I I got to say I will decide if the wave is a tsunami in Kansas and in South Carolina uh and then in Texas, right? We're kind of waiting for these Midwest states. And I'm looking at these Adam Hamilton numbers in Kansas. Losing my ever loving mind right along with Annie Andrews in South Carolina, which we were down. We did a live show down there. We had Annie Andrews with us. She and I were on stage together and I was like, "This woman is so hot, so vibrant, so like such a good candidate." And I was like, "Man, in South Carolina is South Carolina. It's like a racial polarization. It's such a tough state.

It's Trump plus 18. She is winning by like six points in like a real way. Not just early vote ways, but real ways." And you know, I listen to voters all the time in the focus groups, and I've been listening to voters say the whole time they don't like Darlene Graham. She doesn't have the experience. They don't understand why she's running. But still, man, I just I I I got to admit I was not sure on the Annie Andrews front. I was skeptical of South Carolina and that is looking closer and closer. Now, the one thing I did think was going to happen that we are watching happen in real time, I think, is these rural numbers.

So my theory of the case on the 2026 election was that the rural voters that normally give Republicans their Assad-like margins in some of these places that you were going to see the bottom fall out because those are the people who are the most hurt by the economic environment, the gas prices and the data centers. These are the people who don't like the data centers being built where there's all the land, you know, and they're driving up energy prices. And that is the thing that we are seeing in a bunch of these places is that the rural vote is coming in way under what it typically does. Although this so is the so is the suburban vote.

So um is it a tsunami yet? It's like what happens when a tsunami builds? I don't know. There's probably some

it's like the water is receding. The water is pulling back from the coastline but come before it comes flooding forward. Maria Teresa I mean we haven't gotten to the Rio Grand Valley numbers yet and I know everybody's going to want to dig into those but the Torico numbers at this stage of the game are pretty bonkers too. It's a sim similar situation where it's I mean Darlene Graham is really or sorry Annie Andrews is even further out of left field in terms of Democratic hopes and dreams but Talerico looks to be in very strong position and I wonder how you read that given all the work that you guys are doing with Latino voters.

Well, this is what's really wild is happening in Texas is that there talk about not only is his numbers high, but it's to what you were saying Sarah. It's in the most rural areas that have been staunch supporters of Republicans for forever. And the fact that they're swinging to Teler Rico, it's interesting, but I've been getting some in, you know, some some polling from even Gina from Gina Hinosa. Yeah, she's she's up and not by a lot, but up. I think what we're seeing is that people in I have to say right now I need to pause only because the work that we do is so hard in a time when people weren't sure if any Americans were going to be as enthusiastic to come out. But not only are Americans enthusiastic to come out, they're crossing tickets that people who have voted historically Republicans their whole life are voting Democratic. And it shows to me that we are in a moment where we're coming to a

sense of what it means to be America and they're putting nation over party and it's about damn time. So that warms my heart. But then what we're seeing in some place like the Rio Grand Valley where we've done a lot of base building, the fact that Texas 15, this is the very gerrymandered MAGA Latina that the Republicans put in place. The fact that she is down not by a little but by a lot speaks to where the Latino vote is going to be. And I I'll share with you, Alex, I think you and I have talked about this before.

Like we have been looking so closely at how the the real Grand Valley swings because for us that is the belt of everybody everybody uh every place else in um when it comes to Latino vote. And this is what we saw very similar to Sarah. We spent a lot of time there not no not by accident because we recognized that something was happening. And I'm going to share with you one of the things that we saw is that the the builders of the Rio Grand Valley, they were staunch supporters of the of the Republicans. They were staunch supporters of what was happening with Trump country. They were tired of what was happening at the border, feeling that not only was it insecure, but it was basically they couldn't feel that they were actually being able to walk around because they were concerned with of the onslaught of folks that were coming across the border. Number one, and they were sick and tired of prices.

So they basically organized and went to the Republican party. What we're seeing now is not only are they coming back and forth, but they are sick and tired of the Republicans basically using them and their workers as scapegoats. So they are saying, "We are sick and tired of the deportations and we're sick and tired of the prices that were supposed to fall that actually have doubled." There's a builder that we met basically he was paying $300 a square foot for his commercial real estate to build. It's now at over 630 and it was because of the deportations and because of the tariffs. People simply can't plan. The fact that we even have this case that we're seeing in Georgia, you know, rinse and repeat when it comes to the Latino community.

Yeah. And I hate I I really don't like promoting other people's podcasts, but since it's an upand cominging one, I will. The Daily has an incredible uh long- form investigative uh uh episode today about what's happening with those builders in the Rio Grand Valley which tells you about the collapse in support with like three time MAGA Trump voters. Erin, if you can hear me, raise your hand.

Can you hear me? Yes, we did it. Welcome back. Welcome back to Earth One. Uh I don't know if you got her voice back. Um well, I I wanted to ask Sarah something. Sarah, um, generally people say don't pay attention to early votes and they say, you know, there's a a blue mirage and then there's like a red shift, but is this year different or can Republicans match Dem turnout or are we not seeing any signs of that?

So, here's the thing. I I am still worried a little bit about a red uh or like the blue mirage of a place like Kansas. So I I when if you if you look at the breakdowns of the counties in a place like Kansas, the the bluer places have reported more than the red places, right? So the red places are still yet to come in. But but then you got to look at that and compare it to the fact that he's currently up 60% to 37%. Like Adam Hamilton is at 60% right now. Roger Marshall's at 37.7%. We're at 46% of the vote. like those numbers that is such a mountain to climb, but it is Kansas and it is uh the red places still have to come in. So, I'm like waiting to see what that margin is. Uh but if you told me that he'd be leaving like this right now, I would have said, "Well, that's incredible." Like, that's an that's an amazing outcome. Uh

and and I'm a little, you know, I'm watching Ohio. Ohio [snorts] is narrowing slightly as we're watching it. Um, uh, Amy Actton, interestingly, running a little bit above, uh, uh, ahead of, uh, Sherid Brown. Um, but right now, we've got Ohio's pretty close. It's, uh, 49.8 to 45.7, uh, in favor of Sherid Brown. Uh, and then you've got in the governor's race, you've got Amy Actton is at 51%.8 with Vivic, Ramaswami at 45.1. They've got about 55% of the vote in. So, you know, we've got a little ways to go there, but that's the one those are the places where that early vote you got to wonder about. But, but in Texas, Texas, something different's happening in Texas. Like, yes, it's the early vote, but the margins are so far ahead of where they've been comparably with both the way Harris ran, the way uh Colin Redd ran, like he is crushing Colin Redd's margins. And so, you know, I think part of what's happening is if I

had to give an overall summary right now of where we are, it's shaping up to about be about a D plus1 environment. Okay. And then you add on

which is huge in itself, right? Okay. So, that's big. But then you add on the candidate quality and then so like so this is why in South Carolina and in and in Kansas and in Texas you've got the the candidate quality uh that I think is then putting an additional margin because in South Carolina that's a Trump plus 18 state right I mean this is not and Kansas is Trump plus 16 but even in South Carolina it's like a more it's a less elastic place it's a more racialized environment but man if Annie Andrews uh pulls this out and I actually I've been sitting on my own live stream over at the bull work like sweating my ass off over these South Carolina numbers.

I cannot believe the numbers. It's blowing my mind. I love Sarah. Yeah. But Sarah, what's wild about Texas is at least what we're seeing is that a lot of voters who sat it out are coming back. That's what's wild, right? Like you're seeing like the usually you expect the early vote to be the habitual voter. That's not the headline in Texas. the headline in Texas, it's the first time voter and the people that basically said this this whole politics elections business is not for me. And I think that's going to be where the interesting part of it is like the people that came back to the Democratic party who were so angry before and I do think that to your point Sarah, it is the candidate quality that makes all the difference. And they did their work. If you were to say what Biden and Harris did not do when they were running for president, they did not spend any time in the Rio Grand Valley.

President Trump did. Betto barely did it the last time he was running. And these folks have been the last week, their closing argument has all been in southern Texas.

Yeah. Here's what I will say. Trump definitely spent some time there. And you know who spent even more time there? ICE officers trying to destroy black and brown lives.

It's almost as if sending people there to upend other people's way of life, target them, and break up their families a good election strategy. I mean, who knew? I did. Well, it's almost it's like that saying like you might not do politics, but politics still messes with you. And I think that it became a situation where people who are living in the real Grand Valley could no longer say they don't do politics because politics was involving itself in their lives in a way that was destructive and and terrible. And they they I think they just want politics out of their lives in that way.

Well, they want something different. That's what I know. Okay, people. Everyone has me multiple live streams to do. Stay with us on this one. Uh, Maria, Teresa, and Sarah, thank you guys for your brilliance and patience and thoughts. Um, Sarah, I like it when you and I are both breaking a sweat for the same reason. That means something.

You're used to me when I'm like doing this with my hair. What's happening to me?

It's the sign of success. It means something's going right when Longwell is like, you know, physically expressing the excitement. I appreciate you. Um, I'm gonna just we have to have a quick word from one of our sponsors. So, let me do that right now before we get to some more exciting guests and elections. Uh, Crooked Live election coverage is brought to you by Ziotics, election junkies. That's all this everybody who's watching this. I got to tell you about this game-changing product I drink before a night out or a night of election returns. It is called free alcohol by Ziotics. Uh Ziotics free alcohol drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was engineered by PhD microbiologists to break down acetal aldahhide, an unwanted byproduct of alcohol metabolism. Make pre-alcohol your first drink of the night. Drink responsibly and enjoy your next day activities. Ziotics has sold

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you're not satisfied they will refund your entire order no questions asked head to zbiotics.com/crooked and code crooked for 15 bucks off your first order. Okay, listen. Short bit of housekeeping. This is not an ad for a prebiotic drink, but it's the reason to drink the Ziotics. Crooked Con. It's going down this Saturday in DC. We're going to pick up from tonight's conversation to discuss how we head into a presidential election in which the stakes will be existential. Today and tomorrow only, Crooked is having a flash sale. 30 bucks off Crooked Con tickets with code CC Midterms 26. Expect over 25 panels, Q&As's, live podcast tapings.

All your favorite crooked hosts will be there, and I'll be there, too. You see how that suggests I'm not one of your favorite crooked hosts? I hope it's wrong. I'll be interviewing Senator Alyssa Slotkin live on stage and later moderating a conversation on the attention economy with Brian Tyler Cohen, Carlos Eduardo Espina, Jennifer Welsh, and Jessica Tarlov, Trump's favorite person to tweet about. Other guests at Crooked Con include Representative Ilhan Omar, uh, Senator Mark Kelly, Governor Wesmore, Senator Chris Van Holland, Representative Sarah McBride, plus real Real [snorts] Housewives of Salt Lake City's Bronin Newport. Okay, head to crookedcon.com and use code CC Midterms 26 to get 30 bucks off your ticket. The deal ends tomorrow, so get yours while you can. See you at CrookedCon, people.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's get to one of the other main events and that is Congresswoman Primila Gyipol, representative from Washington State, who is seeking her sixth term. Get it, girl. Um, how are you feeling? First of all, it's so great to see you. Thank you for bearing with my ad read and housekeeping. And just cuz I knew you did good, Alex, you did good.

They would hang out to see you. Uh, how are you feeling? I mean, do we at some point we have to cut away to our graphic that shows the how blue is the reflecting pool. It feels like it's getting pretty blue and not because Trump fix the pipes, but because it looks like a blue tsunami. Are you feeling good? Where is your mind right now?

I am feeling so good. You know, I started the evening feeling nauseously optimistic as Senator Raphael Waro said. And now I am just pure optimistic. I'm not feeling nauseous anymore. Um, I always thought we were going to take the House, but I got to tell you, the seats we are watching, I mean, seats that never should have even been close, that are close, the seats that were gerrymandered in Florida, four Republicans that we have now already won three of those four seats. And I think Darren Sto is going to be very, very close. Let's see what happens there. I don't think they've called it yet. Um, but, you know, we're looking at Indiana.

I mean, Spart's current seat, she is losing badly. I I just I think that we are going to have a blowout and we're going to have a very large majority in the House. And then you look at the Senate, and I was predicting that we would pick up Senate seats, but not all of the ones that are right there for the taking right now. Um, and so I, you know, I think that all of this, Alex, is just reflecting the incredible anger at Donald Trump and Republicans for going to war in Iran, this illegal, expensive, unconstitutional war in Iran, raising grocery prices, raising gas prices, then laughing about it and acting like people didn't have anything to worry about, slashing health care for millions of people last year with the big bad betrayal bill, and then all of the corruption, all of the incredible corrupt corruption for Trump and his family members and his closest cronies.

And that half a billion dollars that Elon Musk spent, including what was it like 156 uh million that was in Texas alone um doesn't seem to have gone so well for him. And Ken Paxton,

I I marvel at all. I I truly marvel at the way in which this president closed out the race by talking about the rehabilitation of the reflecting pool.

Yeah. Yeah. And the Kennedy Center and the Kennedy Center and going back to his I I guess like lizard brain of of a real estate developer and forgetting that he's president of the United States facing down what is a devastating referendum. What is your I mean I I have to address this just because I've talked a lot about it but and I think there's been a fair amount of warning bells rung on the part of Democrats and people who like democracy about the president or his stooges trying to deny a house majority. I mean I mean the decision desk is saying that Democrats have won the majority in the house. We don't know what the exact margin is. The Senate as you point out is very much trending towards the Democrats. Are you worried at all about any sort of sand being thrown in the wheels at this point? Or do you think the repudiation is so absolute that it's impossible to do that?

Well, I think the victory is so large. It's going to be so large. It's going to be very difficult for him to do his shenanigans. That doesn't mean that he won't do them. He will. I mean, look at this guy. He has already tried to sue California again and again. He sued us here in Washington State trying to get voters removed from the roles. He's he's losing all of those lawsuits. But I think what he's trying to do is set up a narrative to the public that this was a rigged election, a stolen election. It's going to be very hard to do with the numbers that we're seeing and the margins that we're seeing. Um, these are not even close in some of these races.

And so, uh, we are prepared as we were on election day for every single eventuality. We're going to be just as prepared post election day and on January 3rd when we're all seated in the new Congress. Um, and you know, we have not forgotten, Alex, what happened on on January 6, 2021. I was trapped in the capital that day. I'm never going to forget it. Uh, we're not going to take anything for granted. But I do think that the voters have spoken with such a loud voice um, and with so much ferocity that it is going to be very difficult for Donald Trump to pull any shenanigans. I just want to just reset for when we talk about that blue wave, the blue tint, the blue hue of the reflecting pool just to get everybody up to speed. There are 85 Democratic House seats that have been called, 45 Democratic Senate seats have been called and 15 Democratic ginatorial seats have been called. It is really stunt. I mean,

we are talking about parts of the country, you mentioned the uh dummy, we can officially call it a dummy mander, I think, in Florida. the um unlawful ways in which Republicans tried to steal the House uh before the election even happened and the the way in which first of all Democrats responded forcefully uh using with with you know voter affirmation behind them in the state of California. Um and the voters themselves responded forcefully to those dummy manders and said you know I mean you want to make it more competitive for Republicans we're going to give it to the Democrats.

How do you feel about the I mean I is are we done with this like can we be done with offseason gerrymandering or is it now that the Pandora's box has been opened back up do you expect that now that Democrats are running you know state houses across the country and look at the fact that Republicans are likely to try and use that again in their playbook it's open season I mean are we going to be facing this down every couple years now

I mean we're probably going to face it down for a little bit but two things I would say one you know the the switch in the state houses and and governorships is going to be really important. State legislatores and governorships. I mean, the fact that we now have Kesha Lance Bottoms in Georgia as the governor is going to mean that we have a lot less foul play that they're able to do in these states, right? Um, and that's a historic win by the way as well. Um, and and so I think that that's one thing. The second thing is that we [clears throat] will have to uh expand voting rights with the House and the Senate. Now, I understand that Donald Trump is not a likely signer of that, but I think what we need to do is make it very clear that we will fix voting rights and we will ensure that we are protecting uh a a you know a real um fair and free election across the board.

So if we have the House and the Senate, we can pass it in both chambers, send it to Donald Trump's desk, and force him not to sign it, which again puts him on a very clear and Republicans on a very clear trajectory in terms of what they stand for and what we stand for. So yes, we may have to fight it for a little bit longer, but I think all of this sets us up as long as we deliver, Alex. as long as when we get into office, we actually deliver and don't get all, you know, uh, timid around the edges and suddenly think that we've got to do nothing in order to keep our majority. We're going to have to deliver. Um, but if we do that, we should be in a good place for the trifecta in 28. And hopefully then we actually pass um, a real voting rights reform that makes John Lewis proud even as he looks down on us.

Are you ready to say, Mr. Speaker, to Hakee Jeff? Is that does that give you I I am so re You have no idea. I mean I'm I'm looking at all of the you know people that have lost their seats who have been particularly odious in my committees and I must I'm not going to give you any names because I'm going to be diplomatic and political but uh but let me tell you I am very happy to see some of these people gone.

What's number one on your to-do list stream list for when you guys get the majority back? Well, uh, on mine specifically, I'll be the chair of the immigration subcommittee, Alex, and you know, this is my why of why I came to Congress. I am so horrified. And it is the American people's um number three priority after affordability and corruption is immigration. And so I intend to hold every single one of these people accountable. We're going to call them up. We're going to subpoena them. If they don't appear, we're going to take them to court. Um, and we are going to hold them accountable for killing US citizens in the street, for kidnapping and deporting people, and then we're going to pass some real reforms to our immigration system that haven't happened in over 30 years. So, that is certainly one of my top priorities, but we're also going to we're going to undo all the bad stuff they did. And then we are going to

um pass a number of things that actually make life more affordable for people. And that's a long list. Um, but we can walk and chew gum at the same time. we can uh hold people accountable, call out the corruption, and pass real reforms that help Americans live their lives with dignity.

Walk, chew gum, paint an oil painting with your toes and speak. I do have I that's actually I I have very skilled toes, Alex. I'll have you know that. So, you know, we knew that I knew that about you. I had a feeling I had a feeling. It's just the way you walk. Um, Congresswoman Primilia Paul, a pleasure to speak with you on any night, but especially this night. Get ready to I guess go around with like is it a what is it? A nail gun or whatever. No, it's a school.

I I've got a bill. I've got a bell here that we rang um when uh I believe it was when Joe Biden was elected. Yeah, go ahead and ring it for us. Yeah, there we go. See, that's the bell we ring every time we pick up a Senate seat or

an angel gets its wings. Okay. Well, listen. Keep that bell ringing, lady. It's great to see you. It's great to talk with you. Congratulations on taking back the house.

Thank you. Thank you, Alex. Let's go now to my two too frequently silent. I want to hear more from her, Aaron Ryan, who is in Los Angeles, California. We haven't even seen our props tonight, Aaron. It's like they're keeping you silent. It's like California doesn't want to speak until the polls close in 2029.

It's not very feminist of them to silence me this way. Um, but you know, it's a good exercise. I've got to practice shutting up a little bit more. Um,

no, you don't. Um, you know, I I was I've been kind of like looking back and um when we interviewed Primila Gyipol a few years ago on my podcast, Hysteria. Um, my co-host Alyssa Master Monaco and I asked her if she sometimes just goes into her gloating closet. Like, does she have a little chamber where she can go when she knows that she's been right about something big, but she doesn't want to be like a sore winner. And I feel like Representative Gyipal should absolutely be spending some time in her gloating closet tonight.

Out of it. I think she should gloat in the open air. You know, she doesn't need to be in the I think just gloat freely. Right. Now is the time for public gloating.

We don't have a graphic about public gloating, but I bet Chuck Schumer's gloating a Can we Can we Oh, we can we see that reflecting pool? Can we see how blue the reflecting pool is? Can someone in California show us how blue it is?

Oh, pretty blue. Aaron, yeah, that is a blue ass pool. It is a blue ass pool and it is indicative of the House officially going back to Democratic rule. Um, Mike Johnson must be tying his bow tight extra tight tomorrow morning, keep his head on his shoulder. [gasps]

He's angrily checking the app that he has on his phone to make sure that his son isn't looking at porn and anything but the election results.

That's real, Alex. That's real. He really You rather have your your child see your party car crashing or porn? I mean I guess well it's tough call.

Both of them are a form of ego death. I uh I do I do we are getting Senate calls as well and so I would be remiss if we didn't go to our how happy is Chuck Schumer index. Do we can we show that one just to see and we know that just again I'm just setting the table just for every Yeah. that you guys are we already there in light blue again. 93 Democratic House seats have now been called. 45 Democratic Senate seats have been called and 15 Democratic gubernatorial seats have been called. Things are looking very good in South Carolina and very strong for James Salarico in Texas. Chuck Schumer is almost in d a jiggy mode where that little, you know, hip shake his hips don't lie.

He's getting into Shakira territory, but we're not there yet. We will check back in on that metric, that very advanced metric shortly.

Find out. Is it time now to bring in the great Stacy Abrams? I think what a day for people from Georgia. Talk about a floating bullhorn.

Do we have Stacy Abrams? Someone give me a thumbs up. Yes. Do we? I think so. If not, Erin and I can keep talking. Anyone?

That's fine. This is a live stream. I think you've heard me say that a lot. I'll just keep chatting until someone tells me that we have

Okay, here's some more. Thank goodness. I've been like scratching at the ground like pawing, waiting, eagerly, chomping at the bit, I think is the term they use in the English language, something I clearly don't speak. The great Stacy Abrams, I think you are truly I mean, what is the right way? like when there is a new capital building created, they should put Stacy Abrams on top of it because I feel like the gains we are seeing tonight in the Peach State are such a result of the work you um and Fairfight Action have been doing for so long and just the way you taught us that Georgia could become a blue state. Kesha Lance Bottoms is going to be the next governor. John Oaf has won re-election.

How are you feeling, Stacy Abrams? I'm excited. We also just picked up the attorneys general seat, which means that Georgia will be on the right side of lawsuits for the first time in a more than a decade. Uh we're delighted to be making history. We're also delighted to be demonstrating something I think you and I talked about, Alex, and Aaron, you and I talked about when you were kind enough to join the show, which is that I want us to look at who's who's voting because we actually expanded the electorate again. We saw record number of people of color show up and vote and we've been building at this since 2018 and 22 and 24 and now it's coming to fruition. But you're seeing that across the country. The Cala decision has emboldened and revived a sense of possibility. And so while I'm incredibly proud of Georgia, I'm also so proud of what we're seeing across the South, what we're seeing around the nation as more

and more people who were left out of this conversation, who did not believe their voices matter, they believe their votes should count and they are showing up in droves. And that's what's changing the composition not only of Congress, but it's going to change the composition of state legislators, of governor's offices, but secretaries of state who will be responsible for defending us because we don't have a voting rights act. And attorneys general who will be responsible for fighting back when they weaponize whatever new crazy they come up with next year. Because their voter suppression in 26 is a test run for 28.

And now we have new champions and new sentinels who are ready to go to work and ready to go to war to defend democracy. And I couldn't be more excited.

I'm just so struck by the way in which there was a concerted effort so publicly from two of the three branches of government. You could argue all three to disenfranchise black voters. And you see what black voters are doing in Georgia, but also in North Carolina potentially also in South Carolina. I mean, the story of the South tonight is a story of tenacity and resilience and a bunch of you energy to the racists and bigots who would disenfranchise people because of the color of their skin. in like Aaron made this great point earlier and Maria Theresa Kumar made this point earlier which is we're seeing people like really come together to tell a different kind of American story and and to really offer a new narrative about what the value systems are the the fight the core civic belief people have in government. I mean, it's just apart from a democratic victory, I think a lot of people were very worried about what this

election represented because it truly felt like the moral litmus test. Like, are we going to actually abide the the some of the gravest sins that we've seen in concerted effort from this administration and its allies? And it looks to be a resounding no. I I couldn't agree more and I want us to not underlearn this lesson because what you just laid out, what's happening in Mississippi, what's happening in Louisiana, the fact that we had close races, Angie Nixon made it a competitive race in Florida. Like those are conversations about democracy, not just Democrats. And that democracy conversation has to be expanded when we wake up tomorrow and do what we are want to do which is to try to figure out the safest way to make it through to the next you know gate of 28. I need us to remember that safety did not get us here. What got us here was people who believed that they needed more and they were willing to risk disappointment and

risk three branches of government. You were very kind to Congress because their inertia also did this, but they were willing to defy the intentional degradation of their power to say democracy belongs to us, but we don't look like what you're used to. They thought when they were instrumenting, when they were implementing and orchestrating the attacks on voting rights, their intention was clear because it has worked before. It has worked that you sublimate the moral intention of communities of color. You tell black voters and Latino voters and Asian voters and Native American voters that you don't matter. You change the lines. You cut off the mail. And you say voter suppression is going to keep you in your place. And what we proved is that participation does not erase discrimination, but it also doesn't erase determination. And so our responsibility in this moment is to not learn a lesson of mediocrity in the next

moment because it's going to be our intention to say well what's the safest thing we can do in the next two years to not upset anyone. And my point is now is the time to say what can we do to remind the people who showed up on November 3rd that they should show up again in November 28. And what do we do between those two polls to remind them that democracy must deliver and that we are going to do that work for them.

I mean speaking of uh delivering democracy that that's one side of things. I guess that's like the carrot, but then there's also the stick which is the creeping threat of authoritarianism. Um you've recently focused on your 10 steps campaign um on fighting authoritarianism here in the US. Um how do we keep people on the ball? Like you know this is not a time to rest on our laurels. This is not a time for people to just say like well we did it. That's that should do it. All done. Um because you know I I guess like the devil never sleeps, right? So, how do we keep reminding people to have the tenacity to continue the fight not only for like a positive future, but also something averse to this negative present?

I mean, they're going to help us. They're going to because there's going to be a biblical response to the extraordinary turnout. The sugar high of today is going to become a crash in January because these are people who have been orchestrating and plotting the rise of authoritarianism. We are now a competitive authoritarian nation where we use democratic institutions to achieve authoritarianisms. What does that look like in practice? It means Americans are afraid of lettuce because they've broken government. It means that we are that we have a human body. We have a body count because we've lost bodily autonomy in multiple states.

It means that daycare and that rent are so far out of reach for so many that they despair. And so our first job is to recognize this 10 steps to authoritarianism. We've taken all 10 and we seem to be on wash, rinse, repeat, but they're also 10 steps to freedom and power. And so Erin, I think to your question, our job is to remember our first responsibility is to commit to remembering what's going on. The second is that we've got to engage. We are electing new people today. They need to know that we're showing up on January 3rd, that we're going to be in state legislative hearings. We're going to see those new governors. We're going to be demanding things for the next 24 months because we need them to hold to their obligations. But the other piece is to remember, and this is why I've spent as much time this year as I can on state ledge races, on governor's races, on statewide races, because Jim Crow never

had a single federal law. When authoritarianism loses at the federal level, it always moves to the states. Mhm.

The DOB's decision did not outlaw abortion at the federal level. It said that the states have the right to strip women of their bodily autonomy. We know that they're going to shift the playing field from Congress where they're going to be held accountable to the states where we've got to be ready. And if we want people to stay engaged, we've got to show them that engagement is worth it. We've got to organize and mobilize. But we also have to believe that we could demand more. because if we settle for the slowest and least effective solutions just so we don't lose, we will never win our democracy back.

Um, speaking of a authoritarianism and fascism, I would be remiss if I did not point out that Byron Donald's has won the election for governor of Florida. He is the first black governor of Florida. I'll leave that right there. Uh, John Oaf, I I believe, has just spoken at a victory event for his campaign. And I want to play a little bit of that clip for everybody um who's feeling the Oaf vibrations which I think is most of the country at this moment. Let's take a listen to that.

And I thank the hundreds of thousands of independent and Republican voters who joined our winning coalition. Never doubt that unity is possible. Even in his final months, Congressman Lewis always reminded us that we all live in one American house. Do you remember?

In one world house. Georgia overcame every doubt and dirty trick not just to win, but to set a new course for our state and our country and our world. That we defended voting rights and civil rights at home. That we restored American leadership toward peace and human rights around the world. that we finally acted to ban corporate money and secret money from our politics and that we guaranteed healthc care for every single American. Thank you, Georgia. TONIGHT WE CELEBRATE this victory AND TOMORROW WE GET BACK TO WORK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Thank you, GEORGIA. THANK YOU.

Thank you. Um, Stacy, before we let you go, I got to get your thoughts on the and I'm gonna call it a glow up because it's a that's a cheap term. John Oaf, I'm old enough to remember when I was following him on his first Senate campaign. He has just advanced as a politician in terms of his I mean ability to encapsulate the the corruption and the degradation of this society in powerful terms. He's a fantastic campaigner and articulates a Democratic message so well. Um, what do you think of him and the race he ran? Do you have thoughts about what he might do in the road ahead or expectations or hopes or dreams?

Well, John has been very clear that he intends to be the US senator from the great state of Georgia and I take him at his word. But I also remember when he came into my office when I was minority leader to let me know he was planning to run for the sixth uh congressional district special election against Karen Handel and I decided it was worth trying to clear the field for him. He is a incredibly smart, thoughtful, gifted young man who continues to show that he stands for the people of Georgia. And I'm just delighted that he is one of the two representatives we have from the state going back to Washington DC to keep getting good done.

I mean, man, I wish I was from Georgia. Kesha Lance Bottoms, Raphael Waro, John. Damn. Get it, Georgia.

Envy of the US. Georgia. Stacy and Stacy Abrams just over like ruling over all of it. Um Stacy, it's so it is so great to see you. Congratulations to the Peach State. Congratulations to you and all the tireless like indehaticable work that you guys have done. This is your victory as much as it is in everybody's and uh we're so grateful to have you on the on the live stream tonight.

Thanks for having me. You guys take care. Okay, it's that time again. I need to do just a little bit of housekeeping as soon as I can find the ad copy, which is somewhere in this very long document that I am scrolling through with my right hand, and it should be coming up soon. I'm almost there. Here [snorts] it is. Crooked News election coverage is brought to you by Alloy Health. Let's be honest, aging can come with some unwelcome changes. Sleep disruptions, hot flashes, brain fog, and dis decreased libido. Not tonight, though, right? Decreased libido can hit us hard.

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is valid on products only. Got to say you you came for the election results. You didn't know that you'd get mer many menopausal relief, did you? It's everything. It's everything you wanted in one live stream. With that amazing intro, I'm going to bring in another woman to this live stream. She is fantastic. Her name is Claire Malone. She is host of Crooked Media's Still Counting. Claire Malone, are you there? Can we see you? There she is. Claire, thanks for joining our live stream.

Yeah, thanks for having me. Claire, you are part of the fantastic Still Counting Crew. I listened to your uh pre-election day pod and was filled with thoughts, a little bit of anxiety, and many questions. you you see the numbers that are coming in. Uh what are you how are you feeling about where we are at in the context of a tsunami, a wave, a rip tide, whatever oceanic metaphor you prefer.

Yeah, I'd say it's it's tsunami. I mean, what's really interesting about this is, you know, we had sort of us, you know, people like Nate Con at the Times all had these like level setting conversations this week where it was basically like, so the polls are showing us kind of crazy numbers for Democrats, right? And and everyone was kind of hedging a little bit almost like crazy numbers, but actually like the numbers could be even better for Democrats. And I kind of think that's what we're seeing here. I mean the story of the night is obviously thus far South Carolina.

Yes, let's make that I think we have not been actually able to announce that yet, but uh NBC is has called South Carolina for Annie Andrews. Darlene Graham, the sister to the deceased Senator Lindsey Graham has lost her race and a Democrat could be is going to be representing South Carolina. Truly an extraordinary uh turn of events. Just to reset, 102 Democratic House seats have now been called, 45 Democratic Senate seats, and I believe now 46 and 15 Democratic gubernatorial seats. So, back to what you're saying, the story of the night is South Carolina. Please continue on, Claire.

Yeah, I mean, I think South Carolina, obviously, this is like, you know, we've got we've got a swing race in Alaska that isn't going to be anywhere close to being called. We're not even going to see votes until, you know, like around 1:00 a.m. Eastern. But South Carolina right now, last time I checked, 88% of the vote in Annie Andrew, the Democrat, is plus4. Um, obviously the Democrats flipped the North Carolina Senate seat. But, you know, I think what we're seeing here, you know, we we talked a lot about early vote numbers and seeing a surge of black voters in the early vote numbers.

Obviously, this is like, you know, not to gild the lily, but like the seat of the Confederacy, right? And so it's kind of with all of these with all of these uh you know challenges to voting to on a number of matrixes. Um I think it's pretty stunning to see those numbers. So South Carolina an early indication other stuff that we're obviously watching right now last time I checked again 54 in Texas with 54% of the vote in Telerico is plus eight.

Um Ohio can talk more about that. Can you hang on that for a second because I I want to I've glancingly mentioned that things look good for Terico and Texas. What numbers is it Harris County? Are there particular parts of that? I mean the in terms of the story of Texas that have really made your eyeballs pop out of your head.

Yeah, you know, I'll be I'll be honest. I have not in the in the way that election Twitter has like dug into, you know, where where Harris County is. sort of more broadly, but I think broadly the map, but I think it is, you know, um Latino voters were really the the story of Texas in a lot of ways. I mean, I saw this amazing um quite evocative tweet of a uh I believe it was a Latino voter in the Rio Grand Valley getting a man on the street interview and they pronounced James Telico's name Telerico, you know, like with an accent and someone said, "Listen, this is kind of like the story of this election. It's kind of,

you know, Churchy Boy makes good. You know, actually, I would say another story, not just for Texas, but broadly this RA, this midterm race is can equality and fit for different um for different states just, you know, kind of old school politics, you know, like uh

Yeah. I mean, yeah, sorry to interrupt you, but it's also the just [clears throat] ridiculous meddling of Donald Trump. If you look at those specific races, like North Carolina, where Roy Cooper, the Democrat, just won, that's that's Donald Trump giving Tom Tillis such a hard time that the man wanted to retire. South Carolina, instead of instead of picking sort of more traditional Republicans, he went for Lindsey Graham's sister, who had no no experience. And Texas is the example NL's Ultra like kicking John Cornin out because he didn't squat low enough to kiss the ring and picking Ken Paxton, a guy that he had such clear buyer remorse over he could barely get his name out on the stump.

It's pretty extraordinary. And not to jump not to jump ahead too much, but we were having having this conversation a little bit earlier in the night, but it's just going to be so interesting to watch, let's say, the 2028 election and how, you know, a Republican like Vance, who's really come of age in Trump's Republican party, if, let's say, Marco Rubio, who came of age in the old school Republican party and is frankly like a higher quality candidate, whatever you think of him politically, came through with the resume, kind of had to win different kinds of voters, had a very compelling personal story. And I think what you're seeing with this, honestly, the only word for it is like the weird candidates that Trump chooses to um endorse or, you know, he he flubs and endorses at later dates. you're just going to see in 2028, I think this this um Republican candidates are going to really have to reset and figure out in

the postTrump party what are the issues that are compelling to voters. you know, like corruption is now the idea of of rep sorry, the idea of Republican party corruption is really settling in for voters. And I think you're going to see them really have to grapple with this candidate quality thing because this is like a pretty I mean, we're talking about like potentially like 55 Democratic Senate seats. Like just

You said it, not me. Shocking. You said it. We're not calling anything. She's still counting. She's still counting.

That's right. We are. Uh, it's it's the night to to flog that one. [gasps] Um, Claire, we are all still counting. We will all be listening to Still Counting. I know you guys have a very busy there's lots of live streams happening all over the internet. Um, I'm really grateful for your time. Thank you for joining me to help unpack some of this nonsense. And actually good news, not just nonsense. Uh, we will be tuning into the pod for the next episode shortly. Thanks for see It's great to see you.

You too. Thanks for having me. Aaron Aaron Ryan. Aaron Ryan just just Are you there? Aaron Ryan, can we see you? Aaron, maybe not. Aaron, is it time? There we go. It's just really Let's talk a little bit about the Let me just reset for everybody because huge call here. 104 Democratic House seats have been called. Is it 45 or 46 Democratic Senate seats and 15 Democratic gubanatorial races? CNN is projecting Annie Andrews will win the US Senate seat from sort South Carolina. CNN and NBC have officially projected the Democrats will win control of the House. In the mix there is Democrat Pia Dendia who won election to the House in Florida's 22nd, making her the third dummyander Democrat to show Democratic to show Ronda Santis how badly he redrew the maps um in districts that were supposed to be Republican gimmies. Having said that, Byron Donald is going to be the next governor of Florida. I'm sorry to report.

There's some there's some other results in Florida that I think are really interesting and like let's not downplay the impact that Angie Nixon had. She didn't quite get across the finish line, but she was such an interesting and invigorating candidate with despite like very little national support. Um, and compared to John Oaf, she raised like a fraction of what he had raised. He had $130 some million dollars in his war chest and I think she had about 18 million or something like that which is a crazy divide and yet she was almost able to get it across the finish line.

And as a result of the strong candidates that ran in Florida, uh, Democrats just broke the GOP's supermajority in the Florida House, which that's great. That's not nothing.

That is this and and Stacy alluded to this. Stacy Abrams who were talking to just a second ago. What's happening at the state level is equally astounding in terms of just recreating state politics and state political dynamics which is going to be essential you know in a post DOS landscape when Congress can't get its together and we've seen that a lot in the last 10 years. What's happening at the state level is definitional in terms of lived realities for Americans all over the place. And

absolutely, especially when we have another census, there's more redistricting. That is not going away. Having Democrats in the governor's seat is going to be a really meaningful thing. The Peach State is just a murderer's row of badass Democrats officially. That's the official political term, badass Democrats.

Um, speaking you brought up, you brought up DOBS. There were a couple referendums on abortion that we were kind of tracking tonight. Virginia actually was successfully uh able to pass an enshrinement of abortion rights into its state constitution. So, you know, Virginia widely thought of as a blueish purple state, but that's it's a huge win for the people who live in Virginia. Um I also wanted to quote a tweet that has come back up in the kind of like annals of the internet from Lindsey Graham, the dearly departed Lindsey Graham. Um a tweet from May 3rd, 2016. If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed and we will deserve it. Um he was right.

I you know he sure was. We should have listened to him then and then never after that. Uh uh I w we are going to have just for people who are like where the hell are the PSA guys? They're coming. John John, Tommy, and Dan will be part of this broadcast in the coming minutes and hours. Don't you worry. But we have even better guests than them right now. We have the most amazing man you'd want to talk to from the state of Texas. Chuck Oroka, senior Democratic strategist. I knew you would be in the hat. For a moment, I thought, will he not be wearing the hat? Chuck, what a night. What is happening? How are you feeling about James Talerico? How are you feeling about the Rio Grand Valley? Tell me about what's happening in the Lone Star State.

They're going to call this the Hispanic hurricane. And it was a complete level five. And we've been working in Texas for James Tarico and the amazing Jenna Henosa for over a year now and in all five of these South Texas uh races that have lots of Latinos that were dummy mandered. Way to go there, President Trump. Uh and it's going to really come back to bite them in their ass. And what we're seeing and what we've seen and I can talk about it now is there was this giant infusion of money over a long period of time. Breaking news here for you by Jeffre and the leadership. Me and a group of Latino consultants have been working in Texas with these voters now for almost eight months. There's been over 10, get this, $10 million spent in Spanish language advertising, digital radio mail for Bobby Paleo and lots of other house races to remind them why their life sucks. And your life sucks if you're a Latino in the valley or in

Houston because Republicans have broke this economy. They've sent us to war. Diesel $6 a gallon for Mexican rednecks like me that drive big ass trucks. And you are seeing the repercussions of that right now.

Uh Chuck, you know, we were talking about the the what was happening in the building sector in the Rio Grand Valley with uh Latinos who were MAGA for the last three election cycles and then have seen ICE raids on their work sites, who have lost labor, who have seen the price of goods needed at construction sites skyrocket because of Trump's idiotic trade war and his disastrous war with Iran. Um, how permanent do you think I mean Trump stupidly redrew the 20 the the Florida sorry the Texas maps based on the 2024 election. Would Democrats be stupid to think that the coalition that they may emerge with after tonight is permanent? Like what how are you thinking about the allegiance that um you know South Texans Latinos are pledging to the Democratic party right now?

I've been working in campaigns for 36 years. These white hairs on my face are well earned. I will promise you. I have watched this Hispanic voter population become the new soccer moms of American politics. They're going to swing back and forth because they're just younger. They're more workingass. As other people come of age, they will too, but it just takes them a little longer. So, they are desperate to look for somebody to help them fix their solutions. so desperate that to your point a lot of them would vote for Donald Trump in the last couple of elections because they wanted somebody from outside of the system because they felt like the system has been screwing them for a while because they kiss just can't catch up. We used to could work an extra shift, maybe haul some hay on the weekend. You could catch up. Well, you can't catch up now. So, to your point, we've brought them back, but

it's just a date. They are not married to us. But I would much rather be in our position where they're back temporarily and we have a little time to make the case. Listen to me 2028ers. I'm one of the few people who've run a presidential campaign. This is where you step in. You start giving a vision for how you're going to help workingclass families get ahead, stop foreign wars, and do the things that old school Democrats used to. Talk about workers, talk about jobs, talk about the economy, fixing health care. Thank you, Mr. Obama. All the things because that's what they want to hear right now.

Chuck, I have a question from a uh live stream viewer from Hannah. Hannah asks, "If a blue wave or tsunami includes Andrews winning in South Carolina with Nixon losing in Florida, what does that tell us about which states Dems should prioritize in the affforementioned 2028?

Look, it's it's a lot of [snorts] all the above. There's not states that don't vote Democratic. Alex and you've talked about this. It's states where we haven't done the investment. The reason Texas is changing, it's not because Chuck Wilcher was a consultant on all these races, but that does really help. But the really the reason is is because we spent a whole lot of money. Imagine that, y'all. How long has Alex and you covered this where we've talked about if you will invest in Texas, it's expensive. It takes a long-term commitment, but we can get there. Tonight we've come to the fruition of if we really invest in voters who are really pissed they will show up in big numbers Aaron to where I think anybody who's got half a brain cell would know there's a lot of states in play for the 28th cycle.

Chuck big we have big news here. I'm so glad you're with me right now. Uh the decision desk HQ is projecting that James Talerico

boom wins the state of Texas and will be the next US senator from the lonear state. Crazy, crazy. You know, he was the right key, right candidate at the right time. And I worked for Anne Richards. Again, I am really old. And when I got hired over a year ago, over a year ago, James called me. He said, "I want you to be a part of this campaign." I take no credit. He's got an amazing manager named Seth. He's got an amazing comms people, JT, and the whole crew. He's got a deputy manager who's a Latina named her, I swear to God, her name is Gina Henosa. She's got he's got a badass team of young people. Aaron, these aren't 50 and 60 year olds like old Chuck Roachcha. He's got a bunch of young people who they they don't they don't know no better, right? In our world, we tell people all the time, we take a candidate like a Tyler Rico and we wrap them in bubble wrap and we give them talking points. We're like, don't do anything

crazy. Don't say anything wild. And James is like, I'm gonna go talk to everybody and I'm gonna talk about the Bible and I'm gonna talk about why I said these things about gender and talk about these other things or that and not be scared to talk about to all of those. Most Democrats won't do that. Y'all are smiling because you've seen these campaigns and they wouldn't allow all the candidate to do that. Well, James Terico broke that system and he proved what's possible for campaigns to come. I will get a lot of credit for this, but the credit should go to that team and to James Terico, his mama, who I love and all the people around him.

I mean, Chuck, I have one I have one last really important question for you. How um how are you going to celebrate and for how long before you start rolling up your sleeves and get going on 2028?

Look, there's a reason why I'm not in Texas is because I've been in these races for a year. I knew what was going to happen with Hispanic voters. So, I came to New York City and I hate New York, but I came here because of one reason is I needed somebody to tell the people's story, right? And I am the old cadre Latino consultants who everybody loves. And I wanted to make sure I'm the one who told folks what's possible on TV tonight to say that if you believe in something and if you do something like James Tarico and Gina's going to do as well, what happened in South Carolina, we can actually change this party back to where it was of working for working people. What the guys talk about on the podcast all the time. I'm a big listener to all y'all's podcast. I read myself in in the morning. Like we've got to give hope back to Democrats. And that's what tonight is. Let's celebrate, but let's

learn to Aaron's point what we did right and build off of that for 28 because now we're going to have a wonderful heated Democratic primary where everybody gets a voice and let's see who's ideas are the best. But I love the idea of doing something different and I'm going to celebrate my ass off. It's a crying ass shame that I quit drinking a few years ago cuz I'd have got it on tonight.

We need you to rap along. Chuck, just for people who don't know, how long's it been since Texas sent us a Democrat to the Senate?

1988 is the last time. And y'all, 1988, Chuck Roachcha was 20 years old, had a mullet halfway down his back, and drove a Harley-Davidson.

1988 just really an extra, first of all, an extraordinary vision, but at a really extraordinary night. 1988 was the last time James Taler Rico picking up the mantle that was left in 1988. And as you say, Gina Hinahosa may be very close to unseeding Greg Abbott. What an extraordinary night it is for the state of Texas. Man, I'm getting chills.

Me, too. Uh Chuck, please never stop talking about the mullet. Never stop wearing the hat. Ideally, sometime maybe both. bring them both back. Uh it is it is congratulations, man. Congratulations on a huge win. Really like a generational win. It it's really a spectacular night. Um it's great to have you with us for this.

It Thank you so much. It takes a village and I love all of y'all. It sure does. Oh, Aaron, here we are. Let me give a quick update uh before we go to Alex Seitwald who's on the ground with us in Maine. I just want to get everybody up to speed once again. James Talerico is now going to be the next Democratic senator from the state of Texas. Man,

we also flipped uh we flipped Kentucky 6th. Kentucky 6. Kentucky 6th, which was the bell weather early evening bellweather that in Indiana 4 for whether this was going to be a wipeout uh for Republicans. And sure, it sure looks like that. 112 Democratic seats have been called, 45 Democratic Senate seats, 15 Democratic governor seats. Again, uh, Decision Desk HQ predicting Talico in Texas, Annie Andrews in South Carolina. We know about Osaf Papus and Roy Cooper in North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Georgia, respectively. Pennsylvania seven and eight on the House side are both projected to be flipped blue. Uh needless to say, but CNN and NBC are projecting that the House has returned to Democratic hands, meaning that Mike Johnson and his bow tie no longer control the gavl. What an extraordinary night. And yet there are still qu and yet there are still questions like the state of Maine. Let's bring in Alex

Sites Wald. Um Alex Sites Wald, you are my I've been thinking about you. I've been wondering what's going to happen there since we see what else is happening uh in the rest of the country with states that were not uh blue to begin with. Maine is one of them. Alex, how are you looking I mean, what are you looking how are you looking at this national map as it pertains to the state that you uh live in and report from a as in your essential work for the Mid Coast villager?

Yeah, Alex, thanks for having me. Never thought we'd get a call in Texas and South Carolina flipping blue before we got a call in Maine. Uh it's incredible. I mean, this is shaping up to be a total bloodbath for Republicans. And it's not looking good for Susan Collins at the moment. Uh you know, we haven't gotten a call yet. We're not there yet. But every new town that comes in, she's running behind. Troy Jackson is running ahead in some cases way ahead. Uh especially on the coast in southern Maine. We just got uh results in from Sanford, which is more central Maine, and Susan Collins won that by 15 points in 2020, and Troy Jackson is ahead by a few points tonight. So, wow.

It's getting harder by the minute to see a path for Susan Collins to come back. Of course, you know, we've been surprised in the past. You never want to count Susan Collins out uh before it's too late, but I mean, this is just shaping up to be a massive Democratic wave. and even the, you know, most effective split ticket counterintuitive person who's defied the odds, eventually there comes a wave that's just too big to to hold back the tide.

Yeah. It's just I mean, the idea that Susan Collins could be ousted in all of this, as logical as that seems, when you're talking about Terrio winning in Texas, it's still pretty extraordinary given her ability to defy I sound like such a former cable news host to defy political gravity, but nonetheless, there you go. Um, in terms of like the vote count, when when should we feasibly Maine is notoriously slow or shall I say Maine notoriously takes its time? Maybe that's a bit more generous.

Uh, like, you know, given where we are tonight, uh, should we expect to have result? I mean, where how how are you tempering your expectations for knowing the actual end of this race?

Yeah, it's a great question. If you asked me a few hours ago, I would have said, you know, late tonight or tomorrow, let alone if we go to rank choice voting. Uh I mean, we were all preparing for a late night, but at at this rate, uh we're not going to need to count every town. We're not going to need to, you know, get into provisionals. Uh it's possible still, of course, that we get go to rank choice, but it's looking less and less likely by the moment. So, you know, we could get uh a call relatively early, which by our standards would mean, you know, say like midnight tonight uh or earlier. They AP has made a call in the first district.

That's no surprise at all. That's Shelley Pingri's mom or sorry, Shelley Pingri. I'm waiting for her daughter, Hannah Pingri, who's running for governor. She's from our area. Waiting for a call in that race. That should be no problem at all. And then the second district uh is very interesting. That's Paul Leage, the former governor who called himself Trump before Trump was Trump. he's still running slightly ahead, so he might be able to to hang on. That's a much more conservative district than the overall state. Uh but, you know, if trends continue as they're going, it it's looking like we we could get uh an answer before daybreak.

The which is like expeditious by main standards. This New York Times Sienna polling that came out uh yesterday, time is a flat circle, I have no idea. um showed Troy Jackson up.

Even with that, I think people were skeptical. There's been a lot of what is it? Nauseous optimism on the part of Democrats, but just worry that the polls were off. And if anything, it seems like the polls might have been weighted a little too heavily towards Republicans given the breadth of these Democratic wins tonight. I talked to you last week, again, time is a dimension. I have no idea. Um about the feeling on the ground and it it felt more like a tossup then. It felt more like well she's head of the appropriations committee. She has such a record in the state. She is particular mayors think of her as good for mayors even if her record nationally enabling Trump is not that good. It it seems sort of like it's not a tossup and that really whether it was home heating oil prices or tariff wars or gas prices all of that stuff came home to roost in a really palpable way among Maine voters.

Yeah. Yeah, I mean I think a lot of main voters that I've talked to just can't imagine life without Susan Collins. They can't uh if you're if I'm on the more progressive side of things, they can't allow themselves to hope that she could possibly lose. uh not that New York Times, but another poll that came out this weekend from University of New Hampshire had a fascinating result that is totally in keeping with my anecdotal reporting which is it showed a majority of voters voting for Jackson and against Collins, but also a majority of voters expecting Collins would win. And that's to what you're saying, Alex. I mean, that's so many people I know, you know, Democratic voters, progressive voters, people have been working to defeat Susan Collins for years. they still in the next breath will say, "Oh, yeah, but you know, she's still gonna win. We're never going to be able to to defeat her."

Uh, after 2020 when every single poll had her losing and then she won by 9 percentage points. So, it just felt like she was magic and uh, you know, there was no way that that she was unkillable. Uh, but we'll see. It's it's looking like that may no longer be true. And I think all those things that you mentioned are absolutely operative, but just the fact that Trump is in office and we're feeling the effects of uh his policies. The last time she was up in 2020, he was in office, but he was on his way out. And I think a lot of voters expected that Joe Biden would win and voted for Collins to put a check on on Joe Biden. It was a lot of the same voters who, you know, voted for Biden and then Collins. This time around, it's different. Trump is in power. We're feeling the effects of it and uh people want to put a check on him.

Yeah. I mean, it's just this is basic math, but like this Democratic Senate, if that's what we end up with, will be in office for four years of a potential or these Democratic senators will be in office for a potential four years of a if a Democrat wins the White House in 2028, a Democratic administration is just enormously consequential on a lot of levels. Alex, it's great talking to you, especially when we have a little bit more information about what's happening in the Blueberry State. I know it's not the blueberry state, but it's always that it'll always be that to me.

Um I'm a big fan of of Maine and especially tonight, Alex Siteswald, who is is it deputy editor of the Vid Coast Villager? Alex, did I get that right? Um

yeah, deputy editor, but you know, call me anything except late for blueberry pie.

I'm essential an essential read to understand what's really happening um on the ground in Maine and just like props to reinvesting in local journalism, which is foundational for our functioning democracy. It's great to see you tonight, buddy. I hope it's a short night for you in in the state of Maine.

Thanks, Alex. [sighs and gasps] Well, if it's 10:30, then it's time for a little Ziotics. Crooked News Live election coverage is brought to you by Ziotics. Election junkies, if you are watching this and you have already started drinking, this message is not for you. But if you haven't, I mean, even if you have, listen up. Ziotics pre-alcohol probiotic drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was engineered by a PhD microbiologist to break down acetalahhide. Just rolls off the tongue. An unwanted byproduct of alcoholic alcohol metabolism. Make pre-alcohol your first drink of the night. Drink responsibly and enjoy your next day activities. Ziotics has sold more than 15 million bottles and earned the trust of thousands including John Love It. I drink it, not every night because I don't drink every night, but I drink it on nights like this when I know the evening will end either in tears or in

joy, but either way, with a glass of alcohol. And so that's what I did tonight to prep for the election coverage. The holiday season for the rest of you is officially here. And if you're anything like me, your social calendar is filling up so fast you can barely keep track of it. From friends giving with friends to the turkey trot the next morning, these are moments you don't want to miss. That's why I make Ziotics free alcohol part of my routine before drinking because the best part of the holidays is being present for all of it. Try Ziotics Pre-alcohol for yourself. And if you're not satisfied, they will refund your entire order, no questions asked. Head to zibotics.com/crooked and use code crooked for 15% off your first order. Oh boy. Oh boy. I mean, no better intro when you're speaking of wine and friends giving than some really good friends to give thanks about this blue tsunami with.

We have not one but two errands. Aaron Ryan, Aaron Haynes, and the great indomitable Jennifer Palmyi. Aaron and Jennifer are host, of course, hosts of the excellent Crooked Media podcast, Longplay, which if you haven't been watching, you're a fool. But she still has on the internet. What a night for you guys. What a night. Like, could there be any better timing for your podcast? Are you psychics? Are the two of you actually given the second sight?

We're feeling pretty good about creating a show in 2026 about the South, about changing politics in the South. We're feeling pretty good about it, Aaron.

Yeah. I mean, just looking at the candidates that that we featured in um you know, season 1 and season two, uh everybody was competitive. I mean, yes, there there are absolutely victories that we can already point to. I'm thinking about Annie Andrews out of South Carolina, Kesha Lance Bottoms, out of Georgia. Um but I mean, these races are competitive. Some of these are are, you know, they still aren't able to call them yet because Democrats are contesting in places that a lot of people did not expect Democrats to be contesting, right? Mississippi is not settled yet and it is late into the evening folks. Texas still not settled yet. It is late into the evening, right?

I mean, uh I think that that that that speaks to um you know what we believed, right? That that in a lot of these places you have had um what we're seeing culminating tonight. Preparation is meeting opportunity, right? You got the South, you know, we love a a good fight in the South, whether it's football or whether it's politics. if you want to see a good fight. And we are seeing a good fight in state after state after state after state. So um I'm not saying we're not psychic. I'm not going to say

um Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Oh, I was just I was just gonna say um one second. I wanted to pull this up. Um okay, so you're both in Texas. We're looking at some real seismic actions on the state level. Um Erin, you were just at Gina Inosa's campaign headquarters. Tell us about the vibe.

I mean, these people are feeling festive. Uh they're feeling hopeful. Uh there was a lot of energy. I mean, the early vote um was already, you know, record setting in Texas, but the the day of vote, which, you know, typically favors Republicans, Democrats were also voting on election day. They were out there. They were they were getting it done. And so, um, that made them, you know, they're they're coming into this watch party hot. They're coming into this watch party feeling feeling good about their chances, feeling better than they felt in a long time about about any Democrat's chances uh in in Texas, especially a statewide Democrat. They've come close before. they've been heartbroken, but but uh uh to be in a position where they feel hopeful again, where they're feeling optimistic again, uh and they think that they may have they may have finally uh gotten over the hump here. Um that that that really uh

seems to be uh what the mood is in in in uh in the room tonight. And the um Evan uh Erin, we had um Evan Smith, who I think Alex knows, you may know, he founded the Texas tribute.

Who doesn't know Evan Smith? Who doesn't know Evan Smith? So Evan came over to watch uh to like unpack the early returns for us, you know, like look at the early vote. And you know, we talked to him before and he's like Taran County, you know, whatever the early vote is in Tarant County, if James Taller can be up by like two or three in Taran County. This is Fort Worth. This is like Beastwin County. And he was just like mind blown. I mean, he was he was he was freaking out because James Alica was up after early vote 20 points in Taran County. you're just like he's like I just he's like I just I don't have words to explain what is happening in Texas. And you know we've been spent like you know as you said Erin we spent a lot of time with Gina Hosa's campaign the last couple of days cuz you know kind of felt like Telerico was on a path to winning but you know what's really going you know has a much harder race

because she's running against Abbott and Greg Abbott is not as bad as um as Ken Paxton. It's it's a different deal. Uh Greg Abbott was running for a fourth term. Texans are used to voting for him. It was very tough uh road that she had to hoe and you know her team had told us they expected her to be up by 200,000 votes by uh because of early vote and that uh Ken Greg Abbott would have to get 55% of the election day vote in order to um beat her. And then what came out is she overperformed, you know, dramatically overperformed in election vote more early vote more than they expected. And so it's still out, you know, that that we don't know the outcome, but the amount of ground that Greg Abbott has to make up to overtake Gina in Aosa, it's getting very tough.

And, you know, wait for you all because it's not just that. I asked Evan, I was like, you know, because it's early, you know, it's 9:37 central time in Texas tonight. And so I was like, what about the state legislature? And, you know, Evan's like, let me look. He's like, I think the Democrats are on path to take back the state leg the house. Alex, do you remember when we were here in 22? I mean, just you all, this is the this is the town. This is the legislature that gave you the six week abortion ban [clears throat] bill. Okay, this is okay. And and then I said, "But Evan, what about the Senate?" He's like, "No, no, no, no. They couldn't pos Democrats couldn't possibly take by the Senate."

And then he starts looking to see incumbent Republican senators from the you know the state and the state legislature down by 13 points.

Wow. So unbelievable. Like there is a lot that is possible. So it's not just so this is you know people are like is it like 94? I mean I lived through 94. I'm old enough to have lived worked in the Bill Clinton White House during 94. this kind I mean we have to see how it actually shakes out and the numbers are but it feels more seismic in terms I mean in the south you know some of these races in the south are bigger dramatic winds than what's happening in the Midwest.

Mhm. I uh people are ready for something different. Yeah. I like when you channel Evan Smith. I think we could just do that all night is like diaper bag on your hand to play Evan Smith. uh ladies, they're uh we're talking about the South and you made the really good point, Aaron Haynes, that it's not just the races they're winning, it's the races where Democrats have really run up the score in places you did not expect and I there's probably no better example of that. She didn't win, but Angie Nixon in Florida coming as close as she did. I want to play a clip of her concession speech tonight and just get your thoughts on the other side of that.

The war is not over. 2028 is around the corner. So Ashley Moody, you better get it right. CUZ WE'RE COMING FOR YOU.

Let's go win y'all. Wow. Ashley Moody, you better get it right cuz we're coming for you. P.S. Annie Andrews has officially won the US Senate seat in South Carolina. Aaron, Jen, that's what we call fighting words.

Oh, absolutely. Look, I will look, I'm going to tell you right now, Alex, I did call this one. I This is a special election uh the the the the Senate uh race down in Florida, this seat is up in two years. And I knew if Angie Nixon came anywhere within striking distance in this race, she was going to run again. She sees this. I mean, you talk about long play, this this is what it is. They have they have built back the infrastructure. I mean, Angie Nixon is an organizer. She knows that map. She's going to take some lessons from tonight and she is going to get back into that arena. I'm I I I mean I I have no doubt in my mind. And what does it look like for her to actually have resources to have money to be able to put together a team to be able to get more people on the rolls in Florida? Uh we know what the what the uh registered voter gap is in Florida. there are more registered Republicans on uh the ROS and she still,

you know, loses by a couple hundred thousand votes even though uh the the the voter registration gap was like 1.2 million in Florida. Like that means that she knows how to turn people out. And so uh with with with that uphill battle for her to still come this close, I I there's I can't see any way that she doesn't run again. Jen, I I just I'm in awe of what is happening across the South. And like Erin said, you guys really you saw something happening in a way that I think was like fantasy for Democrats, but you guys and props also to your co-host Mitch Landrew who clearly understands something in the South. That is going to be I think one of the headlines out of tonight when you look at North Carolina, South Carolina, the what's happened in Florida with the House seats, what's going on in Texas, not technically the South, but red states, but red parts of the country

just repudating the the Trump agenda and the Republican party in North Carolina. They think I mean that the Democrats may get pick up four congressional seats in North Carolina. They were supposed to lose one and they and the Democrats are likely to take back the legislature in uh North Carolina as well. And you like we know how important that you know that's like when we talk about the long play to in the south it's like recapture state legislatores because that's how people hold on to power. That's where there's so much gerrymandering and just overnight you find that there may be, you know, two or three legislators that states in the South that today are that are one party control that are going to that are going to flip. It's just it's it's it's mind-blowing. There's not one Republican that's winning North Carolina right now

at Florida, Jen, right? Yeah. um Donald's does not get to do whatever he wants uh in in Florida because the supermajority apparently is is going to be broken there.

Is gone. Yeah. I I'm seeing that Midas touch is saying that the Democrats have flipped the North Carolina House, which is very exciting. Um I also had I had one final question for you ladies, unless Alex has something else to add at the end. Um, something that I remember feeling after 2024 is is and I remember having these conversations getting together with other people who are progressives, leftists, Democrats, and being like, "What happened? We lost men. We need to do something to reach men." Well, exit polling is showing now that all of the gains that Republicans were really crowing about with Trump in 2024 seem to kind of have regressed where men are about split. their vote is split between Democrats and Republicans. Um, and and the candidates that are winning these victories, like Angie Nixon, like we just talked about her bring, she didn't win, but she brought in all of these interested voters and she shaped the

races in Florida that that that she wasn't even involved in. A lot of these candidates were people that we were kind of told that uh we were kind of told we should shy away from like women, people of color, like oh, it's too risky to run somebody like Kla Harris again. What does the diversity of these victories tonight tell us about how we can think about 2028 and beyond?

Yeah, I mean, I think um seeing a very specific brand of masculinity uh in the White House and in that administration, I do think that, you know, you you had a contrast in some of these races, right? I mean, you think about um you think about um the the Senate races in Texas and Kansas. Uh you think about um the Senate race in Michigan, right? You think about um Kesha Lance Bottoms attracting, you know, black men uh in a way that that people thought maybe couldn't happen because, you know, black men were Trump curious. Well, black men were standing with Kesha Lance Bottoms in this race and they were part of the coalition that helped to get her across the finish line. So, yeah, I mean, um electability is about who we elect and so

and who has and who has the nerve to stand up and run. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And and who is actually gonna show up and reach out to people? I mean, I think about, you know, we don't know what's going to happen in Mississippi, but like Scott Colom showing up in places that that people had never seen uh a Democrat showing up before. Showing up at Trump rallies and working the line, shaking hands and saying and asking for somebody's vote like um you you you you lose a 100% of the races that you don't run in, right?

Uh but but we're seeing Democrats and and frankly some really strong Democratic candidates making these real races uh in a in a part of the country that that um um frankly some people just just figured was a foregone conclusion that this was just a fixed outcome. And these were candidates that had the political imagination that I think I I would hope has expanded uh the country's political imagination about what is possible uh what is possible not only in the south but but but for our democracy. I think

how was that? Can I can I add something to that, Alex, about because like with about this the women that chose to run because like Gina Hosa people people did not you know was like nobody wanted to run for governor of Texas. You're not going to win that race. People did not take her seriously and she she'd been the state legislature for a long time. She was one of the she was part of the the you know the crowd of Democrats that had to abscondone to another state to try to prevent a quorum for gerrymandering. Right. She was there for the heartbeat abortion bill. She was there for all of the bad LGBTQ. And she's like, "You know what?" And I talked her about this yesterday. She's like, "I'm tired of like fighting on the margins. I'm going for the big brass ring. I'm going for governors." And no one took this race seriously. Um and um she has developed into an extraordinarily effective candidate.

Same thing with Annie Andrews. No one thought that was a serious race. She got in it. You know, Scott Cologne, that is, you know, I'm getting ready to talk to Brandon Presley. He's my guy in south in Mississippi. He's still tracking everything. And like I think that's actually going better than it looks like uh that race is going.

And um but it is but it is sometimes it is women. It's people of color who are the ones that have the nerve to stand up and then and now and now we see that different kinds of candidates can run effective races and win in races that you would not have imagined. And I think that is going to have an impact in 20 years. Imagine women and people of color. Look at this panel. How about that? Okay, guys. We're talking so much about Texas. I want to go now to Taller Rico HQ in Texas where we have reporter Kayla Go from the Texas Tribune. Kayla, can you hear us? We can hear you. Wow.

Okay, I can hear you. It is extremely loud here. The mood is electric, but I can hear you. Uh tell us tell us about what the scene was like when the results started coming in and and just the vibes.

There are thousands of the party faithful gathered here outside watching the results come in on the big screen. Um the mood is electric. People are really really excited. I think a lot of people had trouble making themselves believe that a Democrat could win in Texas. Um it seems like it's finally happen happening. It's on the verge of happening. John Cornin has already congratulated James Salarico before the Associated Press has called the race. So people are over the roof right now, like over the moon right now.

Yeah, it doesn't surprise me that John Cornin was one of the first people to congratulate James Talerico given the animosity understandable between him and Ken Paxton. Have you I mean it's impossible for Democrats I think in many ways to believe that Texas may have turned blue, but it seemed in the recent days that it was possible for Republicans to believe that Ken Paxton was going to lose this race. Like how did it feel in the closing days of the election as probably the most compromised candidate on the national stage uh headed to the polls?

Yeah, I think that's right. I mean, Republicans were warning all throughout the early voting period that um Texas was going to go blue if their Republicans voters didn't show up on election day. I mean, Democrats have showed up in such huge numbers throughout early voting that it seemed almost impossible for Republicans to be able to make that up today. And Republicans were warning of that all throughout the early voting all throughout the early voting period. But it clearly it doesn't seem like it's just Ken Paxton and a candidate problem.

I think he's certainly running behind some other Republican candidates on the ballot, but I think we're seeing statewide Republicans uh trailing their Democratic candidates all across the ballot. So, it's not just in the Senate race, it's all along the ballot.

Can you talk a little bit more about that? Like, what's the expectation as far as um as far as Greg Abbott and Gina Hinosa and the Texas State Legislature, the Senate? Like, how how deep does this wave extend?

I think it's huge. I don't know what's bigger than a tsunami, but it seems like it might be getting there. I know we have some Democratic candidates already claiming victory. I think we're not quite there yet on some of these other races. Again, none of these races have been called yet, but the margins are enormous. In the background, sorry.

No, I I get it. I would be cheering, too. Um, so yeah, again, these races haven't been called yet, but the margins up and down the ballot are huge. I think a lot of the other statewide Democrats aren't running too far behind James Terico. Um, Greg Abbott, a historically dominant electoral performer. He is currently, I think, almost 20 points behind Vina Hosa. Again, according to the results that have come in already, it's not final. Um, but it is it's way beyond even just Rico. Kayla Guo, who is having an awesome sounding night there at Taller Rica HQ with the Texas Tribune. Kayla, thanks for giving us a little freezone, a little excitement, a little pixie dust from what's happening down there in the Lone Star stage. Great talking to you.

Thanks for having me. Um, friends, I'm just going to give a quick update table setting for what's been going on. If you haven't heard, it's a blue wave. Do can we show can we show the Chuck Schumer happiness index at some point? Maybe we can pull that up because I think we're definitely into Shakira hips don't lie Chuck Schumer where the little hip wiggle is a full-on dance move. 127 Democratic House seats have been called. 46 Democratic Senate seats have been called. Look how blue that reflecting pool is. I mean, it's you can't even call that a bad paint job anymore. It's just a deep blue reflecting pool. You're welcome to

It looks carpeted. It looks like there's a carpet. I mean, maybe that would have been a better option, but listen, I think what it took was a Democratic takeover of the House. Annie Andrews has won the US Senate seat from South Carolina. Decision Decision Desk HQ. Quite obviously, James Talerico has seemed to have won the Texas US Senate election. No one is more excited about that than John Cornin, the man that Donald Trump kicked out of the race. CNN is projecting that Annie Andrews will win the US Senate seat from South Carolina. John Oaf has won re-election.

Chris Papis is the US Senator now from New Hampshire, the first openly gay male senator. And Democrat and former governor Roy Cooper has won the US Senate seat from North Carolina. As I say these things, Aaron, I feel like I'm in a fever dream of Democratic hope circa I don't know, two weeks ago, but it's all real. It is a Santa Claus in Virginia.

Uh we won't go into all of the House results, but I Oh my gosh, wait. I didn't know this. Amy Actton will be the next governor of Ohio.

Governor of Ohio, it turns out making hateful, venomous just hugely like bottom scraping ads about people's traumatic childhoods is not the way to close out an election race. Vivc Ramos.

And we have crawl back into the hole and yep, he can crawl back into the hole and hopefully leave Ohioans alone because they rejected him. And it looks also like David Crowley has um the decision in desk has called that he's one Wisconsin governor. I I don't think that was ever thought of as being like a hairy situation, but you know, you never know in the cheese state. Um I feel like the Milwaukee Brewers like opened a portal of excellence. Like the Cubs started something bad in 2016 and the Brewers winning the series like did a reverse curve.

That was it. That was it. That and cheesecurrens. Aaron, I'm desperate to know what right-wing Twitter is saying about this absolute just repudiation of everything they stand for. So, I'm going to hand this over to you and the inevitable Jane Codston to tell us what's happening in the dark, dark land we call conservative Twitter.

Amazing. Well, it was I I'll see you later, Alex. See you on the other side. [snorts] All right. Where is Jane? Where is Jane? Hello,

it's Jane. What's going on? So, so close but yet so far away. Aaron, the air is sweet in this studio. The birds would be chirping. The skies are so blue. What a delightful day it is. And the right,

right? Amazing. Um, well, let's talk about some of uh some of what right-wing Twitter has been doing because I'm assuming that they're having a normal one, right? They're usually they usually react well to um having to encounter reality. So, so do you want us do you want to run us through a couple of moments that you've picked out from right-wing Twitter?

Well, uh I I have a a video moment from um the Charlie Kirk show, which is still going on despite the noted lack of Charlie Kirk. um where they are uh coming to terms with events uh if we've got that video.

Yeah. I mean this is uh I think it's safe to say and I I don't like to say it but we're at blue wave blue tsunami territory.

Uh that that's that's what we're looking like and that obviously doesn't bode well for our races out out west. Oh,

that's Andrew Kvette. Next to him is Jack Pobiac, uh noted white nationalist and deeply evil person who is currently complaining about how

uh this is all because uh John Thun didn't pass the Save America Act. Um because there's always a scapegoat. Uh, and that all of this obviously, as you can imagine, there's a lot of right-wing Twitter that's like, "Oh, everybody just cheated." But I'm really enjoying the beginning of recrimination season. Um,

and you you will be amazed that actually some people are starting to realize I think this might be Donald Trump's fault. Like I think that maybe maybe he may be involved in some of this. Like maybe choosing

There's no way. There's no way. Nothing's ever his fault. Everything good that happens, he gets to take credit for and nothing bad that happens is his fault. That's how it works.

Yeah, that's how it obviously works. But, uh, it turns out that when you notice that Darlene Graham, um, whose, uh, bonafi food whose bonafides were, um, being Lindsey Graham's sister, did not win a Senate seat in South Carolina, which by the way, like, let let's say that again. There's a Democratic incoming senator from South Carolina.

That's crazy. That's crazy. And she's not only Sweeney has a has a Democratic senator. Like I'm like what?

She Well, Nancy Mace has a Democratic senator. Nancy Mace has a Democratic senator that is not only a woman, but but Dr. Andrews didn't try to paint herself like some sort of like moderate. I'm not going to actually, you know, like a Josh Turk or anything like that. Like I'm not going to vote. She's somebody who has convictions and beliefs and priorities and she has not tempered those or strayed from them at all. Now, I don't think that she's going to be like going in there like lighting the Senate on fire. I think that she's, you know, she wants to get work done, but she's the kind of candidate that beat Darlene Graham and I don't think she compromised herself and that's like pretty dramatic. Also, Jane, real quick, that Turning Point show that you the clip that you showed us, I got flashbacks to election night 2024, me and you held hostage in the studio having to do a show about Kla Harris

losing as Pennsylvania results were coming in. Can we just bask in how this is the opposite of that?

Yeah, this is the exact opposite of that. This is literally the exact opposite of that. I I went in here and I was like, I'm looking forward to this. I'm enjoying myself. The internet seems like a fun place right now. I I am I am having an a delightful time. Um

I don't I'm not sure if we've gotten all the calls on this yet, but it looks like Adam Hamilton, who was on my show this week, has just won

Kansas's Senate seat, which would send which would send a Democrat from Kansas to the Senate for the first time since 1932. Do you know who won the 1932 presidential election? Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Like like I'm just saying um it shit's getting crazy. Aaron, that's nuts. That's absolutely nuts. Wait, are has has Jesse Waters weighed in on what's happened? Has the Fox News crew weighed in on what's happened in South Carolina because I do want to I want to kind of like bask in that a little bit more if if we can.

I think Can we? I think we should. I think we should. I think we should. Let's Let's see how they're doing. Okay, [sighs] Jesse,

that is too close for comfort in the state of Florida. A lot of Republicans take Florida for granted now because they've been so rock solid red for so many years. But no one expected Byron to be in such of a dog fight and then to ek out that slim victory over Angie Nixon. Woo! You know, if Florida's that close, that could be trouble for the rest of the country. Darlene Graham, nice woman, but she choked. First question, foreign policy out of that debate was awful. She couldn't recover from that. The president did all he could to save that seat campaign for a lot in South Carolina.

The audacity of cope. The audacity of cope. I just like that the president did all he could to help a woman who shouldn't have been running for office. No one wanted this. Like every Republican was like, "Okay, she's going to like fill out the rest of his time, you know, after Lindsey Graham passed away. She's going to she's going to fill in his seat until January." And Trump's like, "No,

no, he's going to run. She's going to be there forever." Exactly. And um Yeah. So I I I think it's also worth I've been paying attention to a bunch of kind of right leaning um prognosticators, politics watchers. Um uh Sean T at Real Clear Politics, Sean Trend, um he said, and I quote, "If you are watching this and just have a passing familiarity with elections, just understand that you're seeing something special. A 100-year flood. Easily the worst election for a party since 1974." Wow. Love that. Love that for them. Love that for us. Um, you know what?

I'm having I don't know. This is awesome. I I'm having a great time. I don't know what to do with myself.

This is like I Every quote is just fantastic. Every like blind Republican strategist item um is just like, "This is going to be a massacre. Donald Trump asked voters to vote as if he was on the ballot. They did." And I'm like, "Yeah,

they did indeed." And uh it's um I I just want to say like um I was in college in 2006 uh when Democrats swept through Congress and it feels like now now I'm aware this is not true, but it felt as if I just never saw George W. Bush again. Like it just felt like he just like wandered off into the desert and painted stuff um and avoided

being put on trial for war crimes. But this feels kind of like that. Like this really feels like one of those moments where you're like Democrat it's not like oh you know Democrats are winning these like tight contested races. Democrats are winning in places where it's just like like the fact that it is 8:00 p.m. Pacific time and we know who won the Senate race in Texas. Like

Yep. And it was a Democrat. I mean Jane we have to put a pin in this. Polls in California just closed. I have to read an ad. But there will be more friends on the other side of this. So, we will see you in a bit. Um, okay. Time for me to read an ad, guys. Um, I'm just going to read it off my computer because I uh we're, you know, Mercury in retrograde. Crooked News Live election coverage is brought to you by Alloy Health. Let's be honest, aging can come with some unwelcome changes. Sleep disruptions, hot flashes, brain fog, and decreased libido can hit us hard. Menopause is inevitable, but it's also treatable.

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does it for me, folks. Two hours of live streaming uh unmanageable joy and uh relief. And uh on the other side of this will be some more crooked media friends, including as promised, the guys. All right, see you guys later. Have a great night. Oh, Aaron, you're an American hero, dude. Closing out on a menopausal ad. Bring in the dudes. Such is life, buddy.

In my face. I do my face. Someone had to do it. Listen, and it and it and it works. I love I love it. But what what we're going to You know what else works? Democrats. Because guess what, y'all? Aaron, thank you. God bless. We got big news. Adam Hamilton, as Jane Codson teased just a few moments ago, the Decision Desk HQ protects Adam Hamilton, the megaurch pastor from Kansas, will win the Kansas US general election, defeating Dr. Roger Marshall who likes taking his patients to court for unpaid medical bills. Uh, Annie Andrews has defeated all expectations to beat Darlene Graham, sister of the late Lindsey Graham, to win the US Senate seat in South Carolina. And just capping off 40 years of Democratic dreams, 45 James Talico has won the US Senate seat from Texas.

Uh there is more good news. Gina Hinahosa is predicted by CNN or sorry, CNN is projecting that Gina Henosa will win the election for governor of Texas. And Amy Actton, what an extraordinary story. We're going to talk about that more with Dan Feifer in just a second, will be the next governor of Ohio. She's the first Democrat to win the gubanatorial race in 20 years. Down in the House, where the reflecting pool is a decidedly deep shade of blue, Bobby Pledo will win the Texas US House. Uh Texas 15 as a general election candidate.

Obviously, Pennsylvania's seven and eight con congressional districts have flipped blue. You know what this means, people? It means the New York Times clarifies for all of us Democrats do not need to win Michigan or Maine because they only needed to win seven sorry three of the most closely watched seven Senate races. Texas, Carol, South Carolina, and Kansas have been projected. Therefore, Michigan and Maine are icing on the top. Although, you know, judging by the way the polls are going now, it's entirely possible that they will also get Michigan and Maine. It's just an extraordinary night in America. Title wave, tsunami, whatever the you want to call it. It's been a hugely, hugely [snorts] good night for Democrats. Uh defying, you know, even the wildest dreams I think on a lot of levels. Finally, I believe the Pod Save America uh four horsemen are in the building. I believe my favorite polar

coaster driver and yours, Dan Feifer, may be up to bat and maybe he'll appear shortly on this live stream if we're lucky. If not, I can just keep giving you good news from across the country and the races that Democrats are totally sweeping this November night. Dan Feifer, do we have you? There he is. Oh, but we can't hear you. Oh, there he is.

Oh, there I am. Now I am here in body and voice. God, Dan and soul. I know your soul is here, too. Alive and thriving on a night like this.

Yes, especially tonight. [snorts] Tell me, man. Tell me like how you're feeling, what you're thinking about what what's coming across at Transom.

You know, we went in tonight wondering whether we were going to be have a blue wave, a big blue wave, or a blue tsunami. And this is the this is a historic weather event like a once in a century weather event. This is we Democrats are flipping seats in places like Kansas where we haven't won a Senate seat in 94 years. Flipping a seat in South Carolina where we haven't won a Senate since 1988. [snorts] As I am told as I'm sitting here that Greg Abbott has just called Gina Hinahosa to concede and that we have we have elected a black woman governor of Georgia, a Latina governor of Texas. It the like the trends here are truly it's a it's a it is the electoral housekicking that we thought Trump deserved happening finally 10 years in.

And it is like this is we will look back on this election. It's a truly historic time.

Yeah. It's the end of the Trump show. It's the beginning of the end of the Trump show. I mean, it truly is. It has been a decade of mayhem and chaos and cruelty, and this is finally the resounding repudiation of [clears throat] not just Trump, but his entire party up and down the ticket. It's just an extraordinary evening. Is there one race? I mean, is there is there a result in there that surprises you the most or that you take the most heart in? I mean, you just outlined, of course, the dynamic women that have ascended to the governor's houses and the unlikely candidates. um from places like Kansas who are now going to the US Senate. But is there one that sticks out to you as most surprising?

I think it is Texas governor. Like I've been hopeful about Gina Hinos. I thought she ran probably the best campaign of anyone this cycle. But still at the end of the day it's the split ticket often hurts you in a Republican state if you're a Democrat because it's like you know people hate Ken Paxton. They like James Telerico. They're going to vote for Can they really vote for two Democrats? Is that to a bridge too far for some of these Trump voters? And Telerico ran up such huge numbers. Gina ran such a great campaign that she was able to win. And both her and there's like there is the incredibly exciting history making nature of it. There's the fact that these states who have been under the thumb of Republican rule for so long are going to get to see something different and more progressive. But there's like a more practical thing too that matters which is the Republicans were going to redraw

the districts in those states in uh next year in to try to rerigg the house for 2028 and now they cannot do that because we have Democratic governors. That is that is going to matter a lot in the kind of majority we might get for a Democratic president 2028. Speaking of which, Amy Actton, I I take personal um

I have personal not personal investment, but I think it just it is so moving that Amy Actton, whose personal story was not known to a lot of people and is such a

an example of resilience and achievement and tenacity to overcome the childhood that she had had and then to close out a race with an opponent who was doing the most base degraded did things he could think of to try and deny her a win. To see Vivec Ramaswami handed his ass in Ohio is like so deeply validating in terms of like the champion the championship of the human spirit and like all that is good and decent in the world. and Rob Sand also uh winning the gubinatorial race in Iowa. I mean, we we've talked so much about the Senate and and the House.

To your point, having these governor's uh houses in Democratic hands is so meaningful in states that Democrats have really given up on. I just wonder, you know, there are two races that haven't been called.

One of them is Michigan and one of them is Maine. We were just talking to Alex Seiteswald of the Mid Coast Villager and he thinks it could be curtains for Susan Collins, a phrase that I have not allowed myself to utter.

Yeah. Ever. Mhm. How do you think How are you thinking of those two races in the context of tonight?

You know, looking at the results, they seem especially we have a lot more data in Michigan than we have in Maine. just that when you look at the overall political environment when Democrats are winning in South Carolina, when they're coming maybe within a point in Mississippi, when they're winning in Kansas, the the odds are they're going to do quite well in a Democratic state like Maine or a what is essentially a 50-50 state in Michigan. So, I feel good about this. I want to see some more vote in Maine. Maine counts votes in the slowest way humanly possible. So, it's taking a little bit longer there. But the people I've talked to seem to feel very good about Troy Jackson's chances and that and that this could be, you know, I'm afraid to even say the name in a Voldemortesque way, but this looks this looks this looks good.

Um, when you think about the potential margins, I'm not doing the math correctly, but if

I mean th you could have a 55 seat Democratic majority. Is that right? Yes. That is really something else, Dan. Like, that is not something that anyone thought was possible. And I I want to bring in someone who's going to be managing his way through this new Democratic powerhouse. Senator Andy Kim is with us, and I think we're going to see his face pop up shortly on the live stream. Um, but like what an extraordinary night to be an incumbent Democrat to witness this. I just think national validation of the party and its values, even if it's not a direct validation and more of a repudiation of the right. And Senator Kim, there you are. Thank you for joining me and Dan Feifer on our live stream. How are you feeling about the Senate and the upper chamber as it looks come January?

I'm just so excited that the American people finally had a ch chance to be able to put their voice up. You know, the American people never got a say over the Iran war. They never got a say over these tariffs, but certainly tonight, they have made their voice heard. And just I mean, like I was just listening to you talk about how, you know, Rob Sand got elected uh governor of Iowa. That was the first I heard of it. I mean, he I've known him for half my life. Uh what a great public servants. I mean, like we truly are blessed. not just that we are able to take the majority and like it's kind of surreal telling telling you that that like this is the first time I've been able to really utter the the idea that uh that I will be able to serve in the majority in this Senate. But how blessed are we that we have such extraordinary public servants and these are not just people that are ma part of a mathematical equation to

win the majority but they are remarkable human beings. I mean, like people like Annie Andrews, you know, have being able to see a pediatrician step up, uh, someone I've talked to about what we can be doing for healthcare. I mean, that's why they got elected is that, you know, the in a time when people are so cynical about our politics, they see so many of these people running towards the fire, people who are not the usual suspects that you would think to step up to run, you know, whether it's, you know, the Hamilton in Kansas or others. I mean, it's just remarkable. So, I I just I feel uh really blessed to be able to witness a day like today, a full repudiation of Trump. And not just Trump, I I I will say today is is the day where where we see uh JD Vance's dreams of being president completely squashed. Marco Rubio's dreams of being president completely ended.

Uh they will no longer be relevant uh when it comes to 2028. They may try to run, but today is is is a day where we see they have no chance of being the next president of the United States. Uh and we are going to move in a different direction.

Can you say that again? Just the JD Vance's dreams are over. Can you just say that again just one more time?

Yeah, exactly. So So just just to be extra clear here, JD Vance today will know for certain he will never be president of the United States.

Wow. How does that sound to you? I just got chills, Dan. I mean, the senator brings up such a good point in terms of the the con the how consequential this is, not just for the Senate, but also for the Democratic field and for 2028, right? Like, you have just blown the doors open on the primary process through this election. Not just because Kesha Lance Bottoms can appoint a Democrat to fill John OV seat if he decides he wants to run, but you just have this incredible wave of Democratic talent that is going to be in the Senate and in governor's races or sorry in in governor's houses across the country. Like how does it make you feel about the 2028 primary?

I I think it makes me feel incredible. The Democratic party for so long we were trapped in the post Obama era. Was it Clinton? Is it Biden? Who is the future? And now it is very clear that there is just so many bright stars in the Senate. Obviously we have Senator Kim right here, one of those stars. But just think of the class that is coming in to the Senate, right? You have Adam Hamilton, Annie Andrews, you know, once the race is called, Abdul Say, Troy Jackson, all of these incredibly interesting people with different backgrounds who are coming in and going to be these fresh voices, many of them young younger who understand politics in a very different way. It's incredibly exciting and this look this I think widens the aperture for what Democrats are willing to do in the 2028 primary, right? If I don't I've always believed that there's not a chance they would have we would have nominated Barack Obama in 2008 if we

didn't have such a good 2006 [snorts] because it allows you to to play to win instead of playing not to lose. Right? And if this was a dis we had yet another disappointing year where the polls were wrong and Trump kind of kind of got held accountable but not really, we would be thinking about what's the what's the least likely way to lose instead of what's the best way to win.

Um Senator Kim, do you to Dan's point like um it's not just about playing not to lose, it's about playing to win and going in with big ideas.

Um how do you guys think about what you need to do on day one? I mean, you got two years to basically make the case for Democratic a Democratic trifecta in 2028. Like, do you feel like I mean, this is I'm not going to use the word mandate, but uh I'm sure preparations have been underway and I just wonder how ambitious like as you look at a map that um looks very blue at 11:18 on the east coast.

Yeah, absolutely. Look, like uh you know what I'll say is is today as I said is an absolute repudiation to Trump but for the Democratic party to succeed not just tonight but two years from now and going forward you know we don't want just a the new pendulum swing. We want to build a durable majority. We want to be able to make sure that we have the kind of impact necessary. So we have to show that this is not just about what we're against but it's about what we're for. And we have to put forward those ideas. We can't just be talking about what we're going to be trying to stop. And yes, we want to stop the war. We want to stop the tariffs. We want to stop these Medicaid cuts. But to Dan's point, we want to make sure that we're pushing forward and giving a sense of what our vision is. And I I hope the Democratic Party tonight recognize that it took all of us to get to this point. This was not

uh about any single faction of the Democratic Party. Took all of us. you know, we need to make sure that we don't come out of tonight with a sense of hubris that that some element of our party has figured out all the answers. You know, I'm somebody that won a a district that Trump won, but I was also a member of the progressive caucus. Like, we can find ways to be able to engage and be able to build a a coalition that is necessary. As Dan said, you know, like in so many words, you know, the the Obama coalition doesn't exist anymore. we need to build something a new and and and that is some not going to be just something that we can coast off of tonight in terms of this repudiation of Trump. Now, it challenges us going forward. The last thing I'll just say, Alex, and and I'll just say this um uh just very personally, you know, I I uh I tonight am not at a a watch party. Uh I I am here uh in my home because uh my father

is in the hospital. My father has Alzheimer's. My father is somebody that I have to be a caregiver to. And I challenge challenged by that. I also have my 9-year-old, my 11-year-old upstairs that are pretending to go to sleep when I know that they're still listening to me. Um, that's what this is about. You know, tonight is a day of celebration. Of course, tonight we absolutely deserve to celebrate the hard work that so many people have put in. But we have to recognize that tonight is only possible because of the struggles that the American people are facing right now where they said enough. You know, tonight is a night where they say enough. We're done with this. So, we have to make sure we learn that lesson that that this is not something where we just internalize. Oh, and and and and you know, celebrate and high-five with each other, yes, we can we can be proud of what we accomplish, but if we do not

deliver on what the American people have asked us and demanded of us tonight, we will not be able to continue to govern. So, you know, it's important and I I certainly feel it, you know, just given that I spent today, election day, being a caregiver to my father, spending hours at the hospital just trying to care for him. That's that's the kind of stuff that this is about.

Yeah. That's I mean first of all we're sending vibes to your dad um and your family but also this is just really important reminder that this joy and this elation is born of incredible pain and anxiety and grief that's being felt by the American people as they feel like they can't actually make it through their lives as they stand right now. Um, Senator, thank you for for taking the time to, you know, on a a day that's complicated one and a busy one and uh you got a lot of work ahead of you. So, rest up, my friend.

Yeah. No, absolutely. Let's get to work. Right. Election day is just the starting line, not the finish line.

Put on your belt. Put on your shoes. Uh Dan, I want to ask you one more question before you go. And that is like we talk about this race and the Democrats message and the repudiation of Trump. One of the things that Republicans had in their corner was just a a shitload of cash like millions and millions of dollars [clears throat] coming in in the closing days and weeks of this campaign. The Trump super PAC decided to get off the sidelines after Labor Day, which was probably a little bit too late. But I mean, when you see these numbers, what does that tell you about the sort of role of money in a moment like this when Democrats can uh overcome that kind of insane asymmetry in terms of campaign spending?

I think it's safe to say that the 11 billion that both sides spent on advertising was probably the least efficient use of money in modern American history. Like I think there's equivalent of sort of lighting money on fire here to reach like a small segment of undecided voters in these states. But I think particularly for the Republicans, there's a very specific lesson here, which is if you don't have a message, all the money in the world doesn't matter. And you see this, they ran these ads all on, you know, attacking Democrats is too liberal, trans issues, crime, all of just a bunch of nonsense. And it reinforced the Democrat's message, which is you don't care about costs. There's every voter cares about costs. And they turn on the TV and all they see Republicans talking about is all this other stuff that is not directly affecting their lives. and they paid in deep deep praise for it today.

All right, brother. It's great to talk to you. I'm looking forward to the next message box post-mortem on this, which I'm sure is going to be filled with joyful emojis because that's what I think of when I think of Dan Feifer. I think of the crazy face emoji. Um, I'm thrilled to see you on a night like tonight. I'm gonna give everybody who is following along at home with us on the internet the exciting results and only the exciting results um while we swap you in for another incredible Pod Save America host. Uh Democrats for those who are watching are on the brink of controlling both houses of Congress. 151 Democratic House seats have been called, 49 Democratic Senate seats have been called and 20 Democratic gubinatorial races have been called. Decision Desk HQ. Get ready for this one. Predicts that Josh Turk will win the Iowa Senate seat. Unffing believable. Democrat Shared Brown has won the US Senate seat in Ohio. Adam

Hamilton, CNN projects, will win the Kansas Senate seat. Annie Andrews has won the US Senate seat from South Carolina. And James Tallerico is the Democrat from Texas going to the US Senate seat, the first Democrat since 1988. Down in Texas, I don't know if anybody has been um for people who have been clocking the just enormous shift of Latinos away from Donald Trump. Bobby Pulledo will win Texas House Congressional District 15 in the general election. And on those governor's races, Democrat Rob Sand will be the governor of Iowa. Gina Henosa, amazingly, will be the Democratic Texas governor. And Amy Actton will be the next governor of Ohio, the first Democrat to win the state in 20 years. This means, of course, that Michigan and and Maine will be cherries on top of an enormous butterscotch covered vanilla Sunday for the Democrats this evening. An extraordinary sweep.

If you could see the reflecting pool right now, it would be just the brightest, best shade of blue. And Chuck Schumer somewhere is actually doing Hips Don't Lie by Shakira. That's how well he's dancing tonight because he is about to become the majority leader. I think my friend Tommy Vtor has dained to do there. It is. I mean, can't we just make it a little bit more blue? My friend Tommy Vtor is here with a crooked mug and a suit jacket. Buddy,

how we doing? Pretty [snorts] good, dude. How you feeling? Uh, uh, good. I just got a text from a friend who said, uh, Bobby Pledo was putting up Assad like numbers in Texas. I think he's winning with 60% of the vote in a Trump plus 18 district.

Trump plus 18. He has 60% of the vote. That is insane. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Another stupid mander on the part of Republicans in a red state that was meant to deny Democrats the House and that has backfired spectacularly. Um, Tommy, I I literally have to look at this moving um this living document of racism each time I'm just shocked by another result. Josh Turk is winning Iowa. Rob Sand, you have two Democrats. I know you have a spot a soft spot for Iowa. Talk to me about how you're feeling about the fact that Rob Sand is going to be the governor and Josh Turk um is now going to be the US senator from that seat. I think there's going to be a couple races that people will and should study from this cycle.

One of them will be Abdul Sayed for all the reasons that it's been kind of controversial and interesting, but also I think Rob Sand is another one that maybe wasn't on the national media's radar screen that we all should spend a lot of time working at because Rob ran an anti-establishment campaign that was also kind of nonpartisan at the same time and it was unbelievably effective. Like I I haven't looked at the numbers uh in a couple minutes, but it was at like 65% right last time I looked. I mean, that is astounding. Now, I talked to a lot of people in Iowa. Um as late as today, people were saying like, I don't know it, you know, we think Josh might be tied. There's real question of whether, you know, he's going to be able to get it over the finish line. And one person said to me, "The question I have, and I think what will make the margin a victory is whether a bunch of farmers who are pissed off about diesel at 650 a

gallon stay home." And you know, I haven't dug into like kind of the turnout numbers yet, but I suspect that's what happened here. I mean, Republicans are pissed off, farmers are pissed off, Democrats are fired up. It's just kind of like, you know, it's just everything came together at once. And I I will say I mean I hate saying no phrase candidate quality but you know that's just the reality of what we're talking about here. Josh Turk ran an incredibly disciplined campaign. He had that great ad with President Obama. He you know may have been more centrist than some Democrats might have liked in the primary process but really just carried it across the finish line and spectacular fashion. Same with Rob Sand.

You know, I mean, these are candidates who are not just the results of a they're not just the alternatives to a repudiation of Trump and the GOP. They are on their own remarkable people to have inside the Democratic tent. And I was talking to Feifer a second ago, just it really just changes the field of play for 2028 and what's potentially possible for a Democratic party that doesn't have a centrifugal force. There is, you know, Obama is a president from the past. Not that he's irrelevant, but you know, it's it's a completely different coalition. I mean, and you know, we all came of age in in the Obama era, but what we're looking at is literally a next generation of Democratic politicians, and that's so thrilling.

It is so exciting. Like people would always ask me like, who are you excited about kind of who's on the bench? Now, we have so many great answers. It includes Rob Sand. I mean, for those who don't know about Josh Turk, I mean, he had was born with spinobipida, spinobipida, had like dozens of surgeries uh as a young kid, is in a wheelchair, you know, went to the Olympics. I mean, there's videos of him literally dragging his wheelchair up the steps to knock on doors. I mean, this guy is like the grittiest human being uh in the grittiest story you've ever heard of. And it just it's it's hard not to be inspired by him and what he accomplished tonight. So, yeah. I mean, it's it it just it's not just about the winning.

It's about all these people we are now sending to Congress, to state houses to do things that really matter. And I hope that, you know, Democrats seize this moment. I mean, I think we cannot underestimate the degree to which uh the war in Iran was a mistake for Donald Trump. And like that might be like, okay, we get it. You know, that's saving the obvious, but Democrats need to internalize that and say, "Okay, what do we now do about it? We got to cut off funding. We got to do oversight. I would love to see us impeach Pete Hegth uh and do hearings not only on Iran but also like the boat strikes in the Caribbean.

So it's like now is our moment like let's seize the mantle here and show voters that we are the anti-war party that we're different. I you know I got to say uh when we talk about candidate just just the triumph of both a new generation the mandate to do something significant it's also just a victory for decency when you think of a place like Ohio and the fact that Ramaswami who crawl needs to go crawl back into the hole from which he came has been defeated Amy Actton is taking his place

and the the you know the the idea that these Trump stooges who were, you know, we were told they were reinventing a definition of manhood and that they were a new kind of politician that was sort of like uncensored shoot from the hip. It's, you know, we're at a place now where it's like the reclamation of decency is on the table and that feels like enormously reassuring, at least to me. I do want to bring in [clears throat] an we have an Ohio reporter, Andrew Tobias from uh Signal, Ohio. Andrew, thank you for joining me and Tommy here as we talk about the return of decency to the state of Ohio.

Um, can you talk a little bit about uh shared Brown's win and of course Amy Actton's win in in the state where it was looking close in the closing days? Yeah, I got the sense from polling internal and also some of the public stuff that this was a possibility, but even talking to Republicans over the weekend, you know, they've they've they felt good about they've trailed in polls before. There's a bunch of Republican voters here and they just had a pretty easy path to victory in their eyes and that playbook, I guess, worked until it didn't. And so, I can't say this came out of nowhere. There's definitely signs of it, but I've just, this is my third Sheriff Brown campaign that I've covered, and he's always, you know, been under or overestimated his support by the polls. You know, I saw the numbers um that were in there and I just, you know, I thought he might win narrowly. I didn't expect a large

victory. And so, it's, you know, I wish I could say like I saw this coming. I mean, I saw like a scenario where they won, but it's honestly like shocking to me to see as a guy who's been covering Ohio politics for a while now to see a result like this. Did you do how much do you think the ad the Ramaswami ad affected uh the Senate race if at all?

I think you know I haven't had time to really uh digest all of the wins that Democrats have done across the country uh the by the Ohio Democratic Party has been an issue here but um Frank I I think he probably would have been more of of a scapegoat if you know we didn't have Democrats like winning statewide elections in Texas for the first time in 20 years. But I will say that I didn't talk to any Republicans who thought the ad was helpful. It did really worry them when it came out. I heard, you know, Ramas Swami's team acknowledge that it caused them some trouble and that they thought they kind of put it behind them.

So, it'll be interesting to see. I mean, this is just such a shock wave to Ohio politics, what the recriminations might look like on the Republican side. could be that they just decided that this was a massive wave year and you know it it'll be hard to point the finger at one thing but like I said I mean Republicans were not happy that they had to spend the last couple weeks of their campaign relitigating whether it was okay to bring up you know Amy Actton's past sex abuse and you know that just the horrible circumstances behind all of that.

Yeah. Defending pedi accused pedophiles not really where you want to be if you're a Republican party or a Republican candidate. Um, Andrew Tobias, thank you for taking a couple minutes to chat with us. I know you're you're on the you're in the middle of it all right now. So, we appreciate you dipping out for a second. Um, and I'd love to hear more in the coming days once you can unpack everything. Andrew Tobias from Signal Ohio. Um, Tommy, let me just ask you one question before I go and read some ads for everybody because we have to do that occasionally on these big nights and we thank you for your patience and that's the only way we're going to get you to love it and fabs because the other two horsemen of the apocalypse are also in the building. Um,

uh, do you just like big picture when you look at these wins, right? It's it's enormous night for Democrats. There are going to be a lot of Republicans that say the next day like don't take it as a mandate. This is just about Trump mismanaging the sit scenario. Blah blah blah blah blah blah. Like what's the response to that? And what do you want to see from like leadership in the Senate from Chuck Schumer and his hips that don't lie?

Take it as a mandate. Like this is our opportunity. This is our moment. Voters just handed you power. Do something with it. We have to deliver for people. And I'm like I'm really glad you made the point earlier about like a win for decency in Ohio because we are old enough to remember the 2002 midterms when a triple ampute Vietnam veteran named Max Cleland lost his race because he was called soft on national security. Right. And so like we've we have all we're all like bruised and battered and have seen that kind of disgusting gutter politics win. And to see Vavik Ramoswami not only lose but also potentially bring down the entire Ohio slate of Republicans is a beautiful beautiful thing. So I think we need to seize the mantle here. We need to listen to voters know what they're upset about the Iran war, the cost of living, the price of gas, and like even though we won't have power, even though we can't pass things

that Trump won't veto, it's like figure out ways to demonstrate that you get it. You're fighting for them and prepare yourself for 2028.

Get ready, y'all. Buckle up, Katie. What is it? Katie closed the barn door. I don't even know what the toy expression is. I'm so old.

Tommy Vtor, my buddy. So dressed up for the occasion. God bless. I hope there's something alcoholic in there. And I hope that you

taken a Ziotic probiotic drink before that because I'm about to read an ad for them.

I took I'm gonna take another I think before I go to bed. Yeah, as you should, buddy. Okay, on that note of just a few short words from our sponsor and I need to find the ads because it's in an endless document where I can't find them. So, I'm going to scroll down until I do. Here we go. Crooked news. Live election coverage is brought to you by Ziotics. Election junkies. I got to tell you about this game-changing product I drink before a night out. It's called Z pre-alcohol by Ziotics. Ziotics pre-alcohol probiotic drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was engineered by PhD microbiologists to break down acetal aldahhide, an unwanted byproduct of alcohol metabolism. Make pre-alcohol your first drink of the night. Drink responsibly and enjoy your next day activities. Ziotics has sold more than 15 million bottles and earned the trust of thousands, including Tommy Vtor.

You'll notice a lot of Ziotics empty bottles hanging around the Crooked Media offices, and that's because we know what to do in order to drink alcohol and be functional adults. The holiday season is officially here, and if you're anything like me, your social calendar is wide open. Just kidding, it's filling up fast. From friends giving with friends to the turkey trot the next morning, these are the moments you just don't want to miss. That's why I make sebiotics pre-alcohol part of my routine before drinking. Because the best part of the holidays is having them come to an end. Just kidding. It's being present for all of it. Try Ziotics pre-alcohol for yourself and if you're not satisfied, they'll refund your entire order, no questions asked. Head to ziotics.com/crooked and use code crooked for 15% off your first order.

Okay. Do we have another ad that I need to read? Maybe. I can't find it. I'll read it.

Do this friend of the pod video. Okay. Here's what we have is some videos for our friends of the pod who want to know some answers to some pressing questions that they have this evening and none other than the great John Lovevet. A man full of humor, wisdom, and bile will be here to answer those questions. Let's take a look at the video.

This is actually why they wanted to vote. This is not that at all. This is a I'm going straight blue down the ticket.

I just voted. We voted for James Talifico, didn't we? I've been sending New York Times gift articles to my family and friends incessantly, hoping that it might sway their vote.

We have to take the House and Senate and then stop Trump from being any more of an ass than he is. Hello, my name is Chandler from North Carolina.

Cody in Ohio. My name is Kyle. I am an active service member currently assigned to Arlington, Virginia.

My name's Ashley. I uh voted for John Oaf, Georgia US Senate, Kesha Lance Bottoms, Georgia Governor.

Just hoping that we can start getting Ohio back into a purple state. Hi, I'm Holly from Texas and I'm proud to be voting for Gina Henosa and James Herico and all the Democrats down the ballot. Greg Abbott has appointed a bunch of political cronies in our universities like a Texas Tech.

I voted for Amy Actton for governor. The reason I'm voting is because of the future. I have a three-year-old son

and my niec's futures are at stake. I want to support the policies that I believe will help everyone, especially my six-year-old son.

And honestly, I'm also doing it for my nieces cuz I want them to be able to control their bodies and have a good life. but also it sets up what presidential candidates for 2028 could look like.

I am proud to be working to create a culture of voting with my co-workers. Democracy in this country is at stake. Climate change and the world order are at stake.

But the most important one is that voting helps us to have a voice in what our country is and what it is not. So, really excited for Tuesday. I will be tuning in um to see how things go with Alex Wagner. Hey, you'll see me laughing because it's that hour. John Loveit's going to be joining us. But first, I want to tell everybody that Democrats have officially won control of the House and Senate. Of the highlights, Josh Turk has won the Senate seat in Iowa. Shared Brown has won the Senate seat in Ohio. Adam Hamilton has won the Senate seat in Kansas, the first Democrat to go to the US Senate from Kansas since the year 1932 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected. Uh the decision desk is full of results tonight. You should know on the gubanatorial side, Democrat Hannah Pingry, has won the governorship in Maine. David Crowley, a Democrat, will be the governor of Wisconsin.

We have Amy Actton in Ohio. We have Rob Sand in Iowa. The list goes on and on. It is really, what's a better word for tsunami? I don't even know, but we'll call it that for now. John Love it, are you there, bud? Did we get you? Are you still awake? This isn't a fever dream. It's reality.

I'm here. What's Is this working? Okay. Hi. Hello, John. It's really happening, John. It's really happening.

Good to see you. It's happening. It's so great to see you. H how are you feeling as you've been pinging ponging around um doing important coverage of this night as you have seen these results come in? What has been your feeling and what is your feeling now?

So, you know, there's we're very practiced in trying to not be enthusiastic, right? And to not be too optimistic. Like in 2024, I remember feeling like I I I didn't feel confident that Kla Harris was gonna win. Maybe the last day I convinced myself. I convinced myself so that I would feel let down on the night. Uh but it's but this is such an unaloyed victory that we're really not used to. And uh I do hope people take a moment like I look there will be plenty of time for the score settling and

the people trying to prove how they understood the political situation because of their predictions and therefore they have more of a claim to decide what the future should look like. I guess the kind of debates we have on the internet like that's coming for us. But I hope people just take a moment just to appreciate just that like politics online a lot of like hyperengaged people. It can be very tense because it is the stakes are high and people feel uncertain. But this is a night where Democrats across the country all different wings of the party figured out how to put together a coalition in part because of the failures of Trump to bring as many people as possible. Right?

Like it was a collective effort to tell a story to bring in as many people as possible. And the more our debates that are about how to bring people in and less about trying to decide who's in and who's out, I think the better. And I hope people take this like just take a moment like we [clears throat] we would have and imagine how much more more angry and brittle we'd be had we lost. And let's all have a have like approached what comes next with a little bit of kind of I don't know generosity of spirit because the debate online in the last couple days got pretty tense.

And I get why. But look at what's it's it's okay. Hey, we're one big team and we don't always agree, but look what we can do.

Yeah. And also, um, as I think Senator Andy Kim was on earlier, he also he noted that JD Vance his presidential aspirations are now finished and that is something we're celebrating equally as much.

I just hope no one tells him that, you know, right? Keep going, JD. It's been a strong

thumbs up for Trumpism across the country in Nowhereville. Um I I want to ask about you know the one of the the house is obviously critically important. Um and if it was just a house win and I shouldn't use the word just that would have been significant on its own especially given the gerrymandering that happened the attempts to steal the election before it even began. But what's so remarkable is Senate six years. The Senate term is a six-year term which me means this crop of Democrats who are going to the Senate will be in office for the first term of the next president perhaps a Democrat.

This is reshaping the future of American politics in the same way that the Democrats who've won these gubernatorial races are going to have an enormous power in reshaping what's happening at the state level. And as we've seen, you know, Trump is bananas, but one of the only bull works against federal like madness is state level discipline and lower court discipline. And having, you know, Democrats at in at the state level in in these critical states is going to be essential not just for those states, but also for the health of our our national democracy and the 2028 presidential race, right? Is there any um is there any sort of one of those races that you draw a particular interest in or um are enthused by like when you think of is it Rob Sand, is it Amy Actton, is it Gina Hinahosa, is it uh I mean is it is is it or a Senate race? I mean I'm I'm wondering if anything really like um got a tear in

your eye when you heard about the results. I ke bottoms winning because I feel like that was one where people thought even in a wave it was going to be really tough. I feel like that's where people people maybe were sleeping on it a little bit

because they thought it wasn't as because OAF was running so far ahead. I don't know. But like that's incredibly exciting. You know, Stacy Abrams uh has a show here. She's someone that's been triggering figuring out how to build this political organization in Georgia and I think it's an extraordinary night for Georgia. Uh, I also just more broadly when I worked in the White House, when Obamacare was on the table, when Ted Kennedy dies, all of a sudden we go from 60 Senate seats to to 59 and that was the the risk of our ability to pass it. We had a supermajority and as almost within moments of it disappearing we were lamenting how it was impossible and it's very difficult and politics will will resort to to the mean. I don't want to over interpret anything but I do think one thing I hope people take from tonight that I'm going to try to keep in mind is uh politics is more changeable than it looks at times. even trends that

seem unbreakable, like we've lost rural America. And I I think a lot of Democrats and and have spent too much time thinking about the ways in which the Senate was unfair and how we'll never get it back and less time thinking more about how to close that delta between Democratic policies and Democratic politicians. And tonight, some some really some some politicians showed us, at least when the conditions are right, how you can close that gap. And I think we should uh uh take that to heart. Uh, do you think that Chuck Schumer is doing the hula? Can we show people the Chuck Schumer uh needle? I think it's got to be all the way to the It's all the way in the blue. It's all the way in the blue, right? Yeah, exactly.

Uh, are you like, if you could get in Chuck's ear tonight and say one thing, like what do you want to hear from him as the new majority leader?

Boy, first of all, uh, is that is that done and dusted? I don't know where everyone's tally is at on whether they would support

they've officially Democrats have regained control. No, I know we've regained the Senate, but are are we sure that it's such a I don't because we're winning a lot of people that we didn't know that

Oh, you mean majority leader? You mean majority leader? I mean majority leader. Yeah. Like is he going to be majority leader?

Well, that's actually a better question. Should he be majority leader? boy. You know, there have been times in the last uh couple of years where I've been really frustrated with Chuck Schumer, especially as a communicator. There have also been times, if we're being honest, uh Chuck Schumer had to be like the the like Batman at the end of of Dark Knight where he has to be the villain, right? Like he's, you know, he's the he's not he's not the hero we want, but you know, he's the the guy the hero we deserve.

And so when it's whether it's around government shutdowns or budget deals or whatever it may be, there are times where he went down for the circumstance. Uh and so I think it is you have to tease that out, right? Like what are we looking for in a leader and where was it that Chuck was the person figuring out ways out of thorny political issues when we didn't have a lot of power? Um but I do think Chuck has to demonstrate that he understands the anger people feel because there's a lot of big debates inside of a party. It's about Israel, about healthcare, about what it looks like to fight back against Trump. But I I think if you honestly asked people like who seems like they're in the fight more, right? Like who are the who who seems more aggressive and animated by taking on Trump and by the unfairness and and and and feel that anger, right?

Like is is Chuck the first person you'd think of or would you think of someone like Bernie Sanders or sort of more of the left flank of the party? And I don't I don't think it's unfair for people to wonder um like if Chuck represents that that kind of sense of resolve and anger and fight that people feel. That doesn't mean he can't, but I think that's his challenge.

The um yeah, the mic is over to him and uh people need to hear more. That's what our t that's what my takeaway is from this. John Love it joining me. Uh it's like almost midnight here on the east coast, but it's still late for you on the west coast and it's been a

We're drinking over here. I have to tell you something. We're It's going to be a loose. We're about to go record the Pod Save America and it's going to be a loose episode. All right.

It should be, dude. I mean, if there's a time to unbutton the top button, it's now. You know what I'm saying?

Here on the East Coast, we just drink Ziotics, pre-alcohol, probiotic drink, and don't even chase it with booze because we're on the straight and narrow, my man.

Look at that. Look at that. Seamless. Seamless. Seamless. Just integrated ads. Listen, go fill up the the glass with your favorite beverage. I think um we have to bring in

John Favro before this live stream is over. The people bring in all four of the apocalypse, but not the apocalyp a apocalypse. The four musketeers.

I'm going to read some results while you guys swap seats. Okay. I think this is some of your best work. I think we Democrats should always sweep and then we should ask John Love to come on at it, you know, drinking hour every Tuesday that there's an election. Got just to remind everybody, the Democrats have won control of the Senate. I can't stop saying it. They now have 51 seats. 173 Democratic House seats have been called. 22 Democratic governor seats have been called. You have Josh Turk winning in Iowa, Sherid Brown in Ohio, Adam Hamilton in Kansas, Annie Andrews in South Carolina, James Talerico in Texas, John Oaf in Georgia, Chris Papis New Hampshire, and Roy Cooper in North Carolina. So far, a clean sweep. Uh, and CNN and NBC are predicting the Democrats will win control of the House.

Jonathan Favro Jr. is not here. is not here yet, but I have a question for you.

Oh, I Adrien Hill, who's been keeping the train on the tracks, albeit ever so tenuously, is going to read a question for I can read the qu. You want me to read the question to answer?

I know I can read it out loud and then answer it like, you know, I can walk and chew gum.

Question from friend of the pod member Liz. How can Dems hit the ground running and not let up on the power? You know, this is really a better question for FABS than me, but I think the first thing to do is to really question who they want to lead them. And that means um to the degree that it is possible for this rockus caucus to put some hard questions on the table in front of Chuck Schumer about what the priorities are. I would argue that uh there's been a clear message from the American voters on ending the war in Iran and holding Trump accountable. Congress holds the authorization for war and holds war powers in its pocket. Use every cudel available, including the appropriations process, to curtail the worst, most deadly impulses of this administration, including the roving death squads known as ICE. Pass a federal minimum wage immediately and let him veto it. And where else? I don't know. I'm not

running for office, but those are some of the things I think it would be super great if they passed a federal law outlawing gerrymandering and passing a voting rights act. And also, while we're at it, enshrining bodily autonomy for women. John Favro, thank God, is sitting down so you won't just have to listen to me talk to myself about big ideas.

There he is. I hope the cocktail was good, buddy. Just You know what? I just I had to pee.

You know what? Nature calls. Someone had to pee. I just have a catheter. Um I'm so glad to see you. It's been a long

I'm so glad to see you. I am so thrilled to get your thoughts. I mean, you guys are all I can see it in your I can your eyes are smising. I can see the the the happiness. It's really I mean, I read these I read these results and it's a sweep. It's like it is out of like Field of Dreams political edition that this is all happening. Um

yeah, how are you feeling? I'm feeling fantastic. Um I think it's I mean look, I think it's the the best night for Democrats since 2008. Um just by sheer uh margin of the victory, right? Like so obviously it was better to win the presidency in 2020, of course. Um but because that was such a narrow margin um uh this this is different. This is a I think this is the beginning of the end of the Donald Trump era in American politics. Yeah,

that's it. And um all the things that had to go right went right. Republicans were uh didn't show up. The turnout didn't materialize and um and Democrats did. and people. I mean, it's funny because in the weeks leading up to this, I kept thinking about 2018 and the like how well Democrats did in 2018. And if you just if you didn't look at any other polls and you just said, "Okay, eight years later, Donald Trump is less popular um everywhere. There's now a war that he got us into. Um the economy is much worse than it was in 2018 and it is the second midterm of uh Donald Trump's presidency, his second term. All of those factors combine to like it it would you would predict without looking at any polls that Republicans would be less excited to turn out that more people would turn against the party in power because they're sensitive about costs and uh the tariffs and the war and all that. And so like it wasn't it's not

crazy to have predicted this. I think that we just didn't want to believe it because we've been let down so many times in the past.

Yeah. PTSD. We live in the upside down. Well, for a long time it felt like we lived in the upside down. This is the first time I think we're emerging back into daylight. You know, you I you you bring in we I started this live stream 10 minutes late, I'll just say. Um I started this live stream with the the pot with dangling it out there that this was maybe the beginning of the end of the Trump show. And it really it is [clears throat] beginning of the end of the Trump show. He's still in office for two more years, but it's been a decade that's been bookended by chaos, macity, um, death, and fear. And it is so extraordinarily relieving to see the American public say resolutely and resoundingly, we're going to shut the door on that. It's time for that to be over.

How do [clears throat] you think Trump's going to deal with this? And what how should how should Democrats respond or not to the inevitable insane garbage that's about to come?

Well, already, you know, I've just been reading the news like you have. And he gives

I haven't been reading the news. He g so he gives one reaction to the New York Times um where he says, "Yeah, I'll accept the results and you know, I'm just I'm just looking at all these results happening right now and I'm happy to work with Democrats and talk to them and we'll we'll work something out," I think he said. And then he like truths a big red hat with a veto on it and then he's like, "I'm going to become a pundit and talk about all the reasons that we lost this and all the candidates that were bad." And so like he's he's willing to work with Democrats [clears throat] and accept the results, then he's angry again. So it's just like I don't know.

Who knows how he's going to deal with it, right? Like it's going to be minute to minute. Like whatever his mood, you know, whatever mood he's in at that moment. Um I think the guy probably wants what he cares about, right? Is his legacy, at least in his mind. And so um he wants people to love him. He wants to be seen as this great president, this great man of history. Um, and that could lead us to some dangerous situations abroad, especially with Iran. Um, he cares about his home renovations. As silly as that sounds, [clears throat] he actually does. Um, and so he's probably going to focus on that. He doesn't

I mean, hopefully that's what he focuses on. I'm actually now of mindset that I'd much rather have. I love trees. I hate cutting down trees, but if what we need to do is occupy grandpa with a golf course project, then that's probably the best thing for democracy. I do worry not to be a complete killjoy about whether tomorrow he's going to renew strikes in Iran and what that means. The other piece of it I wonder and I would never ask you to get into the cobwebed mind of any Republican senator but for the Yolo caucus I hate even saying that Tom Tillis, John Cornin, Bill Cassidy, etc.

who have proven I think largely feckless now that they've seen the writing on the wall. Do you think there's any hope that they actually stand up to the dude in the last two months of the lame duck and do anything meaningful to curtail his powers like oh I don't know prevent him from going back to war with Iran. Do you think there's any hope given the resounding rejection that the party has gotten?

So in 10 years of this I would say no every time until now. Um and I don't think it's because like they'll have had a change of heart. I think when you see results like this and you know that Donald Trump is on his way out and you're a Republican who presumably wants to keep your job and wants to have a job in politics, like I think the bloodletting within the party right now is going to be like we've never seen in the Trump era. Um, and I think you're going to see a lot of Republicans in Congress and I don't know which issues it will be, right? Because some of them whether you know whether it's about Trump or not just like love going to war, right? like there's hawks. Um, so maybe I hopefully they'll rein him in, but they might also like want to finish the job in Iran. I I I can't I can't tell. But I think on a host of issues, I mean, we have seen in the last year, two years, for the first time in the Trump

era, some of them start to peel away on issues whether it's Epstein files, the war in Iran, tariffs, corruption. And so you've seen the discomfort, but now they they needed a night like this and a defeat like this, I think, to really make them feel comfortable saying like, "Fuck this guy." You know,

um, and I have to like they're not going to be they're they're not going to act like we'd want them to act, but um, you know, because they're not going to want to piss off the base too much, but they're looking ahead to the future and he's not in it.

Yeah. Literally, the entire country said, "Fuck this guy." So maybe join on in on the chorus.

Well, John, and he's gonna blame all of them. That's the other thing. Like he's gonna he's so

the people he outhees awesome. All the Republicans in Congress are terrible. And that's going to piss them off even more.

There's every reason to give this guy his comeupp and we'll see what happens. The one thing I do know is that Crooked Crooked Con is going to be lit. Lit. We are living out

lit. So, I will see you, buddy. I will see you here in Washington DC in less than 48 hours. I hope you're still drunk because there's a lot of partying left to do.

I I look, I have had uh just 120th of the alcohol I'll be having at Crooked Con tonight. So,

make sure to start the evening with the Ziotics pre pre-alcohol probiotic drink. Um, you're the best, John. Congratulations to you and the country for shutting the door or beginning to on Trumpism and MAGA. Um, Godspeed. I will see you soon. We're going to end on some menopause ads and I'll let you go to the other room for that. Okay. Do I even have the ads where the wheels have officially come off? I'm just scrolling down one more time. All the way to the bottom, she says. Go all the way to the bottom. Don't turn off your live stream.

This is the best part. You never know. You never know what I'll say. Quick reminder, Crooked Con is going down this Saturday in DC. Just like I said with John, we're going to pick up from tonight's conversation to discuss how we head into a presidential election in which the stakes will be existential today and tomorrow only. Crooked is having a flash sale. 30 bucks off Crooked Con tickets with code CC midterms 26. Expect over 25 panels, Q&As's, and live podcast tapings. All your favorite crooked hosts will be there and I'll be there too because I'm definitely not one of your favorite crooked hosts. I'll be interviewing Senator Alyssa Slotkin live on stage and later moderating a conversation on the attention economy with Brian Tyler Cohen, Carlos Eduardo Espina, Jennifer Welch, and Jessica Tarlov. Other guests at Crooked Con include Representative Ilhan Omar, Senator Mark Kelly, Governor

Wes Moore, Senator Chris Van Holland, Representative Sarah McBride, plus Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's Bronin Newport. Head to crookedcon.com and use code CC Midterms 26 to get 30 bucks off your ticket. The deal ends tomorrow, so get yours while you can. See you at CrookedCon. One more for you, babies. Crooked News live election coverage is brought to you by Alloy. alloy health to be specific. Aging can come with some unwelcome changes. Sleep disruptions, hot flashes, brain fog, and decreased libido can hit us hard. Maybe not tonight, but many other nights. Menopause is inevitable, but it's also treatable. Almost half of women go three years before seeking relief from menopausal or permenopausal symptoms. Most don't know where to go for a solution. That's where Alloy comes in. Alloy is a digital health platform that connects you with a menopause specialized doctor to help you feel and

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Head to myalloy.com and use the code crooked and tell them all about your symptoms. You'll get a fully customized treatment plan and unlimited messaging with your doctor. Plus, you'll get 20% off your first order today. Head to my yall.com and use code crooked to get 20% off your first order. The code is valid on products only. I think we just need to thank some of the people that made this train wreck happen. No, I'm kidding. It was so good. Right. Let's do it again. Never. We want to take a minute to thank the huge team here at Crooked Media that made tonight's show possible behind the scenes. Not just the Gremlins, but Adrienne Hill sitting right there. Matt Degro, Alona Manovski, Haley Jones, Emma Ell, Caitlyn Plamer, Anisha Bannerjy, McKenna Roberts, Arjent Singh, Dexter Thomas, Ben Heathcoat, Charlotte Landis, Eric Shu, David Tols, and Ashley Campion. I am sorry for anything that I

said that was offensive. Go Dems.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Pod Save America Live Election Results with Alex Wagner!"?

Alex Wagner (Host), Aaron Ryan (Guest), Senator Chris Van Hollen (Guest), Maria Teresa Kumar (Guest), Sarah Longwell (Guest), John Favro (Host), Advisors/Hosts mentioned in closing credits (Guest), Adrienne Hill (Guest).

What is "Pod Save America Live Election Results with Alex Wagner!" about?

A discussion of U.S. midterm dynamics, voting, and political polarization, highlighting concerns about election integrity, party performance, and the impact of campaign messaging on public support. It includes commentary on costs of living, political strategy, and the stakes of Republican versus Democratic outcomes.

What is mentioned in this Pod Save America episode?

165 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Democratic Party, Republican Party, Donald Trump, Crooked Media, Congress, Texas. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Pod Save America Live Election Results with Alex Wagner!"?

The episode runs 2 h 59 min; the transcript is about 33,446 words in 384 timestamped sections.

More from Pod Save America

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated November 5, 2026.