The Downballot podcast is dedicated to the thousands of elections below the presidency, from Senate to city council. With more than 20 years of experience analyzing U.S. elections, we provide unparalleled insight into congressional, state, and local races nationwide. Tune in every Thursday morning for one-of-a-kind coverage of these key contests.
www.the-downballot.com (https://www.the-downballot.com?utm_medium=podcast)
Republicans are giving up on races that would have once been unthinkable to abandon—and rushing to save candidates in states we can scarcely believe are competitive. On this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, co-hosts David Nir and David Beard examine the fallout from the GOP’s decision to abandon North Carolina’s Senate contest, combined with its last-minute rescue mission in Kansas of all places. Perhaps the most amazing thing: The Republican spending spree doesn’t even seem to be working.
The Davids also talk with Eric Ming at the State and Local Election Alliance (https://www.state-elections.org/), an organization devoted to deep downballot elections where control over the machinery of democracy is at stake. Eric walks us through some of SLEA’s top targets, including a judge in Nevada known for always favoring Republicans, a MAGA election administrator in Colorado who’s simply terrible at her job, and the leader of one of Texas’ biggest counties who just shut down a bunch of polling sites in Black and Latino neighborhoods.
Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe (https://www.the-downballot.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
1 Oct 2026
Republicans are looking sooo rusty
Here’s the downside to comfortably winning year after year: Your campaign skills get rusty in a hurry. As David Nir and guest-host Joe Sudbay discuss on this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, that problem is now in full bloom for Republicans across the country who are suddenly facing competitive elections in states where Democrats have often been an afterthought.
The roster of creaky candidates includes the likes of Roger Marshall, Pete Ricketts, and Ken Paxton, all of whom are finding out the hard way that campaigning ain’t easy. But you can even add Susan Collins to the list. After a lifetime of softball media coverage, she’s suddenly scrambling to deal with a major corruption scandal, and she isn’t handling it well.
David and Joe also put a bow on the Missouri redistricting saga, which finally came to a close days ago when the Supreme Court smacked down Republicans—and wayward judges—once and for all. But speaking of unprepared, the GOP’s long-running effort to block pro-democracy ballot measures has left them with little time, and even less money, to campaign against them.
Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe (https://www.the-downballot.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
24 Sept 2026
Primary turnout forecasts a Dem blowout
Democrats have blown past Republicans in primary turnout this year, but does it mean anything for November? The answer is a very firm “yes,” as co-hosts David Nir and David Beard explain on this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast. In a groundbreaking special report (https://www.the-downballot.com/p/massive-primary-turnout-points-to), our colleague Daniel Donner collected more than a century’s worth of data on primaries that demonstrate a very close correlation with general election results—and it all points toward a potential landslide for Democrats of epic proportions.
The Davids also sit down with Sara Kohen, who’s running to serve on the board of directors of the Omaha Public Power District, a major electric utility that serves nearly a million people. As Kohen tells us, the OPPD’s board holds major sway over how power is generated for its customers, including whether to pursue renewable energy over fossil fuels. She also details her conversations with voters, who are particularly concerned about data centers and soaring utility bills.
Get full access to The Downballot at www.the-downballot.com/subscribe (https://www.the-downballot.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
Who has been a guest on The Downballot
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Paul Krugman
Michael Frias
Amy Keith
Derek Willis
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.3 / 5
6 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 53 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
93
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
31
Contact The Downballot
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about The Downballot
Who hosts The Downballot?
David Nir and David Beard and unknown host the show. Published by David Nir & David Beard.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes daily, based on its RSS feed.
Does The Downballot take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Host of The Downballot?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
