Can Dems flip state legislatures?

What you'll learn

• 1 (00:00) **The Stakes of State Legislatures** - The episode opens by framing the midterm battle not just around Congress, but the often-overlooked fight for control of state legislatures, which have massive power over healthcare, abortion rights, and even presidential election certification.
• 2 (01:26) **Why Wisconsin is the Perfect Case Study** - The episode zeroes in on Wisconsin, a 50-50 state where Republican gerrymandering after 2011 made it nearly impossible for Democrats to win a legislative majority.
• 3 (03:58) **Meet the Unlikely Leader: Francesca Hong** - The episode introduces State Assemblywoman Francesca Hong, a Democratic Socialist and former gubernatorial candidate who lost her primary by about 4,000 votes but is now campaigning for down-ballot candidates to achieve a Democratic trifecta.
• 4 (05:58) **What a Trifecta Actually Unlocks** - In an interview, Hong explains the concrete policy differences a Democratic trifecta would make in Wisconsin after 16 years of Republican legislative control.
• 5 (08:00) **The Gerrymandering Excuse and the New Map** - Hong explains why Democrats haven't been able to make these economic arguments effectively until now: gerrymandering locked in Republican legislative majorities despite Wisconsin being a 50-50 state.
• 6 (09:40) **The Data Center Divide: Hong vs. Crawley** - The host presses Hong on whether Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Crawley's more moderate position on data centers is enough for her supporters who see the issue as existential.
• 7 (11:25) **Diagnosing the Primary Loss** - The host asks Hong to reflect on why she lost the gubernatorial primary, particularly given Governor Evers' endorsement of Crawley and the focus on her DSA label.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app