This week we’re back with Chloe Maxmin, for a debrief that has been eagerly awaited – by me and many of you, I know – on how the Dirtroad candidates went at the recent US elections, and where to from here.

For those who didn’t catch Chloe in episode 225 last month, from up at the farm in Maine, Chloe became the first Democrat ever to represent Maine House District 88, and the youngest member of the 129th Maine Legislature. Two years later, she’d become the youngest female state senator in Maine's history. And all on the back of engaging with her community directly and in ways that transcended the partisan politics so many of us have had enough of. Then, at still just 30 years of age, Chloe co-founded a non-profit that trains others in how to run for office in this way called Dirtroad Organizing.

In just 18 months, this resulted in 38 alumni running at the recent election. So, how did they go (including Lucia and Maria from episode 228), how did her partner (from episode 226), incumbent independent Bill Pluecker go, what does it all mean, and what comes next?

We talk about the spectrum of emotions since the election, the successes of the ‘Dirtroad candidates’, making sense of people voting for those candidates and Trump, whether there are bigger shifts taking place with the 2-party system, how much this was a gender election, whether the US is as divided as it’s said to be, opportunities for regenerative agriculture with the coming administration, issues with the integrity of the election, a burgeoning ‘Dirtroad media’, what comes next for Dirtroad Organizing, and of course music.

This episode has chapter markers and a transcript (available on most apps now too). The transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully provides greater access for those who need or like to read.

Recorded 22 November 2024.

Title slide: Chloe Maxmin.

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Music:
Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from Regenerating Australia.
Intro music by Jeremiah Johnson.

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Pre-roll music: Heartland Rebel, by Steven Beddall (sourced from Artlist).

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