CATTY CHATS LIVE!

Meet two of the many insurgent candidates who are trying to make things suck less, PLUS our guide to actions that help candidates at every level breakthrough in the mid-terms!

LeVon Barnes donned fluffy pink cat headphones that belong to his young daughter.

Dan Schwartz’s one-eyed cat Toodles gave him the biggest kitty hug ever – on camera.

And that all happened before we even started talking about policy and this year’s elections.

Barnes and Schwartz joined Cat Ladies for America Founder Blaire Postman on Sunday, July 12, for the second edition of our Catty Chats Live podcast and vodcast. Barnes is running for a seat in North Carolina representing State House District 64. Schwartz is a candidate for Congress in Maryland District 1. (Watch on Substack or on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.)

We asked each candidate why they are running, how they plan to make things suck less, and what inspires them.

LeVon Barnes

Campaign website: https://www.levonfornc.com/en/

Instagram: LeVon Barnes

“It’s simple. I’m doing it to try and make my family’s life, my students and their families’ lives, and everybody that lives in my county and state’s life easier. … We don’t have working-class people in any of those [state] seats. And, it’s because my community has asked me to run. It’s because my students and families, who I’ve been able to serve, they’ve asked me to run. That’s why I’m on the ballot.”

How he’s going to make things suck less

• Funding for public education. “North Carolina is No. 1 in business in the United States, No. 46 in what we pay teachers, and No. 50 – dead last – in how we fund education. So, we know that businesses are going to want to come here. They are here, but yet if you don’t have a thriving school district, public school education system, then they’re going to bring in everybody else except the folks who live here.”

• A fair wage tax.“Right now, the North Carolina legislature has awful constitutional amendments on the ballot this November that look really good. And one of those is capping income tax and property tax. And, I would say that, if you tax a billionaire fairly, he’s still a billionaire. If you tax a millionaire fairly, he’s still a millionaire. But taxing a billionaire the same way that you’re taxing someone who’s getting paid hourly is disgraceful. And all it’s going to do is continue to create a class gap that we already are seeing growing wider and wider and wider where the middle class or young people who are trying to ascertain their first home or whatever cannot do that. Can’t do it at all.”

What in his district inspires him

“What I see in Alamance County is fight. It’s fight. I see folks who are in nonprofits, working with the private sector, working with just the two girls that are selling lemonade in their neighborhood. I think they all care about their community. They want their communities to thrive. They don’t want to see anybody suffer. We all understand the issues that we’re facing.”

Barnes said he is also inspired by the efforts to feed local students during the summer led by Tameka Harvey, a member of the board of education, and Jackie Vanhook, founder of Mayneline Resources. “They’ve been going up and down Alamance County feeding kids in neighborhoods like sandwiches and all different types of stuff because we know that yeah, food security is an issue,” he said.

Shoutouts for other insurgent candidates

Barnes highlighted the efforts of these fellow candidates for North Carolina state-level seats:

• Southey Blanton, candidate for NC Senate District 25
• Claire Kempner, candidate for NC House District 9
• Jennifer Wiles, candidate for NC House District 75
• Andy Bowline, candidate for NC Senate District 31

He also praised the work of the Can’t Win Victory Fund, which is supporting Barnes and many other candidates.

Dan Schwartz

Campaign website: 

https://schwartzforcongress.com

Instagram: Daniel Schwartz

Why he’s running

“My congressional district, it’s just 90 from Washington, DC, right across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, but we are one of the most under-represented and underserved districts in the country. And for eight terms now, we’ve been represented by Andy Harris, who is the chair of the House Freedom Caucus, the most extreme group in Congress. People out here are not extremists. They want to be represented by somebody who’s from here, who shows up here, and who will listen to them. … I have experience in government. That being said, I’m just a regular guy. I’ve got a family. I’ve got a lot of bills. I’ve got two cats, three dogs. I think we need more regular people in Congress.”

How he’s going to make things suck less

• Free lunch in school and food security. “I want free lunch for every kid in school across the country. There is no reason that we are the wealthiest nation in the world, and we can afford to bomb kids overseas, but we can’t afford to feed them in our schools. And my congressman just presided over a farm bill that cuts $260 billion from the SNAP program over the next 10 years. That is food that our kids need in their bellies to learn in schools, food that pregnant women need in their bellies to have healthy pregnancies, and food that our older people need to be able to stay healthy.”

• Protect Social Security.“This is an older demographic district that I live in. About 85 percent of the voters are 55 plus in my district. We need to protect and strengthen Social Security for the future. There is no reason that people that make less money are shouldering the greatest burden. We need to scrap the cap and make everybody pay their fair share when it comes to social security so that we can have a program that still exists in the future.”

• Undo damage from the “Big Beautiful Bill.”“I really need to work on rolling back a lot of the damage that was included in the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ because when you when you put together the cuts to critical services in the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that people rely on, and when you put together the president’s tax plan, and when you put together the president’s tariffs, all of which are supported by my congressman, a lot of people in my district are going to go from just teetering in middle class to poverty.”

What in his district inspires him

“There’s a lot of awesome stuff going on in the district. There’s a lot of organizations that are trying to get food to people that need it. I talked about hunger in the district. A lot of it goes unseen, and I’ve encountered so many churches across the district that are trying to get together as much food as the...

Hey Gritty Kitties.  Welcome to Catty Chats from Cat Ladies for America where we talk to people who are trying to make things suck less in new and interesting ways.

In this episode we talk to Anne Lehman of the fames Smitten Kitten in Minneapolis: The adult sex toy shop & community hub were at the heart of a lot of the mutual aid and community resistance organizing in Minneapolis at the height of Metro Surge, continue to be, and were before Metro Surge came to town

We catch up with Anne to talk about not just things that happened back in December January February of 2026 but also what is still going on there. How desperately they need help. How while ice may have changed how many photo ops they take they are still decimating the community

They are also decimating the economy of that community. Destruction of property.  There are businesses that can't find workers. There are all kinds of residual effects.  

So what do they need now? An important thing to learn since this sort of siege & attack on how communities function is going happen in cities and counties on some level across in the United States.

And we also god damn it have some f*cking fun.

We have a new segment called 9 Vibes that I started with Anne cause I know her well enough to take a flyer on this one
We're gonna be doing it in every episode
called “9 vibes” - nine questions things like what is your laser pointer, and who's giving off Big Cat Energy.

Anne and I talk about how sometimes against our will we both wind up being the kind of optimist who think we should go ahead and try to put a show on in the barn.

But remember: everybody's gotta take a break sometimes. Once in a while you just gotta scream into a pillow or just out loud in the street just scream out loud in the street everyone will understand. I bet nobody would give you a moment's trouble if you just stood out in the street and yelled “everything this f*cking sucks!” In fact I might try it tomorrow

We also have a lot of ADHD fever dream going on between the two of us.

This episode is also an interesting behind the scenes look at how they got started in mutual aid long before metrosurge

And despite ourselves we have some f*cking fun.

Claws OUT! MEOW

#ice #icedetention #minneapolis #minnesota #election2026 #mutualaid

Hey Gritty Kitties.  Welcome to another episode of CATTY CHATS.  Where we speak to people trying to make things suck less in new and interesting ways.  This week we're speaking to immigrant & civil rights activist, wife, mother & fellow Jersey girl, GABY SOTO. 

Gaby was at the heart of the advocacy for detainees at Delaney Hall in Newark NJ weeks and months before the hunger & labor strike and accompanying support by outside advocates left a peak around Memorial Day weekend 2026.  She started just trying to get a hearing & release for her husband, Martin, who was held despite no prior criminal record and being in the immigration process.

We wanted to do a long form interview to hear in more detail the story of her and her family, the community that helped her and that she helped right back and where do we go now that the noise has settled down.   Their story reflects so many others, including how the cruelty is the point, the coercion and violation of laws and rights used to try to get people with a right to be here to give up, the insane profit taking off the backs of detainees required to work for often as little as a dollar a day, and so many other injustices.

We also discuss the disappointments she encountered working with some elected officials, how they protected ICE and not protestors, citizens and families and so much more.  Most importantly, we discuss where we go from here. 

And yet, she has so much hope - and even joy and motivation to help others. This is really the perfect story to hear and questions to reflect upon as we head into the 250th anniversary of the United States.

HELP DETAINEES & SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS IN NEW JERSEY:

COSECHA NJ 

Detention Center Commissary and Communication Fund
FOODFORNJ.ORG
SOMA Mutual Aid Collective Grocery Cards
Gov Sherrill & Sens Kim & Booker Contacts

HELP GABY & THE SOTO FAMILY DIRECTLY WITH LEGAL FIGHTS & EXPENSES
Petition to allow Martin Soto to await his further immigration process outside detention
Gaby's Venmo for expenses: @gabrielasoto-ve
Vote for their daughter for Toddler of the Year

Hey, Gritty Kitties! Welcome to another episode of "Catty Chats"

Today we are talking to Oye Owolewa who is running for a DC City Council at large seat.

He first came to my attention because he was doing a lot of work
protesting the new ICE headquarters that is slated to be constructed in the 8th Ward of Washington DC.

The people of DC has been going through a lot of their own special struggles
because they have fewer rights than other states, counties, or cities because they do not have voting representation in Congress which is connected to a myriad of other ways they are not allow to make their own decisions and control their own destiny.

Just one example: The President of the United Statesis the head of the National Guard of Washington DC and you can remember perhaps
how that is a problem when you have things that happen like say
January 6th.

We get into many of the nooks and crannies of how dangerous it is for ALL of us that the people of DC are singled out to have taxation without representation, despite states with smaller populations having at least one congressperson and two Senators - and that's the just the tip of the iceberg.

Learn more about this pharmacist turned first Nigerian American elected to Federal Office and fighter for DC sovereignty & safety at https://www.vote4oye.com/

CLAWS OUT!

Hey gritty kitties - welcome to Catty Chats. We talk to people working to make things suck less in new and interesting ways.

In this episode we're talking to Cori Herbig of Project Ninja and Morris County Rapid Response which are anti ice organizations in New Jersey. This episode was taped on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 - after the intense events of Memorial Day Weekend but before other developments.

She's been on the ground with those groups and as an individual regularly including against the would be detention center in Roxbury New Jersey, and also outside Delaney Hall for weeks and months before things sort of boiled over around Memorial Day weekend.

She has also worked closely with the immigrant rights organizations that are the core of the protest there including those who are working directly with the immigrant detainees. She brings a lot of behind the scenes knowledge and information from being on the ground outside Delaney at key moments even well before most of the people who were reporting on the situation there showed up.

We get into the "main characters" who stepped up, who was a great disappointment and debunk lies so you know what's really been happening on the ground and how this is still a developing story.

She's ALSO a pizza bagel Jersey girl cat lady like myself so she's also my new best friend whether she wants to be or not naturally

sorry not sorry.

There's heavy information in this episode but also I swear to god we laugh a lot it's really important to listen for both those reasons
key here is to follow and support with donations if you can the organizations that she talks about.regularly throughout this episode.

https://www.instagram.com/cosechanj
https://givebutter.com/commissaryfund
https://food4nj.org/
https://givebutter.com/GroceryCards
https://www.instagram.com/paxchristinj/

Welcome to Catty Chats LIVE! The monthly LIVE episode of Cat Ladies for America’s weekly podcast Catty Chats. 

This month's Live panel of experts is talking all things voting rights in the wake of the gutting of the Voting Rights Act by the U.S. Supreme Court this spring.  We discuss the practical on the ground ramifications, some long and shorter term strategies to reverse all the harm that's been done, and how Team Democracy can still WIN in these mid-terms by being on top of the changes and standing up to the tricks they may yet pull this year and beyond.

THEN as we'll will with all Catty Chats Live, everyone on the livestream takes a couple quick group actions based on the information and tips from the panelists we've heard from, and vow to take one more action from our "choose your own adventure" list and check in about it before the next CCLive on Sunday, June 28!

PANELISTS:
DAVANTE LEWIS is a Louisiana Public Service Commissioner - an elected state constitutional office that oversees the state’s independent regulatory agency which manages public utilities and motor carriers.

DARA JOHNSON is an Associate Staff Attorney at the ACLU of Maryland.  She supports a range of efforts, including litigating against voting rights attacks, lead the organization’s push to enact the Maryland Voting Rights Act. She is also a verified cat lady.

KATE BARR is founder of CAN’T WIN VICTORY FUND, which runs real candidates in serious campaigns for races they’re supposed to lose - often due to extreme, intentional  gerrymandering. When Democrats don’t show up, voters don’t engage, infrastructure disappears, and nothing changes.  

Sign up for our Substack to get the notes, links and calls to action from the livestream: https://substack.com/@catladiesforamerica

Wanna start or join a chapter? Visit https://catladiesforamerica.com/how-to-get-involved

CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION RIGHT MEOW!

https://www.vote411.org OR https://www.rockthevote.org

Other Voting & Election Resources
https://www.ACLU-MD.ORG

https://www.CANTWINVICTORYFUND.COM

https://www.TINYURL.COM/YallVoteTheSouth
https://catladiesforamerica.com
https://www.aclu.org
https://www.aclu.org/affiliates
https://www.AllRoadsLeadtotheSouth.com
https://www.brennancenter.org
https://www.lwv.org
https://bvmcapacitybuilding.org
https://naacp.org

This week's guest in the catio is Jack Inicker, founder of FUBAR PAC.
Their mission: political messaging & community outreach with no permission, no focus groups, no deference - just effectiveness.

The Core Problems:

• Democratic politics stuck in outdated strategies.
• Repetition of the same mistakes despite clear evidence they don’t work.
• Grassroots energy is often co-opted or sidelined.
• And also, they're not as funny as Jack.  

His short videos explainer series including "Hello" and headline summary series "This SH*T Actually Happened" don't scream at our current political insanity and gaslighting, but instead calmly recount exactly what is said and done so it can stand in sharp relief to our normal mundane lives. Without all the background noise, the ridiculousness clearly and easily reveals itself as the insanity it is.

The FUBAR Approach:
- Operate outside traditional party structures.
- Use attention as a weapon: bold stunts, aggressive digital content, simple messaging.
- Focus on outcomes, not approval.

OH, and go heavy on the eyeliner if you're playing the role of JD Vance.  (And YES we do have a make up lesson at the end)

This week on the podcast, Blaire sits down with Reverend Stephen Tillett, Democratic candidate for Maryland State Senate in District 32, pastor, Air Force veteran, former NAACP leader, and possibly the only politician willing to discuss public policy, Star Trek, and cottage homes in the same conversation. 

Pastor T talks about growing up in Washington, DC, serving congregations across Maryland for decades, and why he says this political moment calls for people focused on service, not climbing the career ladder in Annapolis. The conversation dives into skyrocketing utility bills, housing affordability, tiny homes, healthcare access, corporate influence in politics, and why “policy is a choice.” 

Blaire and Pastor T also get into Maryland redistricting fights, political courage (or the noticeable lack of it), ICE and immigration policy, environmental concerns around data centers, the criminal legal system, and why poverty in America can feel like “quicksand.” There’s also an unexpectedly passionate discussion about shower niches, luxury apartments nobody can afford, and the fact that poor people are often working harder than everybody else. 

The episode closes with Pastor T’s call to “resist, rebel, and rebuild,” plus the now sacred Cat Ladies for America tradition: “Claws out. Meow.” And yes, he actually did the meow. 

Find Pastor T’s campaign at FriendsOfStephenTillett.com.

Links to activism resources, representatives, and ways to get involved are in our bio.

This week's guest is TAJ SMITH, the president of the Washington County Maryland NAACP Chapter. https://www.instagram.com/washconaacp7030b/

On March 17, 2026, Taj was kicked out of the Washington County Board of County Commissioners' legally required public comment meeting because she had the nerve to mention the infrastructure impact and lack of tax revenue caused by ICE/DHS buying an enormous warehouse to use as a detention center is going to have ripple effects across the budget of the community. Click for audio and video from that day: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DV_uuq...

In February the same BOCC passed a unanimous "we think ICE and detention centers rock!" statement, after weeks earlier it was discovered that the country had made a glide path for DHS/ICE to buy the detention center despite a lack of legally required impact tests on local water, sewage, roadway and other infrastructure and more.  The community does not share the enthusiasm of the BOCC for ICE, which may be why they've been quite secretive about how this deal came to pass, their role in facilitating it, why certain laws weren't abiding by and more.

Taj is now running as an Independent candidate for the Washington County Board of County Commissioners to bring more transparency and focus on the citizens to her home.  https://washco4tajsmith.com/meet-taj-smith

REMEMBER TO LIKE! SHARE! LEAVE A NICE REVIEW! Follow us on socials at @catladiesforamerica & go to www.catladiesforamerica.com to start or join a local chapter, join our monthly CATTY CHAT LIVE! episodes, sign up for the next CATLADYPALOOZA on Sept. 13, 2026 and more! (it's all FREE!!!)

🚨THIS IS NOT A DRILL ‼️
They want us scared, powerless and alone. Too bad — we’ve got cats.

Cat Ladies for America fur-vently invites you to our virtual 2026 learning, lean-in and scratch back virtual event: CATLADYPALOOZA! LIVE on YouTube — Sunday, April 19 7p, National Cat Lady Day.

We’re activating cat ladies, cat daddies, cat folks & un-catted allies around the country so they’re ready to both take care of each other now, and come out scratching into the midterms with an event separated into four equal parts:
1st Amendment, Due Process & voting rights training (LEGAL)

mutual aid education & community organizing (ACTION)

protecting each other under the DHS (ICE)

using comedy, art and absurdity as resistance (CATTINESS)

Confirmed participants include:
Amanda McGonigal - founder of Cats On a Couch social media  @catsonacouch

Eliza Orlins: NYC Public Defender, legal content creator, “Survivor,” “Greatest Race” alum (Legal)  @eorlins

Robby Roadsteamer: musical comedy activist  @robbyroadsteamer

Dara Jones: lawyer, Maryland ACLU  @ACLUMaryland

Anne, Smitten Kitten MN: Minneapolis adult store and mass mutual aid & other action hub during ICE occupation (& for years prior) (ACTION)  @smittenkittenmn

Bre Gurosko: Co-Founder Project Saltbox (ICE)

Mohini Tangri: Civil & Immigrant Rights Attorney, legal content creator/activist (Legal)

Eva Chavez Lopez: First Mexican American elected to Salt Lake City Council, progressive candidate for U.S. House of Representatives (ICE)

Zachary Mallory: Award Winning advocate for mental health and suicide prevention; founder of Rise Above Justice Movement. (ACTION)  @RiseAboveJusticeMovement

GriefCat: Musical comedy duo (Cattiness)  @griefcat

Comrade Tripp: Minneapolis comedian, host of The Performative Mayor Pageant (Cattiness)  @comradetrippcomedy  

Gemma Smith: Our Hiss-tress of Cere-meow-nies, creator of NYC Cat-baret Variety Show (Host)