Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez (Featured Interviews)

Patti Vasquez is joined by Jim Haadsma, candidate for Michigan House of Representatives District 44. Haadsma faces incumbent Republican Rep. Steve Frisbie in the November 3 election. In 2024 Frisbie took the seat from Haadsma (then a three-term incumbent) in a contest decided by a margin of 79 votes. That year Republicans regained the majority in Michigan's House; Democrats are trying to win it back in 2026. 

Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Haadsma argued that affordability concerns could benefit Democrats in highly contested Michigan races. 
- He highlighted the prior Democratic trifecta’s work on senior pension taxes, the earned income tax credit, free school meals, labor protections, renewable energy, and civil rights.
- He criticized Republican proposals affecting public school funding and discussed increasing challenges for people seeking or maintaining disability benefits.
- Haadsma said a Democratic majority could pursue affordable housing and renter protections, health care cost relief, rural hospital support, family assistance, and stronger education and workforce programs.

Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).

 

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Patti Vasquez and guest co-host Ken Mejia-Beal are joined by Ed Bannon, 2026 candidate for Chicago School Board 1A.

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Patti Vasquez is joined by Coumba Kebe, Democratic candidate for Indiana State treasurer.

The interview focused on Kebe’s candidacy and priorities for using the office to benefit Hoosiers. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Kebe said her advocacy on Medicaid waiver cuts and long wait lists motivated her to run after elected officials ignored constituents’ concerns.
- She argued that Indiana’s long-standing Republican supermajority has limited debate and contributed to policy decisions disconnected from residents’ needs.
- She cited more than 19,000 people on Medicaid waiver wait lists, rural hospital and labor-and-delivery unit closures, and child care center closures as connected pressures on families and workforces.
- She described the treasurer’s role as managing and investing roughly $60 billion, and said the office could act faster to support communities and use its platform to advocate for better budget decisions.
- She emphasized expanding awareness of College 529 plans, including their use for trade schools and a 20 percent tax credit, and ABLE savings accounts for people with disabilities.

Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).

 

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Patti Vasquez and guest co-host Dan Schaefer are joined by Jason Heaser, Democratic candidate for Minnesota House District 34A.

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Patti Vasquez is joined by Ellie Krug, transgender activist, lawyer, author of “Being Ellen: A Second Chance at Life,” and host of “The Illegal Trans Woman” on KTNF AM950, the Progressive Voice of Minnesota. 

The discussion focused on anti-trans political attacks, sexual violence, and Minnesota elections. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Ellie described transphobic attacks tied to her school board campaign and argued that political concessions on trans rights could enable broader restrictions.
- She talked about how GOP politicians use trans people as targets amid concerns about inflation, housing, and health care.
- Ellie and Patti discussed sexual assault, underreporting, and how universities may prioritize reputation and donor interests over accountability.
- Ellie highlighted Minnesota midterm races and expressed concern about the impact on trans-rights lawsuits if Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison loses his bid for re-election.

Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).

 

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Patti Vasquez is joined by Dan Ashurst, executive director of FairVote Illinois. He explained ranked choice voting and the current efforts to enable its use in Illinois, as well as opposition to it.

Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Ashurst said ranked choice voting lets voters rank candidates and can encourage more civil, issue-focused campaigns, though it does not eliminate incivility. He said multi-winner ranked choice voting can support proportional delegate allocation in presidential primaries.
- Evanston, Oak Park, and Skokie adopted ranked choice voting, but implementation faces legal and election-code hurdles. FairVote Illinois is pursuing legislation to clarify local authority and election-administration standards.
- He talked about how the Democratic National Committee almost banned ranked choice voting for the 2028 presidential primary, even in places like Maine and Washington, D.C., where voters have already made it law. Under the proposal, the party would have allowed only first-choice votes to be counted. "Luckily," Ashurst told WCPT, "there was huge backlash to this. We put out a video on social media, boosted it to a number of places in Illinois to make sure people know about this, and once it got to the floor of the DNC, it was a really beautiful moment because it became very, very clear that they did not want to ban pro-democracy reform at this event."  

Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).

 

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Patti Vasquez is joined by Rick Crosson, Democratic candidate for Congress in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District. The interview focused on Crosson’s candidacy and his priorities if elected. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Crosson, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, described his Army aviation and diplomatic service, transportation and logistics experience, and prior appointment to the Green Bay School Board.
- He said he approaches policy by defining long-term goals and planning backward, emphasizing coalition-building and measurable progress.
- His campaign centers on affordability, accountability, and results, including costs of living, health care, education, immigration pathways, and congressional oversight.
- If elected, Crosson said his immediate focus would be ending the war in Iran and restoring diplomacy with allies and adversaries.
- He criticized incumbent Rep. Tony Wied (R) for not holding in-person town halls and said he has held more than 20 town halls himself.
- He described building relationships across political and community groups and said he was confident, but not cocky, about the election outcome.

Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).

 

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Patti Vasquez is joined by Jordan Zaslow, founder and executive director at Her Bold Move.

The interview focused on Zaslow’s work supporting women candidates and the challenges they face. Here are a few highlights from the conversation: 
- Zaslow said Her Bold Move began by producing pro bono campaign videos during COVID and grew into an organization supporting women candidates.
- Its programs are informed by candidate feedback and aim to support candidates’ well-being as well as their campaigns.
- She discussed the recent assault of Arizona congressional candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia.
- She argued that women’s participation in government leads to policies that better address women’s needs, citing the organization’s research across state legislatures and two decades of policy.
- She also described voter suppression as a concern, particularly in states with abortion bans.

Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).

 

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Patti Vasquez is joined by Chris Ford, Democratic candidate for Minnesota State Senate District 32. The interview focused on Ford’s campaign and his priorities for the district.

Here are a few key points from the conversation:
- Ford emphasized lowering costs for working families and small businesses, and said his union negotiating experience would help him represent constituents across party lines.
- He described affordability pressures from health care, child care, housing, and other expenses as major concerns among residents.
- He argued that federal Medicaid cuts would shift costs to counties and municipalities, reducing services and increasing local burdens.

Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).

 

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Broadcasting live from Brewpoint Coffee in Elmhurst, Illinois, Patti Vasquez is joined by Melissa Villanueva, candidate for DuPage County District 1.

The discussion focused on Villanueva's campaign and connected it to her small-business and community work.
- Villanueva, the owner of Brewpoint, grew the business from one coffee shop acquired through Craigslist into three shops, a coffee manufacturing operation, and nationwide shipping.
- Brewpoint also serves as a community gathering place and event venue, including LGBTQ-friendly weddings.
- She described the county board role as managing public budgets and identifying community needs; she emphasized sustainable development, affordability, and ensuring residents are not left behind.
- Villanueva is running as a Democrat for an open DuPage County Board seat in a competitive district.
- She said the campaign is focused on reaching voters with final mailers and digital ads; campaign information is available at melissafordupage.com.

Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).

 

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