Host David Lombardo is joined by, friend of the show, Assemblyman Ed Ra to talk about his ascension to head of the Assembly GOP Conference, including how he generated support and his approach to leadership.

They discuss the Long Island Republican's relationship with Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, boosting the GOP's ranks in the Assembly and whether he'll be requiring his members to embrace his love of Taylor Swift.

Then Ra and Assemblyman Josh Jensen, a Rochester-area Republican, compete in the latest round of "Know Your Politicos."

And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave us a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money).

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