Purple Political Breakdown

Ohio's 7th Congressional District is back on every Democratic flip list in the country, and on this episode of Purple Political Breakdown Ohio Edition, Radell Lewis sits down with two-time OH-7 Democratic congressional candidate Matt Diemer to break down why. Matt has run this district twice, in 2022 and 2024, and he knows exactly what it takes (and what it costs) to fight for a seat the national party has long written off. We dig into the new Democratic nominee Brian Poindexter, the messy reality of incumbent Max Miller's divorce and the domestic violence allegations now hanging over his reelection, the union method that worked for organized labor before the Democratic Party walked away from it, and why R+11 might really be purple plus eleven in 2026.

We also break down the 2026 Ohio primary night that just shocked half the state: Allison Russo's commanding 68-32 win over Bryan Hambley in the Secretary of State Democratic primary, the Attorney General Democratic primary surprise, Vivek Ramaswamy versus Dr. Amy Acton in the governor race, Sherrod Brown's comeback campaign against Jon Husted in a Senate seat now tangled in the FirstEnergy bribery trial fallout, and what Maine's Graham Platner versus Janet Mills standoff tells us about how the national Democratic Party is picking its 2026 candidates. Plus the real conversation: vibes versus policy, why primaries make better candidates and better voters, and what an authentic working-class Ohio Democrat actually sounds like.

If you live in OH-7 (Ashland, Medina, Wooster, exurban Cleveland, plus parts of Cuyahoga and Wayne), this is the breakdown of your race. If you don't, it's the case study for every flippable R+10-to-R+15 district in the country. Political solutions without political bias.

Follow Matt Diemer: The Angry Democrat newsletter at theangrydem.com and The Angry Ohioan newsletter at theangryohioan.com.

Standard Resource Links & Recommendations

The following organizations and platforms represent valuable resources for balanced political discourse and democratic participation:

PODCAST NETWORK

Check Out the Podcast Website: www.purplepoliticalbreakdown.com

ALIVE Podcast Network: Check out the ALIVE Network where you can catch a lot of great podcasts like my own, led by amazing Black voices. Link: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/

CONVERSATION PLATFORMS

HeadOn: A platform for contentious yet productive conversations. It's a place for hosted and unguided conversations where you can grow a following and enhance your conversations with AI features. Link: https://app.headon.ai/

Living Room Conversations: Building bridges through meaningful dialogue across political divides. Link: https://livingroomconversations.org/

UNITY MOVEMENTS

Us United: A movement for unity that challenges Americans to step out of their bubbles and connect across differences. Take the Unity Pledge, join monthly "30 For US" conversation calls, wear purple (the color of unity), and participate in National Unity Day every second Saturday in December. Their programs include the Sheriff Unity Network and Unity Seats at sports events, proving that shared values are stronger than our differences. Link: https://www.us-united.org/

BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATION

OtherWeb: An AI-based platform that filters news without paywalls, clickbait, or junk, helping you access diverse, unbiased content. Link: https://otherweb.com/

VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACY

Equal Vote Coalition & STAR Voting: Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting. Link: https://www.equal.vote/star

Future is Now Coalition (FiNC): A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse. Link: https://futureis.org/

POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT

Independent Center: Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement. Link: https://www.independentcenter.org/

GET DAILY NEWS

Text 844-406-INFO (844-406-4636) with code "purple" to receive quick, unbiased, factual news delivered to your phone every morning via Informed (https://informed.now)

Check Out the Unfuck America Tour & National Ground Game: https://www.nationalgroundgame.com/

Check Out the CIVICS App to Know More About Your Politicians: https://www.civicpolitics.com

Subscribe to the Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/purplepoliticalbreakdown/p/welcome-to-the-purple-political-breakdown?r=3z2cmw&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

ALL LINKS

https://linktr.ee/purplepoliticalbreakdown

The Purple Political Breakdown is committed to fostering productive political dialogue that transcends partisan divides. We believe in the power of conversation, balanced information, and democratic participation to build a stronger society. Our mission: "Political solutions without political bias."

Subscribe, rate, and share if you believe in purple politics, where we find common ground in the middle!

Also if you want to be apart of the community and the conversation make sure to Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ptPAsZtHC9

The California governor 2026 race is the most crowded gubernatorial primary in state history, and most of the candidates getting the airtime are the ones writing the biggest checks. On this episode of Purple Political Breakdown, host Radell Lewis sits down with Reza Safarnejad, an independent (No Party Preference) candidate for governor of California whose ballot designation is Small Business Owner and whose path into politics started the day the Palisades fire burned his entire neighborhood to ashes.

Reza is not a career politician, but he is also not new to how government works. He is an immigrant, a working family man, and a University of Maryland graduate who spent twenty years in leadership roles on large scale federal, state, and local government programs before running for office. From 2006 to 2014 he worked at the National Institutes of Health on national level programs, including the National Cancer Institute's cancer.gov platform that helps doctors and patients find the best treatment options, and large scale virus and genomic research collaboration systems. Since 2014 he has worked in criminal forensics with crime labs and crime scene units across the country (including with the Ohio State Crime Labs), building unbiased, transparent platforms that serve victims and the wrongly accused. He is also the author of the book Veiled Souls and has written and spoken widely on civic issues.

After the Palisades fire, Reza spent a year trying to work through California's local and state politicians and help new candidates, and what he found was systemic corruption baked into the party system itself. That is what pushed him from advocate to candidate.

In this conversation we cover: the affordability squeeze on working California families, the homelessness factory that no amount of spending seems to fix, the billionaire tax loopholes that quietly hand sixty five percent Airbnb write-offs to the wealthy while regular Californians pay the bill, and the monopolies (Uber, Kroger and Albertsons, PG&E, Blue Cross, DoorDash, the pharma bros pushing ketamine and fentanyl) that he says are draining the state. We get into the Gavin Newsom critique without it becoming a Newsom episode, push back on the framing of the so-called billionaires' tax that excludes real estate moguls and Wall Street, dig into the Palisades fire accountability question, and talk through what California can actually do to push back when a Trump administration starts pulling federal funding and sending in the National Guard.

This is a long-form, fact-checking, solutions-focused conversation with one of the lower-name candidates on the June 2 primary ballot. Whether Reza Safarnejad ends up in your top two or not, the conversation maps the issues every California voter should be testing every gubernatorial candidate against: affordability, monopoly power, homelessness, drug enforcement, tax fairness, and what it actually takes to be a governor for the people instead of the donors.

Topics covered: California governor 2026 primary, independent candidate California, Palisades fire accountability, California affordability crisis, breaking up monopolies, California wealth tax, billionaire tax loopholes, Airbnb tax write-offs, California homelessness crisis, drug enforcement and marijuana legalization, federal funding fights, Newsom legacy, June 2 primary preview.

Visit purplepoliticalbreakdown.com for episode notes, position statements, and the Research on a Dime archive. Subscribe, rate five stars, and share with a friend who's tired of toxic politics and ready for political solutions without political bias.

The Supreme Court just gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais, then broke its own 32-day procedural rule to enforce that ruling mid-election with over 100,000 Louisiana ballots already cast. Justice Jackson called the move "chaos" with "a strong political undercurrent." This episode connects the dots between Callais and the gerrymandering cascade now sweeping Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, and beyond, where MAGA Republicans are redrawing maps to win power they can't earn at the ballot box, and how California and Virginia tried referendums to fight back (only one succeeded).

We then break down Trump's "deal or bomb" ultimatum to Iran and the one-page memo he claims is close to signing. The U.S. Navy is interdicting Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices have spiked since February, and the Iran war fuel spike is the through-line that just killed Spirit Airlines, which announced an orderly wind-down of operations on May 2 and eliminated 17,000 jobs. We unpack the political blame war (Bessent and Duffy point at Warren, Buttigieg, and the Biden DOJ; Warren and Stoller point at Trump's Iran war) and the actual antitrust question underneath: neo-Brandeisian theory versus the Chicago School consensus.

In the Breakdown in the Public segment, we cover AI emotional manipulation and the rise of "AI psychosis," including the case of Soon Hourican, a man in his 50s in Northern Ireland whose Grok chatbot "Ani" convinced him he was being surveilled and led him to arm himself with a knife and a hammer. The BBC documented 14 similar cases across 6 countries. Jonathan Gavalas of Jupiter, Florida died by suicide after his Google Gemini chatbot claimed to be his wife. His family is suing Google. Bipartisan supermajorities (74 to 78 percent in the Human Statement national survey) want AI labels, safety testing, and accountability. Neither party is moving on it. Trump tried to deregulate AI through the One Big Beautiful Bill, then through executive order.

Then we dig into the 2026 Ohio U.S. Senate race: Jon Husted versus Sherrod Brown, the cleanest test in the country for whether Ohio is genuinely red now or whether 2024 was a Trump-driven anomaly. We cover Brown's tailwinds (Trump's economic approval at 40 percent, the Callais fallout potentially energizing Democratic turnout), his headwinds (a smaller union-Democrat coalition, Ohio's redrawn map), and the First Energy / HB6 connections that may haunt Husted's campaign. Sherrod Brown, you have an open invite to come on the show.

We close with three good news stories the mainstream media isn't covering enough: clean energy passing coal as the world's largest electricity source for the first time since 1919 (per Ember's 2025 review and the IEA's 2026 Global Energy Review), the UCL bowel cancer trial showing zero relapses after 33 months using pembrolizumab pre-surgery, and the North Atlantic right whale baby boom that proves conservation policy works when implemented seriously across borders.

Tonight's through-line: the polls keep saying voters want guardrails. The people in power keep finding ways around them. From voting maps to AI rules to who gets prosecuted, this is the pattern we connect tonight.

Host: Radell Lewis, Marine veteran, Ohio-based, host of Purple Political Breakdown

Contact: [email protected] if you want to come on the show or have a productive conversation about politics

Standard Resource Links & Recommendations

PODCAST NETWORK

CONVERSATION PLATFORMS

UNITY MOVEMENTS

BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATION

VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACY

POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT

GET DAILY NEWS

ALL LINKS

The Purple Political Breakdown is committed to fostering productive political dialogue that transcends partisan divides. We believe in the power of conversation, balanced information, and democratic participation to build a stronger society. Our mission: "Political solutions without political bias."

Ohio's 2026 primary delivered the tightest Democratic-to-Republican turnout split since 2006, plus a wave of results that reshape what to expect in November. In this solo episode of Purple Political Breakdown Ohio Edition, Radell Lewis breaks down the Democratic primary winners for governor, U.S. Senate, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and key congressional districts including OH-1, OH-3, OH-7, OH-9, OH-10, OH-12, OH-13, and OH-15. Then we dig into what the numbers actually mean: the Vance vs. Ramaswamy proxy fight in the Republican treasurer race, Speaker Matt Huffman's mixed primary night, the Cleveland Browns stadium becoming a Republican-on-Republican attack line, the school tax levy crisis with 42 of 66 levies failing, the Brenner-Lear switcheroo flop in Delaware County, the Ohio Supreme Court submetering ruling and what it means for renters, and this week's County of the Week, Richland County and the failed pro-solar referendum. Plus the Ohio news every voter needs in their head before national headlines bury it: Sen. Jon Husted's early Senate ad buy, the $79 million Republican defense, House Majority PAC's $10.8 million Ohio play, the $2.9 million governor's mansion repair, and the property tax abolition campaign's June signature deadline. Political solutions without political bias.

Standard Resource Links & Recommendations

The following organizations and platforms represent valuable resources for balanced political discourse and democratic participation:

PODCAST NETWORK

Check Out the Podcast Website: www.purplepoliticalbreakdown.com

ALIVE Podcast Network: Check out the ALIVE Network where you can catch a lot of great podcasts like my own, led by amazing Black voices. Link: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/

CONVERSATION PLATFORMS

HeadOn: A platform for contentious yet productive conversations. It's a place for hosted and unguided conversations where you can grow a following and enhance your conversations with AI features. Link: https://app.headon.ai/

Living Room Conversations: Building bridges through meaningful dialogue across political divides. Link: https://livingroomconversations.org/

UNITY MOVEMENTS

Us United: A movement for unity that challenges Americans to step out of their bubbles and connect across differences. Take the Unity Pledge, join monthly "30 For US" conversation calls, wear purple (the color of unity), and participate in National Unity Day every second Saturday in December. Their programs include the Sheriff Unity Network and Unity Seats at sports events, proving that shared values are stronger than our differences. Link: https://www.us-united.org/

BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATION

OtherWeb: An AI-based platform that filters news without paywalls, clickbait, or junk, helping you access diverse, unbiased content. Link: https://otherweb.com/

VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACY

Equal Vote Coalition & STAR Voting: Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting. Link: https://www.equal.vote/star

Future is Now Coalition (FiNC): A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse. Link: https://futureis.org/

POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT

Independent Center: Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement. Link: https://www.independentcenter.org/

GET DAILY NEWS

Text 844-406-INFO (844-406-4636) with code "purple" to receive quick, unbiased, factual news delivered to your phone every morning via Informed (https://informed.now)

Check Out the Unfuck America Tour & National Ground Game: https://www.nationalgroundgame.com/

Check Out the CIVICS App to Know More About Your Politicians: https://www.civicpolitics.com

ALL LINKS

https://linktr.ee/purplepoliticalbreakdown

The Purple Political Breakdown is committed to fostering productive political dialogue that transcends partisan divides. We believe in the power of conversation, balanced information, and democratic participation to build a stronger society. Our mission: "Political solutions without political bias."

Subscribe, rate, and share if you believe in purple politics, where we find common ground in the middle!

Also if you want to be a part of the community and the conversation make sure to Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ptPAsZtHC9

Host Radell Lewis takes you inside the May 5, 2026 Ohio primary election in this bonus episode of Purple Political Breakdown. Recorded in real time on primary day, this walkthrough covers everything from why Election Day should be a federal holiday to a live look at the Ohio sample ballot, the voter lookup process on the Ohio Secretary of State website, and the absentee ballot system most voters never use.

Radell breaks down his ballot picks across the biggest 2026 Ohio primary races, including Amy Acton for governor, the Attorney General race between John Kulowicz and Elliot Foran, Annette Blackwell for State Auditor, the Secretary of State Democratic primary featuring Allison Russo and past PPB guest Dr. Bryan Hambley, Sherrod Brown for U.S. Senate, and a fresh on-air research dive into Ohio's 8th Congressional District race between Vanessa Enoch and Madaris Grant, including Enoch's healthcare platform on capping out of pocket costs, Medicare and Medicaid drug price negotiation, and preventative care funding.

Along the way, Radell makes the case for expanded voter access: an Election Day federal holiday, all day voting windows, election weekends, paid poll workers, mail-in voting, and online voting infrastructure. He also calls out Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Ohio's gerrymandered 2026 maps, and the SAVE Act's voter ID misdirection.

Keywords: Ohio primary election 2026, May 5 Ohio primary, Ohio voter guide, Ohio sample ballot, Election Day federal holiday, voter suppression, Vanessa Enoch, Madaris Grant, Bryan Hambley, Allison Russo, Sherrod Brown, Amy Acton, Frank LaRose, absentee ballot, SAVE Act, Ohio 8th Congressional District, primary ballot walkthrough.

Host Radell Lewis sits down with Pastor LaTrina Slater, a mental health professional with over twenty years in the field and author of a new book chronicling her journey reconciling Christianity with her identity as a gay woman. LaTrina serves as pastor of an affirming church and founded Grace Revolution, a ministry focused on youth, adults, and families in marginalized communities.

This conversation lands in the middle of a national reckoning over Christian nationalism, after President Trump posted (and deleted) an AI generated image depicting himself in the likeness of Jesus Christ, sparking backlash from evangelicals, Catholics, and Pope Leo XIV. LaTrina and Radell unpack how MAGA Christianity has hijacked the faith, why so many Christians have been duped into tolerating anti Christian behavior in the name of two wedge issues (abortion and gay marriage), and what genuine Biblical values actually demand of believers.

Topics covered include: affirming theology and LGBTQ Christianity, the weaponization of scripture against the queer community, why choice and free will are one hundred percent Biblical, how Christian values (generosity, charity, healing, feeding the hungry, sacrificing for neighbors) align with progressive and left leaning politics, the Pope Leo XIV feud, Christian nationalism versus authentic Christianity, and why the "fake Christian" crisis is really a political power grab dressed in religious clothing. LaTrina also offers a framework for reading sin through the lens of harm rather than inherited dogma, and makes a direct case to skeptical left leaning listeners that Christians belong in the progressive coalition.

Whether you are agnostic, atheist, LGBTQ Christian, a person of faith feeling politically homeless, or someone who grew up in the church and walked away, this episode opens space for a conversation the mainstream refuses to have.

Learn more about LaTrina's work at grace-revolution.net

Keywords: Christian nationalism, affirming faith, LGBTQ Christianity, MAGA Christians, Trump Jesus image, Pope Leo XIV, Christian left, progressive Christianity, fake Christians, weaponized religion, gay marriage, faith and politics, love thy neighbor, Christian values, Jesus teachings, 2026 politics, political hypocrisy, religious freedom, pro choice theology, separation of church and state

Standard Resource Links & Recommendations

The following organizations and platforms represent valuable resources for balanced political discourse and democratic participation:

PODCAST NETWORK

Check Out the Podcast Website: www.purplepoliticalbreakdown.com

ALIVE Podcast Network - Check out the ALIVE Network where you can catch a lot of great podcasts like my own, led by amazing Black voices. Link: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/

CONVERSATION PLATFORMS

HeadOn - A platform for contentious yet productive conversations. It's a place for hosted and unguided conversations where you can grow a following and enhance your conversations with AI features. Link: https://app.headon.ai/

Living Room Conversations - Building bridges through meaningful dialogue across political divides. Link: https://livingroomconversations.org/

UNITY MOVEMENTS

Us United - A movement for unity that challenges Americans to step out of their bubbles and connect across differences. Take the Unity Pledge, join monthly "30 For US" conversation calls, wear purple (the color of unity), and participate in National Unity Day every second Saturday in December. Their programs include the Sheriff Unity Network and Unity Seats at sports events, proving that shared values are stronger than our differences. Link: https://www.us-united.org/

BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATION

OtherWeb - An AI-based platform that filters news without paywalls, clickbait, or junk, helping you access diverse, unbiased content. Link: https://otherweb.com/

VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACY

Equal Vote Coalition & STAR Voting - Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting. Link: https://www.equal.vote/star

Future is Now Coalition (FiNC) - A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse. Link: https://futureis.org/

POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT

Independent Center - Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement. Link: https://www.independentcenter.org/

GET DAILY NEWS

Text 844-406-INFO (844-406-4636) with code "purple" to receive quick, unbiased, factual news delivered to your phone every morning via Informed (https://informed.now)

Check Out the Unfuck America Tour & National Ground Game: https://www.nationalgroundgame.com/

Check Out the CIVICS App to Know More About Your Politicians: https://www.civicpolitics.com

ALL LINKS

https://linktr.ee/purplepoliticalbreakdown

The Purple Political Breakdown is committed to fostering productive political dialogue that transcends partisan divides. We believe in the power of conversation, balanced information, and democratic participation to build a stronger society. Our mission: "Political solutions without political bias."

Subscribe, rate, and share if you believe in purple politics - where we find common ground in the middle!

Also if you want to be apart of the community and the conversation make sure to Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ptPAsZtHC9

Host Radell Lewis sits down with Laura, candidate for Ohio's 7th Congressional District, to break down one of the most flippable Republican seats heading into 2026. Once a R+15 district, OH-7 is now R+5 after redistricting, and incumbent Max Miller squeaked by at 51 percent even in a friendlier map. With recent child abuse allegations surfacing against Miller and a brand new county (Ashland) full of farmers no one has bothered to talk to, this race has every ingredient for a flip.

Laura brings 23 years of federal public service to the conversation, including work at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights in Cleveland (an office that no longer exists thanks to this administration). Growing up between Cleveland and rural Athens County, she served patients, families, children, workers, veterans, and communities across seven federal agencies before being purged by DOGE last year. She has shown up in Northeast Ohio for years through boards, commissions, task forces, and community work. She is not running because politics is a career move. She is running because too many people in this district are being priced out, pushed aside, and told to expect less.

In this conversation we cover: the unconstitutional war in Iran and why ending it lowers prices, Medicare for All as a today-not-tomorrow policy, the fifteen dollar minimum wage fight, why corporate capture of farmland and homes is the real threat, the Mamdani playbook for transparent representation, the loss of plausible deniability when this administration finds money for Argentina and Iran but not for working families, the dangers of party hypocrisy and the politics of exclusion, a humanist take on faith communities and the loneliness epidemic, and an honest assessment of Gaza, Israel, and the case for a two-state solution rooted in diplomacy rather than blank-check military aid.

This is local politics done right: nuanced, honest, and built around results for actual constituents. Whether you lean left, right, or somewhere in the middle, this episode is for anyone who believes that the person we send to Congress should have the spine, the ethics, and the experience to challenge corruption on both sides of the aisle.

Learn more about Laura's campaign at https://LauraforUs.com

New episodes of Purple Political Breakdown drop weekly. Political solutions without political bias.

Standard Resource Links & Recommendations

The following organizations and platforms represent valuable resources for balanced political discourse and democratic participation:

PODCAST NETWORK

Check Out the Podcast Website: www.purplepoliticalbreakdown.com

ALIVE Podcast Network - Check out the ALIVE Network where you can catch a lot of great podcasts like my own, led by amazing Black voices. Link: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/

CONVERSATION PLATFORMS

HeadOn - A platform for contentious yet productive conversations. It's a place for hosted and unguided conversations where you can grow a following and enhance your conversations with AI features. Link: https://app.headon.ai/

Living Room Conversations - Building bridges through meaningful dialogue across political divides. Link: https://livingroomconversations.org/

UNITY MOVEMENTS

Us United - A movement for unity that challenges Americans to step out of their bubbles and connect across differences. Take the Unity Pledge, join monthly "30 For US" conversation calls, wear purple (the color of unity), and participate in National Unity Day every second Saturday in December. Their programs include the Sheriff Unity Network and Unity Seats at sports events, proving that shared values are stronger than our differences. Link: https://www.us-united.org/

BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATION

OtherWeb - An AI-based platform that filters news without paywalls, clickbait, or junk, helping you access diverse, unbiased content. Link: https://otherweb.com/

VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACY

Equal Vote Coalition & STAR Voting - Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting. Link: https://www.equal.vote/star

Future is Now Coalition (FiNC) - A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse. Link: https://futureis.org/

POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT

Independent Center - Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement. Link: https://www.independentcenter.org/

GET DAILY NEWS

Text 844-406-INFO (844-406-4636) with code "purple" to receive quick, unbiased, factual news delivered to your phone every morning via Informed (https://informed.now)

Check Out the Unfuck America Tour & National Ground Game: https://www.nationalgroundgame.com/

Check Out the CIVICS App to Know More About Your Politicians: https://www.civicpolitics.com

ALL LINKS

https://linktr.ee/purplepoliticalbreakdown

The Purple Political Breakdown is committed to fostering productive political dialogue that transcends partisan divides. We believe in the power of conversation, balanced information, and democratic participation to build a stronger society. Our mission: "Political solutions without political bias."

Subscribe, rate, and share if you believe in purple politics - where we find common ground in the middle!

Also if you want to be apart of the community and the conversation make sure to Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ptPAsZtHC9

What if finding your representatives, tracking their votes, and holding your government accountable was as easy as opening an app? In this episode of Purple Political Breakdown, host Radell Lewis sits down with Devin Neal, co-founder of Civic, the new civic engagement app built to make democracy accessible before the 2026 midterms.

Devin brings serious technical firepower to this mission. He is a software engineer with experience at Google, Meta, and Cash App, holds degrees in computer science and mathematics from MIT, and previously built EulerStudio, an educational animation platform. He left all of that behind to go full time on Civic after the 2024 election made one thing painfully clear: public government data is public in theory, not in practice.

Radell and Devin break down what the Civic app does right now (mapping your federal, state, and municipal representatives, pulling in FEC campaign finance data, and surfacing contact information for the people who actually represent you), where it is headed (voting records, committee memberships, sponsored bills, constituent feedback loops, and eventually a one stop shop for any public government information), and the deeper problem it is trying to solve: the feeling that government is a black box floating somewhere above your life.

The conversation gets into why local elections matter more than most voters realize, why Ohio and other battleground states deserve way more attention heading into the 2026 midterms, how the Mamdani playbook of radical transparency is changing what voters expect from politicians, the right and wrong way to use AI in civic tech, what happens when Republican states try to restrict access to public data, and Devin's picks for 2028 (Gavin Newsom and Mark Kelly, with receipts).

Whether you are a first time voter, a political organizer, a civic tech nerd, or someone who just wants to know who the hell represents you, this episode is a blueprint for what informed citizenship can actually look like.

Check out Civic: https://www.civicpolitics.com

Keywords: Civic app, find your representatives, 2026 midterms, civic engagement, government transparency, voter empowerment, civic tech, local elections, FEC data, contact your representatives, democracy tools, political accountability, Ohio politics, swing states 2026, how government works, Devin Neal, Civic co-founder, MIT software engineer, Purple Political Breakdown, Radell Lewis.

Standard Resource Links & Recommendations

The following organizations and platforms represent valuable resources for balanced political discourse and democratic participation:

PODCAST NETWORK

Check Out the Podcast Website: www.purplepoliticalbreakdown.com

ALIVE Podcast Network - Check out the ALIVE Network where you can catch a lot of great podcasts like my own, led by amazing Black voices. Link: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/

CONVERSATION PLATFORMS

HeadOn - A platform for contentious yet productive conversations. It's a place for hosted and unguided conversations where you can grow a following and enhance your conversations with AI features. Link: https://app.headon.ai/

Living Room Conversations - Building bridges through meaningful dialogue across political divides. Link: https://livingroomconversations.org/

UNITY MOVEMENTS

Us United - A movement for unity that challenges Americans to step out of their bubbles and connect across differences. Take the Unity Pledge, join monthly "30 For US" conversation calls, wear purple (the color of unity), and participate in National Unity Day every second Saturday in December. Their programs include the Sheriff Unity Network and Unity Seats at sports events, proving that shared values are stronger than our differences. Link: https://www.us-united.org/

BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATION

OtherWeb - An AI-based platform that filters news without paywalls, clickbait, or junk, helping you access diverse, unbiased content. Link: https://otherweb.com/

VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACY

Equal Vote Coalition & STAR Voting - Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting. Link: https://www.equal.vote/star

Future is Now Coalition (FiNC) - A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse. Link: https://futureis.org/

POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT

Independent Center - Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement. Link: https://www.independentcenter.org/

GET DAILY NEWS

Text 844-406-INFO (844-406-4636) with code "purple" to receive quick, unbiased, factual news delivered to your phone every morning via Informed (https://informed.now)

Check Out the Unfuck America Tour & National Ground Game: https://www.nationalgroundgame.com/

Check Out the CIVICS App to Know More About Your Politicians: https://www.civicpolitics.com

ALL LINKS

https://linktr.ee/purplepoliticalbreakdown

The Purple Political Breakdown is committed to fostering productive political dialogue that transcends partisan divides. We believe in the power of conversation, balanced information, and democratic participation to build a stronger society. Our mission: "Political solutions without political bias."

Subscribe, rate, and share if you believe in purple politics - where we find common ground in the middle!

Also if you want to be apart of the community and the conversation make sure to Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ptPAsZtHC9

Radell Lewis is back for another Saturday breakdown on the Purple Political Breakdown, the nonpartisan political analysis show built on political solutions without political bias. This week is loaded.

The U.S. Navy's seizure of the Iranian cargo ship Tosca by the USS Spruance has blown up the fragile Strait of Hormuz ceasefire, and the blockade is doing damage to oil markets, global shipping, and the Trump administration's leverage all at once. Radell breaks down why Iran may actually be gaining power from this conflict, why the new Iranian leadership is reportedly more radical than the officials Israel and the U.S. already removed, and what the Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner trip to Pakistan is really about.

Then it is on to the redistricting arms race. Virginia voters approved a Democratic referendum that could flip the state's congressional map from a 6 to 5 Republican lean toward 10 Democratic seats out of 11, a direct response to Trump pressuring Greg Abbott in Texas. Radell argues why this is the right pressure tactic, even as he calls for an eventual end to gerrymandering altogether.

Plus: Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul's proposed pied--terre tax on $5 million plus non-resident NYC homes (with a projected $500 million a year in revenue), a fact check of Joe Rogan on ibogaine, a breakdown of why the SAVE Act is not just a voter ID law, Pete Hegseth's Pulp Fiction Pentagon prayer service, the Meta AI replacement layoffs, the collapse of American happiness post COVID, the NIMBY trap in housing policy, and a closing round of good science news the mainstream media keeps ignoring.

Want to come on the show or get Radell on yours? Reach out at [email protected] or visit purplepoliticalbreakdown.com.

Keywords: Strait of Hormuz blockade, USS Spruance Tosca, Iran ceasefire, Virginia redistricting referendum, gerrymandering 2026 midterms, Mamdani Hochul pied--terre tax, NYC budget gap, Save Act voter ID, AI layoffs Meta, Cash Patel FBI, American happiness decline, NIMBY housing supply, nonpartisan political podcast, Purple Political Breakdown, Radell Lewis.

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