Republican strategist, veteran campaign guru, Shift Washington founder, and general all-around political renaissance man Randy Pepple joins the show. Randy gives his thoughts about the state of Republican politics in Washington and whether the GOP can compete with the King County behemoth. Randy discusses "The Blueprint" which transformed Colorado into a Democratic stronghold, and what lessons can be learned from their fundraising and organizational efforts. We also learn the history of Shift, and what role Randy hopes it will play in the future.

Attorney Jackson Maynard joins the podcast to discuss the Citizen Action Defense Fund. We learn about Jackson's background and how he became involved with CADF to litigate constitutional issues in Washington. For the main event, Jackson breaks down the case of Smith vs WSDOT, the whistleblower case that made headlines over the financial impact of the Climate Commitment Act. Mr. Smith's calculations for the WSDOT showed that the impact of cap and trade on gas prices would be much higher than was being shared publicly. We learn about the fallout for Mr. Smith when he refused to bury the truth. Is Mr. Smith just a partisan who has it in for the cap and trade program? Is litigation the best way to prevent such troubling behavior? We learn more than might be comfortable to hear about how our state government's political machine is working to control the narrative. 

You can learn more about the Citizen Action Defense Fund here. 

We welcome Dale Whitaker to the podcast to discuss his candidacy to be Washington's next Secretary of State. Dale tells us why he decided to run for this position and discusses whether election security is really an issue in Washington. How can we use technology to improve faith in our elections? How does one differentiate between election "integrity" and being an election "denier?" What have Washington voters historically entrusted this role with Republicans? Dale also breaks down the quiet consent decree pushed through by the incumbent Steve Hobbs and Attorney General Bob Ferguson about the 30-day residency to vote in local elections in Washington. We wrap up by moving away from elections and discussing Dale's plans for fostering the business climate with the powers of the SoS.

You can learn more about Dale's campaign here.

At long last, we welcome the Notorious JHB to the pod! Fresh off a Seattle Times endorsement, Jaime Herrera-Beutler joins the show to discuss her race to be the next Commissioner of Public Lands. Exactly what does the Commissioner of Public Lands do? What can be done to reduce wildfires? What does managing a forest look like? Is using a mouse outdated? Jaime answers all those questions and more!

Visit jaimeforlands.com to learn more and contribute.

Read the Seattle Times endorsement here. 

The unflappable Pete Serrano joins the latest podcast. We hear a bit about Pete's background and what inspired him to go to law school, his background as an environmental lawyer, and what eventually led to his decision to run for office. Pete helps us break down the mission of the Attorney General's office and how it impacts the everyday lives of Washingtonians. We also discuss the AG office's staffing, structure, and budget, as well as how they all illuminate the priorities of the incumbent in an environment where public safety should be paramount. Pete discusses the impact of the shortage of police officers and public defenders. Pete tells us about his attempt to appeal to the moveable middle in a world of hyper-partisanship. What separates Pete from his opponent (and Bob Ferguson's legacy)? How does Pete see himself working with the legislature? Does Pete think we'd be better off if the AG was appointed by the governor? Learn the answers to all of these questions and more. 

Visit serranoforag.com to learn more.

What debates? We go full counter-programming by welcoming the inestimable Ashley Stubbs for our first-ever video podcast. Ashley is here to tell us all about the world of campaign collateral. We look through Ashley's treasure chest of trinkets, merch, swag, tchotchkes, knickknacks, and junk that campaigns produce. We discuss their effectiveness, creativity, and what actually cost Mayor Pete the election in 2020.

Watch the video on Spotify!

We welcome Patrick McLaughlin to the podcast for a deep dive into the world of regulations. Patrick is the Director of Policy Analytics and a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He has launched a new project reviewing the multitude of regulations at the state level and breaking down the corresponding economic impacts. Where does Washington rank and what can we learn from our neighbors to the east and even the north? Ultimately, do regulators even care if they are stifling human progress? Don't we need regulations after all? We learn how Patrick responds to the critics and skeptics of what the data shows. Finally, we discuss what we can do to improve the regulatory situation, particularly in a blue state.

Learn more about the Mercatus project here.

Find Patrick's substack here.

Judge Dave Larson enters the chambers of our podcast to tell us about his candidacy for a seat on the Washington State Supreme Court. We learn how he first became interested in the law, ultimately became a judge, and why he is running for the Supreme Court.  We discuss whether judges are truly "elected" in this state and what it is like campaigning for a judicial position. We also discuss the recent legal news surrounding the four ballot initiatives and how much of a problem ideology and bias can be for the judiciary. We touch on the public defender system and then, in our closing arguments, we discuss the question on everyone's mind: does Judge Larson watch legal shows and does the writing bump him? We end with a few bonus minutes in which we hear some of Judge Larson's thoughts on implementing a more personal approach to address some of the shortcomings in our justice system.

Visit larsonforwa.org to learn more about Judge Larson's candidacy.