The Politics Chicks Podcast

Minnesota House District 34A candidate Jason Heaser joins The Politics Chicks to discuss public safety, school funding and protecting children from AI abuse. The Army veteran and prosecutor explains why he wants to bring an evidence-based approach to the legislature.

What does accountability look like when the goal is a safer community? Jason talks about funding probation and rehabilitation, protecting due process, and addressing gaps he sees in laws covering online harm to children.

Christy and Monica also ask about teacher health insurance, property taxes, credit-card swipe fees and the infrastructure demands of growing communities in Rogers, Dayton and Champlin. The conversation connects those everyday concerns with Jason’s experience in public service.

We close with the Boundary Waters, his campaign’s conversations at the doors, and the people giving him hope—even when they disagree with him. Listen for his priorities and his view of what Minnesota can do when Washington won’t act.

As always, if you find value in what we do, please RATE, REVIEW and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue and inspire change moving forward. Please share this episode with someone who needs to hear this conversation.

Guest and Resources

Jason Heaser campaign: https://www.heaserforhouse.com/
Campaign platform: https://www.heaserforhouse.com/platform
About Jason: https://www.heaserforhouse.com/about

Watch the episode: https://youtu.be/lWwMzbgUzYA
Watch the teaser: https://youtu.be/RF23tJvcmSo

Minnesota voting information: https://www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/other-ways-to-vote/vote-early-in-person/

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💙 xoxo — Christy & Monica

Jason Heaser, Minnesota House District 34A, Minnesota politics, The Politics Chicks, Minnesota elections 2026, public safety, school funding, teacher health insurance, AI child safety, working families, property taxes, credit card swipe fees, Rogers Minnesota, Dayton Minnesota, Champlin Minnesota, Boundary Waters, Army veteran, prosecutor, Minnesota DFL

What happens when fraud estimates, improper payments, and proven theft get treated as the same thing? Minnesota’s fraud debate demands accountability—and a closer look at the evidence behind the headlines.

In Episode 57 of The Politics Chicks, veteran Minnesota journalist Dane Smith joins Christy and guest co-host Renee, our investigative editor and Minnesota citizen researcher. Drawing on his decades covering government and politics for the Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press, Dane challenges the claim that Minnesota is uniquely bad at preventing fraud.

We examine the widely repeated $9 billion figure, the missing context in state comparisons, and the legislative decisions that shaped oversight. The conversation also explores privatization, managed care organizations, shrinking newsrooms, and why Dane argues that accountability must extend across party lines.

Fraud and failed oversight deserve scrutiny. So do the political claims built around them.

GUEST RESOURCES

Dane Smith’s Star Tribune commentary: Minnesota’s ranking on fraud is still unknown
https://www.startribune.com/minnesotas-ranking-on-fraud-is-still-unknown/601324524

Dane Smith’s author page at Minnesota Reformer
https://minnesotareformer.com/author/dane-smith/

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You’re watching the news. You’re worried about what’s happening. You want to do something—but what can one person actually do?

Activate America Executive Director Nathaniel Markowitz and founder Doug Linney join Christy and Monica to talk about grassroots organizing, voter outreach, and how their organization connects volunteers around the country with competitive congressional races—even when those volunteers live hundreds or thousands of miles away.  

Doug and Nathaniel take us through the organization’s evolution from Flip the 14, which began after the 2017 Women’s March and initially focused on Republican-held congressional districts in California, to Flip the West and eventually Activate America. They explain how the organization expanded beyond California and built a national network focused on House and Senate races.  

We dig into how Activate America decides where to put its resources, how quickly competitive races can change, and how data and race ratings help guide those decisions. Nathaniel also explains why the organization sometimes moves before conventional race ratings catch up—and why its strategy can change as the political map changes.  

Then we get practical: Do handwritten postcards actually make a difference? What about phone banking? What if knocking on doors isn’t possible for you? And if you have exactly one hour to give, where should you start?

Doug’s answer on postcards is pretty unequivocal: “Hell yeah, they do make a difference.” His larger point is that organizing is a collective effort—and volunteers should find the kind of participation that works for them.  

Nathaniel and Doug also explain how remote organizing allows people living in safely red or safely blue districts to participate in races elsewhere. And for anyone wondering where to begin, Doug suggests starting with an hour of phone banking, while Nathaniel directs listeners to ActivateAmerica.vote to find the organization’s current programs.  

GUEST RESOURCES
Activate America
https://www.activateamerica.vote/

Activate America — Ways to Get Involved
https://www.activateamerica.vote/what-we-do

Activate America — Postcarding
https://www.activateamerica.vote/postcards

Activate America — Current Races
https://www.activateamerica.vote/our-races

Cook Political Report
https://www.cookpolitical.com/

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Feeling Powerless? Activate America Says There’s Something You Can Do, Activate America, Nathaniel Markowitz, Doug Linney, grassroots organizing, 2026 midterms, 2026 election, voter outreach, voter turnout, political postcards, postcarding, phone banking, Democratic organizing, House elections, Senate elections, Congress 2026, get out the vote, GOTV, political volunteering, election volunteering, voter mobilization, The Politics Chicks, progressive political podcast

What would it take to turn promises of lower prescription drug costs into a smaller bill at the pharmacy? Former South Carolina Congressman Joe Cunningham joins Christy and Monica to discuss Big Pharma, healthcare affordability, and the fight over who benefits from drug pricing reform.

Now a spokesperson for the Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance, Joe explains the case for most-favored-nation pricing—tying U.S. drug prices to prices in comparable countries—and why he wants Congress to put reform into law. We explore the Global Fairness in Drug Pricing Act, the Alliance’s bipartisan polling, and proposals linking pharmaceutical advertising spending to drug rebates.

Christy and Monica press on the details: Would savings reach patients or stay with insurers and middlemen? Could manufacturers respond by raising prices elsewhere? Who funds the Alliance, and what stands between public support and congressional action?

The conversation also covers pharmaceutical campaign contributions, the challenges of navigating Medicare, Joe’s outlook on the midterms, and why contacting your representatives can matter.

GUEST RESOURCES

Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance
https://pharmareformalliance.com

Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance — 2026 National Poll
https://pharmareformalliance.com/national-poll-2026

Global Fairness in Drug Pricing Act — Official Announcement
https://khanna.house.gov/media/press-releases/release-reps-khanna-luna-kaptur-and-biggs-introduce-bill-codify-trumps

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What does it mean for a member of Congress to show up for the people they represent? In Episode 54, Doug Chapin makes his case for replacing Tom Emmer in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District and explains what he is hearing from voters across the district.

Chapin, the DFL nominee and an election administration expert, joins Monica and Christy to discuss his campaign’s growth, his exchange over Emmer’s absence from a Farmfest candidate forum, and the costs families and farmers are facing. They also talk about mail ballots, health care, child care, ICE accountability, and why Chapin believes Congress must assert its authority over spending and war, even when the president belongs to his own party.

“People deserve a member of Congress who shows up,” Chapin says. Hear what that promise means in this race—and stay for his unexpected Minnesota State Fair talent.

GUEST RESOURCES

Doug Chapin for Congress
https://www.chapinforcongress.com/

Doug Chapin for Congress social links
https://linktr.ee/chapinforcongress

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Maya Rupert: Who Gets to Be Authentic in Politics?

Why do some politicians get credit for being “real” while women and people of color get penalized for the same imperfections? Political strategist Maya Rupert joins Christy Branham and Monica Healy to examine how racism, sexism, and voter expectations shape who gets seen as authentic—and who gets seen as electable.

Maya managed Julián Castro’s presidential campaign and Maya Wiley’s New York mayoral campaign. She is the author of The Real Ones: How to Disrupt the Hidden Ways Racism Makes Us Less Authentic and host of When We Win. Drawing on her campaign experience, she explains how people can be pressured to change themselves, then criticized for appearing inauthentic.

From Donald Trump and Kamala Harris to the public images of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Michelle Obama, we explore who gets room to make mistakes and who is expected to be flawless. Maya also challenges the claim that Harris lost because she ran too far left, calls for stronger independent media, and makes the case for community organizing that brings voters into the conversation.

“People absolutely vote on policy,” Maya says. We discuss what that means for Democrats, what she learned from women leaders on St. Paul’s historic all-women City Council, and why she sees possibility in voters demanding something better than a return to the status quo.

GUEST RESOURCES

Maya Rupert — Official Website
https://mayarupert.com/

The Real Ones — Book Information and Purchase Options
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747083/the-real-ones-by-maya-rupert/

When We Win with Maya Rupert — Lemonada Media
https://lemonadamedia.com/show/whenwewin/

Maya Rupert: Let Democrats Be Democrats — Courier Essay
https://couriernewsroom.com/news/maya-rupert-let-democrats-be-democrats/

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Feeling overwhelmed by politics? What can you do to help protect democracy—and how do you keep going without burning out?

In Episode 52 of The Politics Chicks, Christy and Monica welcome environmental attorney, author, and longtime grassroots organizer Gary Lucks for a practical conversation about turning concern into action ahead of the 2026 midterms and beyond. The founder of Progressive Action East Bay and Resistance Action East Bay, Gary brings four decades of organizing experience to his book, We Are the Power: To Win the Future.

Gary explains why he believes protests need to lead to sustained participation, how to find a volunteer role that fits your strengths, and why community is essential to keeping a movement alive. We explore farmers market outreach, virtual fundraising parties, election protection, early voting, and the challenge of staying engaged after an election.

As Gary puts it, “We do it with joy to sustain the movement.”

Whether you live in a red, blue, or purple district, this conversation offers ways to get involved, build connections, and make political participation part of everyday life.

GUEST RESOURCES

Gary Lucks — Official Website
https://www.garylucks.com/

We Are the Power: To Win the Future — Book Information
https://www.garylucks.com/book

FOLLOW THE POLITICS CHICKS

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How to Turn Political Anxiety into Action | Gary Lucks, Gary Lucks, We Are the Power, The Politics Chicks, progressive political podcast, womens progressive political podcast, 2026 midterms, grassroots organizing, Indivisible, protecting democracy, voter turnout, political burnout, Resistance Action East Bay, community organizing, election protection, Goods Unite Us

What should Democrats do when their usual strategies aren’t meeting the moment? Michaela Barnett joins Christy Branham and Monica Healy for Episode 52 of The Politics Chicks to explain how her experience inside Congress convinced her to run—and why she wants her own party to fight harder.

A Democrat challenging Republican Tim Burchett in Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District, Barnett is an engineer, small-business founder and former congressional science policy fellow. She shares her frustrations with Democrats’ response during the “One Big Beautiful Bill” debate and makes the case for confronting misleading claims and holding lawmakers accountable.

The conversation connects government reform with everyday pressures across East Tennessee: rural healthcare access, wages, housing costs and infrastructure. Barnett discusses banning congressional stock trading, changing campaign finance rules and using public pressure to push colleagues in both parties to act.

She also outlines priorities for regulating AI and massive data centers, protecting privacy from license plate surveillance, and building constituent services that help people navigate federal agencies. Through it all, she returns to what keeps her knocking doors: “And in East Tennessee, hope is a choice. It's a choice and it's a verb. It's not a feeling.”

GUEST RESOURCES

Michaela for Tennessee — Official Campaign Website
https://www.michaelafortennessee.com/

Campaign Priorities
https://www.michaelafortennessee.com/issues

Campaign Events
https://www.michaelafortennessee.com/events

FOLLOW THE POLITICS CHICKS

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Michaela Barnett, Tim Burchett, The Politics Chicks, Tennessee politics, Tennessee 2nd Congressional District, East Tennessee, 2026 midterms, Democratic Party, government reform, congressional accountability, campaign finance reform, congressional stock trading, rural healthcare, affordable housing, minimum wage, data centers, privacy, constituent services, progressive political podcast, womens progressive political podcast

Could a handful of independent senators deny both parties a majority—and make Washington answer to voters? In Episode 50 of The Politics Chicks, South Dakota independent U.S. Senate candidate Brian Bengs joins Monica Healy and Christy Branham to explain why he’s challenging Mike Rounds and refusing to commit to either party’s agenda.

A Navy veteran, former Air Force JAG officer, educator, and former Wind Cave National Park ranger, Bengs explains how DOGE’s National Park Service cuts helped spur his decision to run. He makes the case for protecting public lands, confronting big money in politics, and building an independent bloc with the power to break Senate gridlock.

“Well, my party is South Dakota.”

We discuss rural hospital funding and Medicaid cuts, his proposals for Medicare eligibility at 55 and a Medicare public option, and his concerns about AI data centers, tax incentives, and local infrastructure costs. Bengs also challenges Congress’s handling of war powers, discusses the military’s constitutional oath, and explains his support for term and age limits.

Watch or listen to hear how Bengs connects his independent campaign to the everyday needs of South Dakotans. If this conversation resonates, like, comment, and share—and tell us what you would want an independent senator to prioritize.

GUEST RESOURCES

Brian Bengs for U.S. Senate — Official Campaign Website
https://bengsforsouthdakota.com/

Brian Bengs — Policy Positions
https://bengsforsouthdakota.com/policy-positions/

Brian Bengs — Get Involved
https://bengsforsouthdakota.com/get-involved/

Brian’s Book Recommendation — Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? by Michael J. Sandel
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781429952682/justice/

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Brian Bengs, Brian Bengs Senate, South Dakota Senate race 2026, Mike Rounds, independent Senate candidate, independent voters, rural health care, Medicaid cuts, Medicare public option, money in politics, campaign finance reform, DOGE cuts, national parks, Wind Cave National Park, public lands, AI data centers, congressional war powers, term limits, The Politics Chicks, episode 50, progressive political podcast, womens progressive political podcast

Can Fish Fry Town Halls Change Rural Politics? | Erik Osberg

Can gathering neighbors over fried fish help change who gets heard in Washington? In Episode 49 of The Politics Chicks podcast, Christy and Monica welcome Erik Osberg, the Minnesota DFL candidate challenging Michelle Fischbach in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District, for a conversation about rural voters, common concerns, and accountable representation.

Known as the “fishing politician,” Erik explains why his community fish fry town halls welcome everyone—and what he’s hearing from people who feel their concerns have gone unanswered. He shares stories of Republican support, challenges Fischbach’s record, and explains why he wants a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United.

The conversation also explores his work on rural economic development in Otter Tail County, the need for housing and childcare, and his argument that family farmers need predictable markets and reliable trade relationships. Erik describes how he would build an accessible congressional office and why showing up must continue after Election Day.

As Erik puts it: “I want to be beholden to the people.”

Listen to the full episode for a candid conversation about community, corporate influence, and what meaningful representation could look like for western Minnesota—plus a distinctly Minnesotan lightning round.

GUEST RESOURCES

Erik Osberg for Congress — Official Campaign Website
https://www.erikosberg4congress.com/

Meet Erik — Background and Experience
https://www.erikosberg4congress.com/meet-erik

Get Involved — Campaign Volunteer Information
https://www.erikosberg4congress.com/get-involved

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Erik Osberg, Minnesota 7th district, MN07, Michelle Fischbach, Minnesota DFL, rural voters, fish fry town halls, campaign finance reform, Citizens United, corporate money in politics, family farms, farm bill, rural economic development, Otter Tail County, congressional accountability, 2026 midterms, The Politics Chicks, Episode 49, progressive political podcast, womens progressive political podcast