A year ago, Astead took “The Run-Up” listeners home for Thanksgiving.

Specifically, he convened a focus group of family and friends to talk about the election and the question of Black people’s changing relationship to the Democratic Party.

This year, he got the group back together for a different mission.

The question was: What happened? What can Democrats learn from their defeat in 2024?

On today’s show: an autopsy conducted not by consultants or elected officials but by committed, everyday Democratic voters. And a farewell.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.