The Foolish Optimist with Amy McDonald

The Foolish Optimist: Mike DeCillis for New York's 11th Congressional District

NY-11 Candidate Mike DeCillis on Grassroots Organizing, Democracy, and a “Hard Reset” in Government
 
Find Mike and his campaign at Decillisforcongress.com 
 
Find the Civic App in the google play store or apple app store.
 
Host Amy McDonald interviews Mike DeCillis, a Staten Island–Brooklyn candidate for Congress in New York’s 11th District, about why he’s running in 2026 and what he’s hearing from voters. DeCillis describes organizing Medicaid and immigration town halls and “No Kings” protests that grew from 120 attendees to NYPD-estimated 2,000, arguing the district has an appetite for grassroots engagement beyond the usual political echo chamber. He says voters care about the economy, affordability, immigration, and the collapse of democracy, and emphasizes NY-11’s diversity and immigrant communities. DeCillis calls for a “hard reset” in governance, including reversing Citizens United, raising corporate taxes, closing loopholes, and rebuilding public institutions with accountability, while also urging Democrats to show more moral courage. He highlights his public-service résumé and invites listeners to volunteer and donate at DeCillisForCongress.com.
 
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:28 Why 2026
02:34 Grassroots Protests Surge
06:25 What Voters Care About
09:42 Campaigning and Accessibility
11:11 Beyond Trump The Broken System
14:18 Hard Reset Policy Agenda
20:05 Democrats Need Backbone
22:18 Two Americas No Accountability
23:45 Accountability and ICE
25:13 Coalitions and Candidates
25:52 Why I’m Qualified
27:58 From 9/11 to NYPD
29:23 Teaching and Policy Work
32:07 Structural Change Agenda
35:53 Billionaire Anger Rising
37:02 How to Support Campaign
39:55 Ground Game Beats Money
41:22 Representation in Staffing
42:16 Rapid Fire Round
44:30 Final Thanks and Voting Info

The Foolish Optimist: Kelly of the Civic Road Show

Civic Road Show Crossover: Mutual Aid, Activism, and Sustained Civic Engagement
 
Host Amy McDonald welcomes Kelly, founder of the Civic Road Show, for a crossover episode focused on spotlighting grassroots candidates, activists, and organizers and helping people plug into existing civic work rather than “reinventing the wheel.” Kelly shares tour updates from Chicago, discusses Minnesota as a standout stop, and describes mutual aid as a daily practice built through small, consistent actions. They critique hyper-individualism and the framing of poverty, sickness, and marginalization as moral failings, and discuss housing and eviction crises, local government failures, and the limits of one-off actions. They also address algorithm suppression, risks to organizers, misinformation, and the need for in-person community building. Kelly urges listeners to do more than comment online—donate, protest, attend meetings, support bail funds—and shares ways to contact and fund the tour.
 
00:30 Welcome and Crossover
00:52 Meet Kelly 
02:09 Chicago Campaign HQ
02:45 Bus and Cadillac Tangent
05:30 What Is Civic Roadshow
07:05 Avoiding Activist Burnout
09:35 Mutual Aid Daily Practice
11:43 Share Your Spinach
14:58 Minnesota Helper Story
18:10 Housing Crisis and ICE
24:40 Where the Tour Goes Next
27:47 Co Hosts and Algorithms
31:15 Hate Comments and Shadowbans
34:50 Creator Audacity and Misogyny
36:32 Risk and Real World Activism
37:53 Divesting From Whiteness
39:31 Who Really Pays Attention
40:31 Drowning Man Warning Signs
44:14 Normalization And Boiling Pot
45:45 Systemic Failures And Grifts
48:39 Media Blind Spots And Lawsuits
52:01 Power Players And Propaganda
56:52 Billionaires And Bullying Back
59:16 Campaign Trail Plans
01:05:35 Try Again And Organize
01:07:45 Where To Donate And Connect
01:08:42 Rapid Fire Wrap Up
01:15:12 Final Thanks And Signoff

The Foolish Optimist: Bri Woodson, Georgia’s 12th Congressional District

Bri Woodson on Running for GA-12, Rural Affordability, Mental Health Policy, and Fighting the “Old Guard”
 
Follow Bri's Campaign at https://www.briwoodsonforcongress.com/.
Download the Civic App in the Apple or Google Store
Support our podcast on venmo at amymaccc or by liking and sharing it
 
Host Amy McDonald welcomes Bri Woodson, a therapist in residency, organizer, and Democratic candidate for Georgia’s 12th Congressional District, to discuss why she’s running in 2026 amid frustration with worsening systems, the Trump administration’s actions, and what she calls a decade of underrepresentation under Rep. Rick Allen. Woodson highlights district concerns including affordability, clinic and hospital closures, food deserts, limited small-town opportunity, and the need to invest in local economies through support for small businesses, apprenticeships, and internships. Drawing on her substance-use therapy work and her personal recovery from addiction and surviving trafficking, she emphasizes mental health as central to policy and communication, critiques political division and the “old guard,” and argues for stronger Democratic messaging. She notes her May 19 primary, focus on young voters, progressive stances including abolishing ICE, and her commitment to staying grounded in marginalized communities.
 
00:15 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:55 Pets on the Campaign Trail
02:37 Why Run in 2026
04:12 District 12 Top Concerns
06:36 Jobs Without College Debt
08:29 Mental Health in Policy
10:27 Old Guard vs New Guard
14:51 Surviving Addiction and Trafficking
17:18 Affordability and Rent Reality
19:29 Healthcare Insurance and Parity
22:43 Political Extremism Goes Viral
25:12 Racism Goes Mainstream
26:26 Administration Fuels Supremacy
27:00 Accountability for Nazis
27:37 America and Jim Crow Roots
28:10 Education Under Attack
29:22 Fear Politics and Brains
30:19 250 Year Empire Theory
31:56 Democracy Must Be Fought For
34:28 Campaign and Primary Strategy
36:43 No More Playing Nice
39:47 Democrats Need Backbone
41:51 Candidate Values and Identity
43:27 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up
 

The Foolish Optimist: Christopher Ajluni Arizona’s 1st CD

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Independent Candidate Christopher Ajluni on Ballot Barriers, Dark Money, and Common-Sense Reform in Arizona CD1
 
Host Amy McDonald speaks with Christopher Ajluni, an independent candidate for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, about the hurdles independents face, including moved filing deadlines, high signature requirements, and lawsuits aimed at keeping politics a two-party system. Ajluni, in DC with an Independent Candidate Network, argues both parties are captured by legalized corruption and donor influence, citing AIPAC money and the broader effects of dark money after Citizens United. He discusses major issues for Arizonans such as humane but effective immigration enforcement, fiscal waste, universal healthcare, term limits, and procedural House reforms, while criticizing US spending on wars and foreign policy tied to Israel and Iran and warning about China’s rising global influence. Ajluni asks for volunteers and signatures via Arizona’s E-Qual system at christopherforcongress.org.
 
00:48 Meet The Independent
01:16 DC Museums And History
02:16 Why History Gets Erased
03:48 Independent Network In DC
04:28 Breaking With Democrats
06:24 Money In Politics
08:00 Vote Splitting Debate
12:40 Ballot Access Barriers
17:20 Where He Fits Ideologically
18:18 Arizona Issues Immigration
21:32 War Spending And Corruption
23:08 Netanyahu Trump And The Bill
24:15 Campaign Money Madness
24:45 Micro Investments That Work
25:53 Social Media Transparency
26:23 Oligarchy And Pay To Play
27:58 Gen Z And Millennial Fix
29:17 Citizens United Crackdown
30:32 Procedural Reforms And Term Limits
35:15 Ballot Signatures And Volunteering
38:05 AI Profits And Four Day Week
38:43 China Rising And US Decline
41:48 Rapid Fire And Wrap Up

The Foolish Optimist: Jeromie Whalen Massachusetts 1

Jeromie Whalen on Running for Congress in MA-01: Medicare for All, Abolish ICE, AI Misinformation, and People-Powered Politics
 
On the Foolish Optimist podcast, host Amy McDonald interviews Jeromie Whalen, a former teacher running for Massachusetts’s 1st Congressional District in 2026, a district spanning 83 cities and towns across western and central Massachusetts. Whalen says he’s running because he’s “sick of the bullshit,” arguing Democratic leadership failures helped normalize Trump-era politics and that policies often labeled radical—like Medicare for All—are practical and common elsewhere. He criticizes corporate influence in Congress, calls for worker protections, and discusses Western Mass economic challenges tied to deindustrialization, population decline, and healthcare access. He supports abolishing ICE as currently structured, immigration reform focused on courts and due process, and stronger AI regulation amid misinformation. He shares campaign details, including volunteer canvassing and where to donate.
 
00:16 Introduction
01:13 The District & Massachusetts Politics
04:56 Why Running in 2026
05:40 Trump Era & Democratic Party Failures
09:11 Progressive Policies & Healthcare
16:29 Immigration & ICE
24:28 AI & Misinformation
28:14 District Economics & History
31:28 Work Culture & Worker Rights
36:11 Contact Info & Rapid Fire
50:29 ‌Final Thoughts

The Foolish Optimist: Melissa Bird, Oregon’s 4th Congressional District.

Dr. Melissa Bird on Running for Oregon’s 4th: Rural Outreach, Closed Primaries, and Building Bold Change
 
Follow Melissa Bird's campaign at MelissaBirdForCongress.com.
 
Download the Civic App in the apple app store or google play store.
 
Venmo for support is @amymaccc
 
Host Amy McDonald interviews Dr. Melissa Bird, a social worker, small business owner, mom, and descendant of the Shivwits Band of Paiutes, who is running in the 2026 Democratic primary for Oregon’s 4th Congressional District after launching her campaign July 1, 2025. Bird says she’s challenging the incumbent because Congress needs more urgency to push back against rising fascism and more representatives who understand poverty and everyday economic struggle, citing that only 13 members of Congress in a 10-year period had experienced poverty. They discuss barriers created by expensive campaigns, closed primaries, and gerrymandering, plus Bird’s support for term limits and community-driven policy. Bird outlines the district’s geography and stresses showing up in rural areas. Key voter concerns include healthcare, housing, water infrastructure, and increasingly ICE, including opposition to a proposed Newport ICE facility. Bird promotes the Rural New Deal framework, emphasizes compassionate leadership, and shares ways to volunteer or donate $4 at melissabirdforcongress.com.
 
00:24 Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:44 Guest Introduction: Dr. Melissa Bird
02:09 Melissa's Campaign and Motivations
04:40 Challenges in Politics and Representation
13:40 District Overview and Rural Engagement
34:57 Issues Facing the District
36:45 Addressing Homelessness and Human Waste
37:40 Community Concerns and the Rural New Deal
39:08 Top-Down Leadership vs. Community Needs
40:59 Reproductive Rights vs. Reproductive Justice
44:52 The Impact of Fear in Politics
47:00 Global Grief Cycles and Policy Making
51:12 AI, Technology, and Society
51:43 The Importance of Compassionate Leadership
55:15 Campaign Information and Volunteer Call
56:23 Rapid Fire Questions and Personal Insights

The Foolish Optimist: Maura Keller for Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District

Maura Keller on Running Again in Georgia’s 3rd, Data Centers, and Restoring Trust in Government
 
Follow along at MauraKeller.com.
 
Get the Civic App in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
 
Host Amy McDonald interviews Maura Keller, a 26-year U.S. Army veteran and former VA worker running again for Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes 15 counties and was recently redistricted. Keller says she’s running because the seat is winnable, the district has been ignored, and she can bring disciplined, analytical leadership to Congress. She discusses being one of the first women in co-ed basic training, pushing back on discriminatory job rules, and learning leadership principles from Vietnam veterans. Key district concerns include rapidly expanding rural data centers without water agreements, AI misinformation affecting elections, school vouchers splintering education, rising ACA premiums, immigration gridlock, housing affordability, low wages, and Social Security solvency. Keller emphasizes listening locally, bipartisan problem-solving, and encouraging disengaged voters to participate, and shares her campaign website and donation channels.
 
00:41 Guest Introduction: Maura Keller
01:35 Maura's Motivation for Running
02:33 Challenges and Opportunities in Georgia's Third District
04:57 Maura's Military Career and Early Challenges
06:45 Leadership and Mentorship in the Military
09:31 Community Impact and Veterans in Congress
11:17 Data Centers and Rural Concerns
18:02 The Importance of Voting and Civic Engagement
22:41 Fears and Ideologies
23:04 Public Education and Funding Issues
23:42 Marker 30 second spots
23:48 Affordable Care Act and Healthcare Challenges
24:22 Technical Difficulties and ACA Discussion
25:09 Political Frustrations and Key Issues
26:48 Economic Struggles and Minimum Wage Debate
29:23 Social Security and Budget Concerns
32:27 Engaging with Constituents and Learning
34:38 Analytical Approach to Legislation
37:49 Campaign Information and Personal Insights

The Foolish Optimist: Dylan Blaha for Illinois’ 13th CD

Dylan Blaha on Running for Illinois’ 13th: Defunding ICE, Medicare for All, and Fighting Oligarchy
 
Check out Dylan's campaign at DylanForIllinois.com. 
 
Get the Civic App in the apple app store or google play store. 
 
Host Amy McDonald interviews Dylan Blaha, a pro-peace U.S. Army veteran and former cancer research scientist running for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District in 2026. Blaha says he decided to run after Rep. Nikki Budzinski’s votes, including support for the Laken Riley Act, pro-Israel positions on Gaza, and other votes he calls anti-trans, anti-environment, and anti–women’s rights. The discussion centers on the rise of fascism and surveillance, Democratic leadership’s perceived inaction, and priorities after 2026 such as defunding ICE, impeaching Trump officials, and delivering material benefits through Medicare for All, living wages, taxing billionaires, affordable housing, and aggressive environmental policy. They also discuss Citizens United, gerrymandering, term limits, contractor waste in the defense budget, AI’s impact on jobs and education, and the need for stronger journalism and public investment in schools.
 
00:25 Introduction to the Foolish News Podcast
00:43 Meet Dylan Blaha: Congressional Candidate
01:23 Why Dylan Baja is Running for Congress
02:54 Critique of Current Political Figures and Policies
03:54 The Rise of Fascism and Government Surveillance
05:19 Future Congressional Goals and Policies
06:49 Challenges and Criticisms of the Democratic Party
15:23 The Gerrymandering Issue in Illinois 13th District
16:35 Economic and Social Policies for Improvement
22:16 The Illusion of Self-Made Billionaires
22:30 The Crisis in Education
23:50 Media and Corporate Influence
27:28 The Military-Industrial Complex
28:52 US Foreign Policy and Misconceptions
30:45 Economic Inequality and Healthcare
34:25 Campaign and Personal Insights
35:17 Rapid Fire Questions
40:09 Concluding Remarks

The Foolish Optimist: Tenille Taggart, Salt Lake County Council

Tenille Taggart on Preventative Policy, Childcare Cuts, and Running for Salt Lake County Council At-Large
Support her campaign at @TenilleTaggart, votefortenille.com, ActBlue. Get the Civic App in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store for all for your politics needs.
Host Amy McDonald interviews Tenille Taggart, a gay and gender-fluid community organizer running for Salt Lake County Council at-large, about her path from conservative Mormon roots to clinical psychology and forensic mental health work. They discuss Salt Lake County priorities like childcare, libraries, arts, parks, and shifting funds away from heavy criminal-justice spending, plus concerns about criminalizing homelessness and proposed detention-style facilities. Taggart also outlines the local election landscape, the impacts of gerrymandering and the state supermajority, and how to support her campaign (@TenilleTaggart, votefortenille.com, ActBlue).
 
00:00 Why We Shouldn’t Criminalize Homelessness (Cold Open)
00:19 Welcome Back to The Foolish Optimist + Meet Candidate Tenille Taggart
01:36 Why Tenille’s Running: From Conservative Mormon Upbringing to LGBTQ+ Advocate
04:43 Forensic Mental Health 101: Rehab, Felonies, and Second Chances
07:41 Prevention Over Punishment: The Childcare Cuts and Their Real Cost
10:44 What the Salt Lake County Council Actually Does (Budgets, Parks, Libraries)
12:41 The Proposed Homeless ‘Internment Camp’ & ICE Detention Plans
16:22 Libraries, Arts, and Why Community Spaces Keep People Out of Crisis
17:52 Election Landscape: At-Large Seat, Viral Organizing, and Flipping the Council
25:42 Galvanizing Parents Into Politics + Utah Power Players (Governor Cox)
28:00 Spotting the ‘Disagree Better’ Gaslight: Why Polished Politicians Worry Me
29:21 RHINOs, Extremism, and the Charlie Kirk/Nick Fuentes Rabbit Hole
30:26 Utah’s Maps & a Shot at a Blue Seat: Fighting Gerrymandering and ‘DINOs’
32:02 What It Really Takes to Run for Office: Stress, Money, and Filing Fees
32:52 PAC Money, Super PAC Downlines, and the ‘MLM’ of Political Loyalty
34:43 The Daycare Fight: Retaliation Claims, Conflicts of Interest, and Who’s Pulling Strings
35:40 From Utah to the Nation: Private Equity, Project 2025/2026, and Cutting Childcare
38:02 ‘We’re Not Cooked’: Beating Shock-and-Awe with Organizing and Midterms
39:47 Local Power in Utah: Flipping Seats, Breaking the Supermajority, and Getting Involved
41:29 Donate & Follow the Campaign + Rapid-Fire Q&A 

The Foolish Optimist: William Marks for Texas CD 25

Texas-25 Candidate William Marks on Book Bans, Voter Suppression, and Congress Ethics
 
Host Amy McDonald interviews William Marks, a 22-year-old Navy combat veteran and Democrat running for Texas’s 25th Congressional District against incumbent Roger Williams. Marks discusses Texas gerrymandering and voter suppression, says recent redistricting made the race more competitive, and argues the district needs higher turnout. He lays out a platform focused on affordability, expanding healthcare, breaking up monopolies, and ethics reforms such as banning congressional stock trading, ending the lobbying revolving door, overturning Citizens United, and pursuing term limits. Marks also recounts organizing a coalition that helped overturn a Trump administration book ban at the U.S. Naval Academy and restore 381 books, and directs listeners to volunteer, donate, and find events via williammarks.com.
 
Download the Civic App in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store for all of your politics needs. 
 
00:00 Welcome to the Foolish Optimist Podcast
00:43 Introducing William Marks
02:00 William Marks' Motivation to Run
03:29 Gerrymandering in Texas
07:54 Challenges of Voter Suppression
11:33 Campaign Strategies and Grassroots Efforts
25:35 Book Banning and Advocacy
30:21 The Power of Collective Action
31:34 Affordability in Texas
33:07 Breaking Up Monopolies
35:22 Corporate Influence and Consumer Protection
40:32 Reforming the Political System
45:48 Economic Inequality and Corporate Welfare
50:33 Supporting Small Businesses
54:40 Community Engagement and Voting
55:18 Rapid Fire Questions