The Foolish Optimist with Amy McDonald

Show Me Superstar: Hartzell Gray’s Freedom Budget for Missouri’s 4th
Follow along at @hartzell4kc or hartzellforcongress.com.
On The Foolish Optimist Podcast, host Amy McDonald interviews Hartzell Gray, a Kansas City–born organizer and media personality running for U.S. Congress in Missouri’s 4th District, about his “freedom budget” platform and strategy to flip the seat against Mark Alford after redistricting. 
00:00 Welcome Back and Guest Intro
01:46 Why He’s Running Freedom Budget
04:25 Paying for Social Housing
06:38 Billionaires and Wealth Taxes
08:41 Closing Loopholes and Day One Plan
11:15 Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness
12:15 Big Swings and Fighting Monsters
14:07 Gerrymandering and Democracy War
18:06 Accountability and Impeachment Tactics
22:30 Democrats Outdated Playbook
26:18 Material Politics and Scapegoating
27:19 DNC Messaging Failures
29:15 Take the Swing Organize Hard
29:58 Biden Legacy and Unburdened Talk
30:37 Coconut Hope Hangover
30:58 Unfair Standards Women
31:31 Missouri Wake Up Call
32:17 Connecting Dots Locals
33:48 Cheney To Star Wars
34:56 Ground Game Voting Plan
38:22 Expand Tent Moral Clarity
40:21 FDR Forcing The Issue
42:45 Corporate Class Barriers
45:54 Better World Blueprint
47:38 Donate And Get Involved
49:31 Rapid Fire Missouri KC
52:11 Universal Healthcare Why
54:03 Wrap Up And Pickup Line

Jen Wiles on North Carolina’s Benefits Cliff, Corporate Influence, and a Tax Plan for Working Families
Follow Jen's Campaign at https://www.jenwilesnchouse.com/ 
 
On The Foolish Optimist podcast, host Amy McDonald interviews Jen Wiles, a North Carolina healthcare provider running for House District 75, about why she’s running in 2026 and what she’s hearing from voters. Wiles describes North Carolina as heavily gerrymandered and dominated by corporate influence, citing Duke Energy’s monopoly, low corporate taxes headed to zero, underfunded public education, and a state budget that is 315 days late. She outlines a tax plan to reduce or eliminate income taxes for many working families, protect small businesses, and raise revenue to fund public schools, universal pre-K, and address a 20,000+ person Innovations Waiver waitlist. Wiles also discusses disability policy issues like asset limits and the “benefits cliff,” argues for door-to-door organizing across diverse communities, and reflects on challenges such as purity politics on the left. 
01:33 Why She’s Running
02:58 NC Politics Explained
03:10 Gerrymandering And Corporate Power
05:44 Budget Chaos And Power Plays
08:16 What Voters Want Most
09:59 Talking To Republican Voters
12:15 Culture Wars And Human Rights
18:20 State Solutions For Families
18:29 Tax Plan And Funding Schools
21:37 Disability Waivers And Pre-K
23:16 Pre-K Funding Pitch
23:55 Other States Doing Pre-K
24:44 Why Early Education Matters
25:58 Disability Advocacy Lessons
27:53 Innovations Waiver Explained
29:15 Benefits Cliff Reality
31:11 District Stats And Messaging
32:54 Door Knocking Strategy
34:28 Where To Find Jen
35:04 Rapid Fire Favorites
42:57 Wrap Up And Thanks

Shavonne Hedgepeth on Trust, Turnout, and Structural Reform in Maryland’s 4th District
Follow along with Shavonne's campaign at https://voteshavonneforcongress.com/ 
Host Amy McDonald interviews Shavonne Hedgepeth, a candidate for U.S. House in Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, about why she’s running and how she’s campaigning in a low-turnout, safely Democratic seat. Hedgepeth links her motivation to historical harms and current conservative strategy, citing Project 2025 and long-running political infrastructure, and argues Democrats must pursue bolder structural changes like addressing Citizens United and expanding the Supreme Court. She critiques the role of PAC money in primaries, discusses communicating policy with nuance rather than slogans, and describes a detailed district-focused blueprint. Hedgepeth explains how District 4’s inside/outside-the-Beltway realities shape priorities such as food access, development, housing, and retirement stability, and emphasizes building trust by meeting voters where they are. She shares personal education experiences, mentions disability supports, and closes with voting, donation, and volunteer details for the June 23 primary and early voting starting June 11.
 
00:00 Meet Shavonne Hedgepeth
01:41 Why She’s Running
03:25 Project 2025 Echoes
04:40 PAC Money and Primaries
07:10 Structural Fixes Now
08:43 Expand the Supreme Court
12:17 Soundbites vs Solutions
15:37 Meet Voters Where They Are
18:17 Turnout Plan for District 4
20:44 Inside vs Outside Beltway
23:11 Memorable Name Strategy
24:12 Grassroots Outreach Everywhere
24:44 Blueprint Plan Explained
26:54 Disability Programs Reality
29:31 Curiosity Beats Slogans
31:40 Student Debt and Heritage Playbook
35:51 Education Setbacks and Persistence
38:45 Credibility Without Interning
40:53 How to Support and Vote
42:22 Rapid Fire Favorites
45:46 PG Pride and Closing

Chuck Park on Queens, Abolishing ICE, and Building a Working-Class Movement in NY-06
 
Host Amy McDonald interviews Chuck Park, a Democrat running for New York’s 6th Congressional District. Park, born in Flushing to Korean immigrant street peddlers and former store owners, served as a U.S. diplomat under Obama and quit to protest Trump. He argues the immigrant promise is being “literally” destroyed by ICE raids in Queens and calls to abolish ICE, while pushing Medicare for All, universal childcare, and a pathway to citizenship. On the ground, he says voters most often raise affordability tied to the war in Iran and fear of ICE. Park criticizes corporate PAC and AIPAC money, describes his grassroots fundraising and canvassing, and supports reforms like overturning Citizens United, banning congressional stock trading, and federal matching funds. He also discusses fostering/adoption, social media growth through consistency and authenticity, and his love of the 7 train.
 
Follow along with his campaign at ChuckforQueens.com
 
00:31 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:53 Why Run in 2026
04:31 Middle Class and Youth Agenda
08:13 Spicy Queens vs Bland Politics
10:36 Grassroots Money Talk
14:15 What Voters Say at Doors
18:01 Coalitions and Movement Building
20:30 Abolish ICE Debate
22:45 Campaign Surprise Origin Story
25:14 Social Media Growth
25:42 Consistency Builds Audience
26:04 Authenticity On Camera
28:13 Too Many Platforms
28:35 Oligarchs And Monopolies
29:22 Queens Casino Corruption
31:27 Fixing Money In Politics
33:41 Ranked Choice Voting Lessons
34:57 Why Voting Is Confusing
37:28 Advice For New Candidates
38:23 Campaign Plug And Volunteering
39:43 Rapid Fire Personal Qs
41:07 Fostering And Family Support
43:39 Book Rec And Korean History
45:01 Why The 7 Train Matters
45:42 Final Wrap And Thanks
 

Effie Philips Staley on NY-17: People-Powered Progress, Healthcare, and Ending U.S.-Funded Human Rights Abuses
 
https://effieforcongress.com/ 
 
Host Amy McDonald interviews Effie Phillips Staley, a Tarrytown trustee and nonprofit executive running for Congress in New York’s 17th District, about why she’s challenging Mike Lawler and Democratic establishment politics she says prioritize donors over working families. Staley outlines a progressive platform including Medicare for All, major homebuilding, abolishing ICE, and “block the bombs” legislation, and emphasizes refusing corporate PAC and AIPAC money. They discuss affordability, housing, healthcare, and mistrust of government, arguing tax dollars are diverted to foreign wars and harmful systems while Americans lack basic care; Staley cites U.S. funding of Israel’s actions in Gaza and describes witnessing “apartheid conditions” during a February trip to the occupied West Bank. The conversation also covers private detention abuses, accountability, voter power, and Staley’s June 23 Democratic primary, with a call to donate and volunteer at effieforcongress.com.
 
 
00:20 Welcome and Guest Intro
02:01 Why Effie Is Running
05:26 Working Class Roots
07:41 Affordability and Trust
11:41 Investing in People
14:15 War Spending vs Needs
16:28 Healthcare System Failures
21:54 District 17 Priorities
23:50 Gaza and Party Silence
25:01 West Bank Witness Trip
27:05 US Leverage and Sanctions
28:17 Witnessing Gaza Trauma
29:28 West Bank Village Susya
30:57 US Money And Justice
32:21 Domestic Violence By Neglect
33:15 ICE And Private Prisons
35:29 Survivor Story Accountability
36:48 Hope Midterms Reform
39:00 People Powered Campaign
42:25 Moderation Myth In NY17
44:12 AIPAC Dark Money Pressure
46:29 Donate Volunteer Primary Date
48:15 Rapid Fire Get To Know
51:09 Why NY17 Matters
53:20 Final Wrap And Thanks
 

Hanieh Jodat on Anti-War Politics, Sanctions, and Building Progressive Power
 
Host Amy McDonald interviews political strategist Hanieh Jodat about her path from an Iranian immigrant household and nonprofit work with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to organizing after Trump’s election, including leadership with Women’s March Los Angeles and serving as a 2020 Bernie Sanders delegate. Jodat explains delegates’ platform-writing role and describes building the Muslim Delegates and Allies coalition to push progressive policy language on healthcare, education, and foreign policy. She discusses working with left candidates Hartzell Grey (MO-4) and Rose Penelope Ye (CA-02), emphasizing coalition building, mutual aid, and an anti-war through line that redirects resources from Pentagon spending to domestic needs. The conversation critiques sanctions as “silent” violence that harms civilians, arguing Iran sanctions weakened civic society and empowered the regime, and links U.S. foreign policy, Gaza, and Democratic Party leadership and accountability, ending with advice for immigrants and women of color to enter politics now.
 
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
02:26 Finding a Path to Politics
03:48 Trump Era Awakening and Women’s March
05:58 Becoming a Bernie Delegate
06:45 What Delegates Actually Do
08:04 Why Foreign Policy Hits Home
10:25 Working With Left Candidates
14:51 Red Lines and Values in Strategy
17:47 Paying for Progress at Home
23:12 Pentagon Spending and Endless Wars
24:08 Sanctions as Silent Violence
27:18 Iran War Talk and Regional Fallout
32:33 Gaza, Imperialism, and a New Wave
35:11 Impeachment Push
35:53 JD Vance Scenario
36:38 Nuclear Fears
37:59 Inside Party Fights
41:02 Kamala Strategy Critique
42:51 Racism Sexism Palestine
45:22 Billionaire Brain Freeze
48:31 Epstein Watergate Parallels
50:23 Donors Aging Leadership
52:39 Soft Republicans Debate
54:58 Rapid Fire Wrap Up
59:27 Run For Office Now
01:01:06 Final Thanks Credits
 

Montana Month: Alani Bankhead on Accountability, Housing, Healthcare, and Taking the Fight to Washington
 
Follow along with Alani's campaign at AlaniforMT.com
 
Host Amy McDonald interviews Alani Bankhead, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and supervisory special agent running for U.S. Senate in Montana, about why she entered politics in 2026 after seeing “Montana and the country burning” and believing democracy is at stake. Bankhead describes her counterintelligence and child exploitation work—operations on six continents and hundreds of arrests—arguing that government obstruction and lack of accountability are major problems, and calling for stronger oversight, town halls, and ending dark money. On the campaign trail, she says Montanans’ top concerns are housing and healthcare, driven by income inequality, rising costs, and out-of-state wealth reshaping land and communities. She emphasizes bipartisan, service-oriented “Montana values,” grassroots power, and rejecting culture-war distractions in favor of protecting vulnerable people and rebuilding trust.
 
00:00 Welcome to Montana Month
01:35 Why She Is Running
03:27 Hope Plus Action
06:25 Special Agent Background
07:48 Accountability in Congress
10:44 Dark Money Reality Check
13:45 Housing Crisis Stories
18:19 Leadership and Responsibility
22:33 What Montanans Want Most
23:50 Montana Purple State Power
30:41 Grassroots Against Abuse
34:05 Culture Wars vs Real Needs
35:41 Mission Focus Leadership
36:47 Accountability and History
40:36 Montana Values to DC
42:55 Breaking Senate Gridlock
45:08 Influence for Good
48:55 Child Exploitation Reality
54:24 Grassroots Campaign Push
55:46 Rapid Fire and Montana Love
59:56 Preserving Old Montana

Follow @CatieLaffoon and @AlexandriaAugustine_ to keep up with what is happening on the ground in Los Angeles 
 
Get involved with Rae Huang's campaign at RaeForLA.com 
 
Boots on the Ground in LA: May Day Crackdowns, ICE Collaboration, and the LA Mayoral Race Host Amy McDonald interviews Los Angeles activists Catie Lafoon and Alexandria Augustine about recent protests and the escalating police response in LA. They describe May Day actions that began peacefully in support of unions and mutual aid before LAPD formed skirmish lines, blocked access near City Hall and the Metropolitan Detention Center, declared an unlawful assembly, dispersed crowds, and assaulted, kettled, and detained members of the press, which they say is minimized or misrepresented by mainstream coverage. Alexandria recounts separate arrests by LAPD and DHS and discusses how police react to speech and public accountability. The guests argue LA is a “beta test” for a broader police-state model, citing surveillance and alleged LAPD–ICE collaboration. They connect domestic repression to Palestine and policing tactics. They criticize performative politics and discuss the LA mayoral race, urging support for Rae Huang in the June 2 jungle primary.
 
00:27 Meet the LA Activists
01:47 May Day Protest Recap
02:58 Skirmish Lines Explained
05:34 Press Targeted and Kettled
07:04 Rights, Permits, and Compliance
08:07 Arrests on the Front Lines
13:14 Voices as a Threat
15:59 LA as Police State Beta Test
21:08 Radical Solutions on Housing
23:50 Haunted LA and Palestine Link
28:04 IDF Training and Coming Snapback
28:51 Surveillance And Public Apathy
29:52 Voting Rights And Slow-Motion Rollback
30:37 Constitutional Convention Alarm Bells
31:39 Neuralink Money And Conspiracy Becoming Real
33:31 White Women Patriarchy And Solidarity
35:08 ICE Detention And Child Trafficking Claims
37:02 Masculinity Homophobia And Calling It Out
38:28 Hillary Kamala And The Establishment Machine
43:00 LA Mayoral Race Who’s Running
46:51 Policing Budgets Debt And Olympics Incentives
51:17 Vote Rae Huang Primary Dates And Wrap-Up

Sylvia Wright on Expanding Pre-K, Reforming Testing, and Rebuilding Trust in South Carolina Schools
 
Follow along with Sylvia Wright's campaign at https://www.wright2026sc.com/ 
Donate to the pod at https://venmo.com/u/amymaccc 
 
On the Foolish Optimist podcast, host Amy McDonald interviews Sylvia Wright, a Charleston-born educator and candidate for South Carolina State Superintendent of Education in 2026, about why she’s running and her plan to improve a system ranked 43rd and in the bottom 10 for 20 years. Wright says a leadership and respect problem is pushing teachers out, argues for universal pre-K for all 4-year-olds, and describes shifting away from traditional standardized testing toward Florida’s progress-monitoring model to better identify strengths, weaknesses, and interventions. She also advocates revamping K–12 to increase career exposure and pathways, listening to teachers, parents, and students through town halls, and addressing rural neglect by rebuilding trust. The conversation touches on vouchers, public education narratives, campaign challenges related to race and funding, and where to donate or volunteer.
00:00 Welcome to Foolish Optimist
00:42 Meet Sylvia Wright
01:53 Why She’s Running
03:32 Universal Pre-K Vision
07:20 Beyond Test Scores
08:25 Florida Model Inspiration
09:38 Career Exposure Pathways
11:09 Relationships and Waste
13:30 Reading for Life
15:44 Microschools and Innovation
17:54 Progress Monitoring Testing
18:48 SC Rankings and Change
20:48 Service Over Power
23:20 From State to National Impact
23:56 Campaign Hurdles and Bias
26:33 Degrees vs Classroom Experience
26:56 Leadership and Teacher Retention
27:34 Reframing Public Education
29:08 Vouchers and Funding Drain
31:39 Listen to Teachers Locally
33:15 Winning Rural Trust
34:44 Donate Volunteer and Vote
37:03 Rapid Fire Favorites 39:30
Why South Carolina Matters
41:03 Final Thanks and Call to Action

Sam Lux on a Worker-First Green Energy Transition and Rural Montana’s Cost-of-Living Crisis
 
Host Amy McDonald interviews Sam Lux, a farrier and small business owner running for Montana’s 2nd Congressional District, about why he entered politics after working with ranchers and farmers who are falling further behind amid tariffs, market instability, and farm closures. Lux emphasizes breaking up omnibus legislation into single-issue bills, including a proposal he says could return billions to small farms, and argues the U.S. should roll back tariffs, rebuild trade relationships, and raise food-quality standards so Montana wheat stays domestic rather than being exported while lower-quality grain is imported. He highlights severe poverty, housing shortages, and healthcare deserts in his district, and proposes a worker-first clean energy transition for communities tied to a decommissioning coal plant using parallel green infrastructure, paid retraining, early retirement, reclamation jobs, and wage guarantees. Lux criticizes money in politics, pledges transparency and no PAC funds, and calls for Congress to reassert war powers regarding Iran.
 
00:00 Introduction
01:28 What Does a Farrier Do
05:01 Millennials and Civic Duty
08:06 Fixing Food and Farm Bills
12:05 Campaign Trail and Primary
14:52 Cost of Living in Montana
19:51 Worker First Green Energy
25:57 Jobs Numbers and Gig Work
26:48 Money in Politics
27:53 Energy Transition Reality Check
28:53 Finding Senate Allies
29:41 Beating the Incumbent
30:22 Showing Up Locally
35:35 Radical Transparency
41:41 Pay and Stock Trading Reform
44:14 Term and Age Limits
46:19 Montana Progressive Roots
49:11 Where to Find and Donate
49:43 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up