About this episode

Matt and Joe Sudbay discuss the recent successes of Democratic candidates in state and local elections and the implications for future elections.

Matt sits down again with Joe Sudbay, host of State of the States on SiriusXM, to check in on what's actually happening in American politics right now — and why you have to look at the state and local level to see it clearly. Since the beginning of 2025, Democrats have flipped 30 Republican state legislative seats while Republicans haven't picked up a single Democratic one. Joe breaks down the pattern of overperformance showing up in special elections from Iowa to Florida to Georgia, why state legislative candidates are connecting with voters in ways that DC politicians can't, and how all of that local organizing and candidate recruitment is building toward something big in 2026.

People in this episode

Host: Matt

Guest: Joe Sudbay

Topics covered

• Democratic candidates
• state elections
• local politics
• voter connection
• 2026 elections

Keywords

• Democrats
• state legislative seats
• special elections
• local organizing
• candidate recruitment

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: State of the States

Places: Iowa, Florida, Georgia

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