Navigating the 2026 Elections: Opportunities for Nontraditional Candidates

The Democratic strategist Lis Smith joins the guest host Clare Malone, a New Yorker staff writer, to discuss the state of the Democratic Party, and how a decade of reliance on anti-Trump rhetoric has left Democrats reactive and directionless. They consider why groups that Democrats once counted on—from young people to communities of color—are shifting rightward, and what new strategies politicians from Gavin Newsom to Zohran Mamdani are testing to prove that the Democratic Party stands for more than opposition to Trump.

This week’s reading

• “The Trump Administration’s Efforts to Reshape America’s Past,” by Jill Lepore
• “How Former Biden Officials Defend Their Gaza Policy,” by Isaac Chotiner
• “The Endless August Recess,” by Antonia Hitchens
• “The Enormous Stakes of Trump’s Effort to Fire the Fed Governor Lisa Cook,” by John Cassidy
• “What’s Life Like in Washington, D.C., During Trump’s Takeover?,” by Margaret Talbot

Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts.