The “Politivist” Moment: Cori Bush and Kat Abughazaleh on Winning Without Selling Out [Episode Cut]

Synopsis:  Dems win big on Election Day, but what's next? Join Cori Bush and Kat Abughazaleh as they discuss the future of progressive politics.

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Description: What do the results of this past Election Day signal for politician-activists running for office and the future of the Democratic Party? “Politivists” Cori Bush and Kat Abughazaleh say the tides are changing. In what was widely viewed as a rebuke of the Trump administration’s policies, Democrats won races at every level in blue and red states on November 4, including Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayor’s race. Today’s guests know firsthand how challenging and costly it can be to run for office as a progressive — especially when mega donors and backdoor deals are the name of the game in our political system. Cori Bush is fighting to retake the seat she won in 2021, Missouri’s First District, which covers the city of St. Louis. She’ll be up against incumbent Wesley Bell, whose successful campaign against her in 2024 was heavily funded by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, a zionist political action committee. Kat Abughazaleh is a 26-year old Palestinian-American, former journalist and political commentator who is currently facing a federal indictment related to her protests outside an ICE facility in Western Chicago. She’s making waves in a crowded Democratic field to represent Illinois’ Ninth District, covering the Chicago-area. How can modern progressives keep up this political momentum? And where does the Democratic Party go from here? Join us for that conversation, plus a commentary from Laura on making Congress less classist.

“I've been in Congress and I know the change that can happen when someone not only works for their district, but fights for the district . . . I have heard from my community, their frustrations with the lack of leadership. I've heard their despair as it relates to what happens tomorrow, because this manufactured chaos coming down from the Trump administration is not being dealt with . . . We are saying, ‘Wait till 2026 because things will get better.’ People are living it right now.” - Cori Bush

“A lot of people have lost faith in our political system, from every political stripe, because politicians are about words and not actions. We are using our resources to not only reach voters, but materially improve their lives. We do backpack drives, food drives, our campaign office doubles as a mutual aid hub . . . We are genuinely making a change on the ground and win or lose, this campaign is a net benefit to this community.” - Kat Abughazaleh

Guests:

• Kat Abughazaleh: Congressional Candidate (D-IL-09)

• Cori Bush: Former Congresswoman (D-MO-01); Current Congressional Candidate (D-MO-01)

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RESOURCES:

Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:

• Mamdani v. The Establishment: What His Campaign Means for America:  Watch / Listen:  Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversation

• “They Targeted Me”: Mayor Ras Baraka on His Arrest, Immigration Rights & Leading New Jersey: Watch / Listen:  Episode cut and Full Uncut Conversation

• Bernie Sanders & AOC: “Fighting Oligarchy” with People Power:  Watch / Listen:  Episode cut and Full Uncut Conversation with Bernie Sanders

Related Articles and Resources:

• Democrats Flip Two Seats in Deep Red Mississippi, Break GOP Supermajority, by Daniel Orton, November 5, 2025, Newsweek

•  Here are the key races to watch in Tuesday’s off-year elections, by Caroline Vakil, November 3, 2025, The Hill

•  Anti-genocide protests attacked and beaten at St. Louis town hall event for Democrat Wesley Bell, by Andrew Clyde & Kristina Betinis, August 21.2925, World Socialist Web Site

•  How Kat Abughazaleh’s Parents Shaped Her Identity and Political Worldview, by Trisha Faulkner, October 30, 2025, Distractify

• Deciding To Win:  Toward a Common Sense Renewal of the Democratic Party, Principal Author Simon Bazelon, Co-Authors, Lauren Harper Pope and Liam Kerr. October 27, 2025,  Politico

• AOC and the Squad’s List of Left-Wing Accomplishments Is Quite Long, by Branko Narcotic, Jacobin Magazine

•  Mamdani opens floodgates of younger Democrats running for office, by Surina Venkat, November 11, 2025, The Hill

•  Kat Abughazaleh On the Right to Protest, November 1, 2025, The Intercept Briefing - Listen

•  Press Release:  Congresswoman Bush Endorsed by Justice Democrats, October 23, 2025, Coribush.org

•. House candidate Kat Abughazaleh indicted over ICE confrontation, by Andrew Solender, October 29, 2025, Axios

Full Episode Notes are located HERE.

Music Credit: “The World Is Cold” by Cookin’ the Books featuring Mantra and Jane Tyrell from their album Cookin’ On 3 Burners released on Soul Messin’ Records, "Steppin" by Podington Bear, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper

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