Andrew Yang Podcast The Most Interesting Senate Race Nobody's Watching
Jul 20, 2026
Brian Bangs, Air Force veteran, park ranger, former instructor, and independent Senate candidate from South Dakota. He discusses small-town decline and the struggles of rural communities. He explains campaigning as an independent in a deep-red state and outlines campaign dynamics, polling, and grassroots fundraising. The conversation highlights why voters might want a real third choice.
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Small Town Roots Shaped A Career Of Service
- Brian Bangs grew up in a 500-person Iowa town and later served long military stints, which shaped his small-town values and public service drive.
- He left for the Navy, then law school, and ultimately spent ~19 years in the Air Force teaching and serving abroad, then retired to a small South Dakota town.
Parties Have Written Off Red States
- Brian observes national parties have written off red states because they treat them like coastal battlegrounds and don't adapt tactics.
- He argues rural voters have different lived experiences and require distinct outreach and resources to compete effectively.
Main Streets Show Policy-Driven Decline
- Brian recounts driving down small-town main streets in South Dakota and seeing disrepair that signals towns left behind by policy and agricultural consolidation.
- He contrasts nostalgia for once-thriving communities with big-ag consolidation that displaced family farms and local economic centers.