Breaking Battlegrounds

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by Matthew Continetti, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of the new book The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism. Later in the show, we check in with Tom Horne, Republican candidate for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction. - Matthew Continetti is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where his work is focused on American political thought and history, with a particular focus on the development of the Republican Party and the American conservative movement in the 20th century. A prominent journalist, analyst, author, and intellectual historian of the right, Mr. Continetti was the founding editor and the editor-in-chief of The Washington Free Beacon. Previously, he was opinion editor at The Weekly Standard. Mr. Continetti is also a contributing editor at National Review and a columnist for Commentary Magazine. He has been published in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, among other outlets. He also appears frequently on Fox News Channel’s “Special Report” with Bret Baier and MSNBC’s “Meet the Press Daily” with Chuck Todd. Mr. Continetti is the author of two books: “The Persecution of Sarah Palin: How the Elite Media Tried to Bring Down a Rising Star” (Sentinel, 2009) and “The K Street Gang: The Rise and Fall of the Republican Machine” (Doubleday, 2006). He has a BA in history from Columbia University. - Tom Horne is a candidate for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction. Mr. Horne has served both his community and our state impressively in several elected offices:  Paradise Valley School Board member and president; Legislator where he was chair of the academic accountability committee; Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction; and, Arizona Attorney General.  As Superintendent, he is most famous for enforcing the English immersion mandate for mostly Spanish-speaking children and getting rid of La Raza studies in Tucson schools. As Attorney General, he earned acclaim for winning lawsuits for Arizona that he argued before the U.S. Supreme Court.    - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Florida’s Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez to learn more about the many incredible successes she and Governor Ron DeSantis have had in Florida. Later in the show, David Drucker of the Washington Examiner joins us to break down the week’s biggest headlines and offer his insight into upcoming elections nationwide. - Jeanette M. Nuñez was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She was elected as Florida’s First Hispanic Female Lieutenant Governor of Florida in 2018. She previously served as a State Representative of the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 to 2018 and was named Speaker Pro Tempore from 2016 to 2018.  In November 2016, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez was named Speaker Pro Tempore of the Florida House of Representatives. She served as the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and served on the Rules and Policy Committee. She was appointed Chair of the Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness. In the past, she chaired the Health Quality Subcommittee, Government Operations and Technology Appropriations Subcommittee, and Higher Education and Workforce Subcommittee.  She began her healthcare career working at Jackson Health System in 2004 as the State Director for Government Relations and handled all aspects of the organization’s state affairs. In 2006, she was promoted to Vice President of Government Relations and was responsible for overseeing the advocacy efforts at the local, state and federal level. In addition to her duties, she served on numerous boards and healthcare organizations, including the National Association of Public Hospitals Fellowship Program. In 2010, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez joined Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) as their Vice President of Community Affairs for both Kendall Regional Medical Center and Aventura Hospital and Medical Center. She oversaw their community outreach for 3 and half years and was responsible for a number of marketing and business development initiatives.  In late 2013, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez began her own consulting firm, OnPoint Strategies. She has been working with Jackson Health System, providing them with strategic advice on service line and business development. She has also been tasked to work with the Managed Care Department and Population Health.   Over the years, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez has demonstrated her ongoing commitment to the South Florida community through her active involvement in various local organizations and professional groups. She has been involved with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Miami, WHEN, and Women in Government. In 2007, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez was named Hispanic Woman of Distinction. From 2007 – 2015, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez served on the Board of Kristi House, an organization dedicated to children who are victims of sexual abuse. Additionally, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez served as a member of the Statewide Council of Human Trafficking. The 15-member Council, chaired by State Attorney General Pam Bondi, was created to support victims of human trafficking by enhancing the available care options. Recently, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez was appointed to the National Assessment Governing Board which sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as The Nation’s Report Card. She was also appointed to the Constitution Revision Commission which examined the Florida Constitution, identified issues, performed research and possible recommendations to amend the Florida Constitution.  Lieutenant Governor Nuñez is a proud graduate of Florida International University (FIU) and a lifetime member of the FIU Alumni Association. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Political Science, her Master of Public Administration from FIU, and a Six Sigma Certificate from the University of Miami. Lieutenant Governor Nuñez has served in the past as an adjunct professor at Florida International University.  She is also a graduate from Leadership Miami. Lieutenant Governor Nuñez attends Christ Fellowship West Kendall Campus. Lieutenant Governor Nuñez is married to her husband of 23 years, Adrian Nuñez, and together they are the proud parents of three children – Megan age 20; Justin, age 17; and Jason, age 12.  - David M. Drucker is a senior correspondent for the Washington Examiner, where he focuses on Congress, campaigns, and national political trends. Prior to joining the Washington Examiner, he was a reporter for Roll Call, a newspaper in Washington, D.C. Before joining Roll Call, Drucker covered California politics, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, from the Sacramento bureau of the Los Angeles Daily News. Drucker graduated from UCLA with a BA in history, and spent eight years managing a family-run manufacturing business in Southern California, giving him a unique perspective on how what happens inside the Beltway affects the rest of the country. Drucker is a Vanity Fair contributing writer and regular on cable news and nationally syndicated radio programs. A native of Los Angeles, Drucker resides on Capitol Hill with his wife and two sons. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by David Catanese, a Washington-based political reporter and the author of the blog Too Close to Call. Later in the show, Dan McLaughlin calls in to remember his uncle, legendary broadcaster Vin Scully, who sadly passed away this week. - David Catanese is a national political correspondent for McClatchy in Washington. He’s covered campaigns for more than a decade, previously working at U.S. News & World Report and Politico. Prior to that he was a television reporter for NBC affiliates in Missouri and North Dakota. - Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at National Review Institute. He was formerly an attorney practicing securities and commercial litigation in New York City, a contributing editor of RedState, columnist at the Federalist and the New Ledger, a baseball blogger at BaseballCrank.com, BostonSportsGuy.com, the Providence Journal Online, and a contributor to the Command Post. His writings on politics, baseball, and law have appeared in numerous other newspapers, magazines, websites, and legal journals. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

As five states held primary elections on August 2, 2022, Chuck and Sam break down the latest results and bring us expert analysis you won’t hear anywhere else. Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

As five states held primary elections on August 2, 2022, Chuck and Sam break down the latest results and bring us expert analysis you won’t hear anywhere else. Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

As five states held primary elections on August 2, 2022, Chuck and Sam are joined by Matt Lewis of the Daily Beast as they break down the latest results and bring us expert analysis you won’t hear anywhere else. Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

With just a few days left before Arizona’s primary election, we are joined this week by two of Arizona’s top pollsters, George Khalaf and Mike Noble, for their final predictions and analysis of the election so far. Later in the show, Chuck and Sam talk with Mark Finchem, a member of the Arizona Legislature and current candidate for Secretary of State. - George Khalaf serves as President of Data Orbital and Managing Partner of The Resolute Group. For the last decade he has leveraged his political instincts, data expertise and strategic relationships to advance conservative clients and causes throughout Arizona and a growing number of states. He believes conservative policies create thriving communities and wants to arm conservative candidates and organizations with the best data, messaging, and strategy.With a strong grassroots and data background, George has worked at the local, state and national levels. Under George’s leadership, Data Orbital is a top ranked survey research and data visualization firm that is known for its accuracy and transparency. Data Orbital was the most accurate firm that polled Arizona political races and is top rated by FiveThirtyEight. Data Orbital’s survey research has been featured in top news outlets and publications such as The Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, NBC News, Fox News, Fox Business, The Arizona Republic, LA Times and others.As managing partner of The Resolute Group, he led the effort to keep the Arizona legislature conservative, playing in the most contentious districts and races across the state. He advises conservative candidates and organizations across the country on strategy. The firm is building a reputation for taking on and leaning into the toughest fights. They aim to shape the landscape, not merely exist in it.George’s engagement is driven by his personal faith and his Lebanese heritage. He knows firsthand the price of freedom and the importance of protecting our core values and Constitutional rights. In addition to his domestic political work, George is engaged in efforts to advance democracy and prosperity in Lebanon and lift up the Lebanese people both in the United States and in Lebanon.George graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s in Political Science. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, George currently lives in Phoenix, AZ.  When he is not tracking local and national political developments and advising clients, George enjoys traveling with his family and spending time with his two boys. - Mike Noble is the Chief of Research & Managing Partner of OH Predictive Insights (OHPI), a sister company of Arizona’s largest advertising agency, OH Partners. Noble is a thought leader on public opinion tracking and analysis and is known for being a trailblazer in the rapidly changing fields of predictive insights and market research.Mike found a passion for politics while working for an Arizona Congressman before starting OHPI, the premier non-partisan Arizona polling and consulting firm. Since then, Mike has become one of the top pollsters in the West, working with clients throughout Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.Mike’s approach involves getting in the trenches with his clients, striving to fully understand their businesses and goals with the result of providing accurate, unbiased, and actionable information. He is known for his presentations, public and private speaking engagements, and interviews where he interprets the meaning of the data. Providing this insight has led to interviews with The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Politico, The Hill, The Guardian, TIME magazine, Huffington Post, LA Times, BBC World News, and other respected television and radio outlets.Mike graduated from Arizona State University and is married to Rebecca Noble with whom he has one-year-old twin boys, Tommy and Teddy. - Mark Finchem is a candidate for Arizona Secretary of State. Living outside of Kalamazoo, Mark worked as a farmer and rancher in a small rural community. When he retired, Mark moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he worked in leadership roles in both small business and a multi-million dollar software company. In the private sector he earned a Six Sigma Certification in process excellence. Integrity we can trust. Hon. Finchem was originally elected to serve in the 2015 Legislature, Mark is now in his 4th and final term. Arizona has term limits, and Representatives are allowed 4 consecutive terms.- Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by Greg Lukianoff, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Later in the show, Mike Mazza joins the show to talk about China’s aggression towards Taiwan. - Greg Lukianoff is an attorney, New York Times best-selling author, and the President and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). He is the author of Unlearning Liberty: Campus Censorship and the End of American Debate, Freedom From Speech, and FIRE’s Guide to Free Speech on Campus. Most recently, he co-authored The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure with Jonathan Haidt. This New York Times best-seller expands  on their September 2015 Atlantic cover story of the same name. Greg is also an Executive Producer of Can We Take a Joke? (2015), a feature-length documentary that explores the collision between comedy, censorship, and outrage culture, both on and off campus, and of Mighty Ira: A Civil Liberties Story (2020), an award-winning feature-length film about the life and career of former ACLU Executive Director Ira Glasser. Greg has been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and numerous other publications. He frequently appears on TV shows and radio programs, including the CBS Evening News, The Today Show, and NPR’s Morning Edition. In 2008, he became the first-ever recipient of the Playboy Foundation’s Freedom of Expression Award, and he has testified before both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives about free speech issues on America’s college campuses. - Michael Mazza is a nonresident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Global Taiwan Institute (GTI), and the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). He analyzes U.S. defense policy in the Asia-Pacific region, Chinese military modernization, cross-Taiwan Strait relations, Korean Peninsula security, and U.S. interests in Southeast Asia. Mazza writes regularly for the Global Taiwan Brief, GTI's biweekly publication, and he has contributed to numerous AEI studies on American grand strategy in Asia, U.S. defense strategy in the Asia-Pacific, and Taiwanese defense strategy. His published work includes pieces in The Wall Street Journal Asia, Los Angeles Times, and Foreign Affairs.  Mazza has an MA in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced and International Studies and a BA in history from Cornell University. He has lived in China where he attended the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam have an all-star guest line up. First, Congressman Burgess Owens calls us from the Republican cloakroom as he prepares for a vote on the Democrats’ controversial abortion bill. Later in the show, we are joined by Jackie Toledo, current Republican member of Florida’s House of Representatives and candidate for Congress. Through it all, we are joined in studio by Mark DeLuzio, Republican candidate for Congress in Arizona’s Second Congressional District.  - Mark DeLuzio was the first in his family to earn a college degree. After college, Mark was successful in the corporate world, advising senior executives on strategy and tactics in a multitude of diverse industries. For the past 20 years, Mark has been a successful entrepreneur as the founder of a global management consulting company and has received international acclaim as a leader in his field. Mark has been married to his college sweetheart, Diane, for 41 years. They have two sons, Scott and Steven, who joined the military after the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Steve was killed in action in Afghanistan while his brother Scott was fighting just miles away. Like their two sons, Mark and his wife continue to give back to America by dedicating themselves to various military charities. Mark has also helped countless Veterans to start successful businesses. When elected, Mark will be the first Gold Star Father to serve in the US Congress. Mark and Diane have three beautiful grandchildren who are the joy of their lives. - Burgess Owens is the Congressman from Utah’s Fourth Congressional District. Born in the segregated South, he saw people of all backgrounds come together to work tirelessly against adversity. As a young man, Burgess was one of the first four black athletes recruited to play football at the University of Miami and the third black student there to receive a scholarship. He was the 13th pick in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft and joined the New York Jets, later playing safety for ten seasons in the NFL for the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders, winning the Superbowl with the 1980 Raiders’ team. After retiring from the NFL, Burgess worked in the corporate sales world and eventually moved the Owens family to beautiful Utah. Before being elected to Congress, he started Second Chance 4 Youth, a non-profit dedicated to helping troubled and incarcerated youth. Burgess now serves as a member of the House Education and Labor Committee and House Judiciary Committee. Burgess believes in dreaming big and follows the four guiding principles of faith, family, free markets, and education. - Representative Jackie Toledo is a Member of the Florida House of Representatives in the 60th District which includes Town 'n Country, South Tampa, and a stretch of the coast in Southern Hillsborough County to Ruskin. She’s a single mother of five with an adopted son and serving. She’s also an engineer by trade… not a lawyer. She was born in Lima, Peru. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam re joined by Andy Gould, former Arizona Supreme Court Justice and current candidate for Attorney General. Later in the show, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer stops by the studio to give us an update on this year’s primary election.  - Andy’s path to public service began with his parents. Growing up, the Gould family never had a lot of material success, but they were rich in far greater ways. Andy’s parents were good, hard-working people of great faith who stressed the importance of integrity, honesty and humility – values that inspired him to pursue a career in law.  As a  prosecutor in Yuma, Andy tried every type of criminal case imaginable, including the prosecution of criminal organizations located in Mexico. In 2001, Andy was appointed by the Governor to fill a vacant seat on the Yuma County Superior Court, where he served in that capacity for eleven years. In 2006, while serving on the Superior Court bench, he was appointed as  the Presiding Judge for Yuma County. In 2012, Andy was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals until he was given the honor of being appointed as Justice to the Arizona Supreme Court in 2016.  Arizona needs an Attorney General who will be ready on day one to go to court and fight for their rights, and Andy Gould is the right person for the job. Andy understands the legal challenges facing Arizona because he has spent more than 30 years addressing and presiding over the most complex civil and criminal cases in the State.  To show his commitment, Andy has stepped down from the Arizona Supreme Court – a decision that not many before him have made. But to quote Thomas Paine, “these are the times that try men’s souls.” Arizona needs leaders who are willing to sacrifice something for its people, and Andy Gould has proven he will do just that.  - Stephen took office as the 30th Maricopa County Recorder on January 4, 2021.  As Maricopa County Recorder, Stephen oversees a staff of approximately 165 full time employees who record over 1 million public documents annually, maintain the county’s voter registration database of 2.6 million voters (second largest voting jurisdiction in the United States), and, together with the County Supervisors, administer elections for 62% of Arizona’s voters. Prior to taking office, Stephen worked as a transactional lawyer, first at a large international law firm headquartered in Washington, DC, and later at a southwest law firm headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.   Stephen has also accrued significant business experience, having started or managed several businesses. The race for the Recorder’s Office was Stephen’s first foray into elected politics.  He won the August 2020 Republican primary by the largest margin of any countywide race, and he defeated the incumbent Democrat in November 3, 2020 general election in a year when Maricopa County chose the Democrat candidates in the presidential and U.S. Senate races by significant margins. Stephen holds a B.A. from Tulane University and a M.A. and J.D. from The University of Chicago.  Stephen lives in South Phoenix with his wife, Lindsay, whom he met at The University of Chicago Law School. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe