Local Selection

Ep. 23 – Georgia State Representative Park Cannon
Recorded in a living room in Atlanta, GA
 
"This idea of queering politics – it’s been fun. We’ve had drag show fundraisers for campaigns. Yes we have." – Park Cannon
 
You can order a copy of Park’s book, The Universal Guide to Running for Office
Here’s more info on the recently enacted gerrymandered Georgia maps

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 Follow Park on the socials! You will be glad you did.
 Twitter: @CannonFor58
Instagram: @parkcannon58

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Shiva Rajbhandari
Recorded via video conferencing

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Check out the fabulous merch! 

Follow Shiva on the socials! You will be glad you did.
Twitter: @_Shiva_R
Instagram: @shiva_rajbhandari

Further reading:
Idaho’s Far Right Suffers Election Loss to 18-Year-Old Climate Activist from The Intercept
Idaho librarian resigns over ‘atmosphere of extremism’ and ‘intimidation tactics’ from The Guardian

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Kurt Thigpen – First Out LGBTQ School Board Member in Nevada
Recorded at Ace Studios, Reno, NV

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Follow [guest] on the socials! You will be glad you did.
Twitter: @KurtThigpen
Instagram: @KurtThigpen

Links:
Kurt’s resignation op-ed and link to buy his book about how to campaign for office
NPR article about the groups funding school board protests
National Education Association article about the school board protests
Politico article on conservative groups pouring money into school board races (Sept. ’22)

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Gabby Salinas, former candidate for TN state legislature
Recorded live at Moma BBQ, Memphis, TN
 
"I think people power is extremely important." – Gabby Salinas

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Check out our Website – localselectionpodcast.comand fabulous merch

Follow Gabby Salinas on the socials! You will be glad you did.

Facebook: @VoteForGabby
Twitter: @GabbySalinas
Instagram: @VoteForGabby

You can read more about the forces behind gerrymandering, fair districts, and flipping the Michigan State Legislature here. If you wanna read about the reality detachment of the previous leadership there, here ya go.

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Mauree Turner, Oklahoma State Rep. House District 88
Recorded live at Sincerely Coffee Roasters, Oklahoma City, OK
 
"Oklahoma’s not a red state, but its voice is real red." – Mauree Turner

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We now have fabulous merch! If you want everyone to know you think Local Representation is Sexy then you owe it to yourself to wear it on a t-shirt! (or mug or notebook or stickers etc)

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Mauree’s Website – check it out!

Facebook: @MaureeTurnerOK
Twitter: @MaureeTurnerOK
Instagram: @MaureeTurnerOK

Mauree mentioned several individuals who were killed by Oklahoma police. Here are links if you want to know more about the circumstances around the violent deaths at the hands of law enforcement of Terence Crutcher, Bennie Edwards, Derrick Scott, or Isaiah Lewis. Here is the Mapping Police Violence Project, whose horrifying data I sighted. And here is Heather McGhee’s brilliant podcast, The Sum of Us.

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Kelly Krout, candidate for Arkansas Lieutenant Governor

Recorded live in Kelly’s home, Atlanta, GA
 
“So much of the crap we saw go down in the Arkansas state legislature is not giving every single human equal dignity, and that bothers me at a core level,” – Kelly Krout
 
Please consider supporting us on Patreon and help make this series sustainable

Check out our Website – localselectionpodcast.com

We now have fabulous merch! If you want everyone to know you think Local Representation is Sexy then you owe it to yourself to wear it on a t-shirt! (or mug or notebook or stickers etc)

 Follow Kelly Krout on the socials! You will be glad you did.

Kelly’s Campaign Website – check it out!

TikTok: @KellyForArkansas
Facebook: @KellyForArkansas
Twitter: @Kelly4Arkansas
Instagram: @KellyForArkansas

Those TikTok’s I played in the intro? Here’s the Lt. Gov. song, and here is the response to the law banning abortions in AK. 

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Bee Nguyen, Candidate for Georgia Secretary of State

Recorded live in Bee’s home, Atlanta, GA
 
"We are battling efforts to subvert democracy." – Bee Nguyen
 
Please consider supporting us on Patreon and help make this series sustainable
Check out our Website – localselectionpodcast.com
We now have fabulous merch! If you want everyone to know you think Local Representation is Sexy then you owe it to yourself to wear it on a t-shirt! (or mug or notebook or stickers etc)

Follow Bee Nguyen on the socials! You will be glad you did.
Bee’s campaign website – check it out!
Twitter: @BeeForGeorgia
Instagram: @BeeForGeorgia

Here is the APM Reports article on voter suppression tactics in the Georgia 2018 governor’s race I mentioned in the intro. 

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Jecorey Arthur, Louisville Metro Council Member District 4
Recorded live in Jecorey’s council office, downtown Louisville
 
"I think of politics almost in the same way that I think of brushing your teeth. You should do it at least twice a day." – Jecorey Arthur
 
  Please consider supporting us on Patreon and help make this series sustainable

Check out our Website – localselectionpodcast.com

We now have fabulous merch! If you want everyone to know you think Local Representation is Sexy then you owe it to yourself to wear it on a t-shirt! (or mug or notebook or stickers etc)

Follow Jecorey Arthur on the socials! You will be glad you did.

Facebook: @jecoreyarthur
YouTube: @jecoreyarthur
Twitter: @jecoreyarthur
Instagram: @jecoreyarthur

More info on his website. Here are the links to the article in Capital B News, and here is the video of the press conference where Jecorey speaks to the public following a shooting death.

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Stephe Koontz, Doraville, Georgia City Councilmember
Interviewed in English Oak Park, Doraville, Georgia
 
“I became the first transgender person in the southeastern United States to win a contested,” – Stephe Koontz
 
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We now have fabulous merch! If you want everyone to know you think Local Representation is Sexy then you owe it to yourself to wear it on a t-shirt! (or mug or notebook or stickers etc)

 Follow Stephe on the socials! You will be glad you did.
Instagram: @stephekoontz

Follow US for more local democracy info around the country (and pictures!):
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Instagram: @localselectionpodcast

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Ep. 14 London Lamar, Tennessee State Representative, district 91

"Two things that I always want us to go into 2022 having: Grace and Accountability." – London Lamar

 Follow Rep. Lamar on the socials! You will be glad you did.
 Twitter: @RepLamar
Instagram: @LondonLamarTN

Some links to things we talked about:

--Tennessee’s redistricting that combines London Lamar’s district with her fellow youngest member
--In Tennessee, Trying to Help Voters Could Get You Charged With a Crime
--An elected county judge in Tennessee is responsible for this: Black Children Were Jailed for a Crime that Doesn’t Exist.

Check out our Website – localselectionpodcast.com

We now have fabulous merch! If you want everyone to know you think Local Representation is Sexy then you owe it to yourself to wear it on a t-shirt! (or mug or notebook or stickers etc)

Follow US for more local democracy info around the country (and pictures!):
Twitter: @LocalSelection
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Twitter: @bhastert

Anna Eskamani, Florida State Representative District 47
"When you’re most afraid to speak is when you must speak." –Anna Eskamani
 
Please consider supporting us on Patreon and help make this series sustainable
Check out our Website – localselectionpodcast.com

We now have fabulous merch! If you want everyone to know you think Local Representation is Sexy then you owe it to yourself to wear it on a t-shirt! (or mug or notebook or stickers etc)

 Follow [guest] on the socials! You will be glad you did.
 Twitter: @AnnaForFlorida
Instagram: @AnnaForFlorida
TikTok: @AnnaForFlorida

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Nida Allam, Durham County Commissioner
"No one can tell you to wait your turn. No one can tell you that you can't do it." - Nida Allam

Please consider supporting us on Patreon and help make this series sustainable

Here’s an article about the study I mentioned about North Carolina no longer qualifying as a functional democracy.

The study’s author, Andrew Reynolds, a professor at UNC – Chapel Hill, taking a victory lap two years later:

Check out our Website! – localselectionpodcast.com

We now have fabulous merch! If you want everyone to know you think Local Representation is Sexy then you owe it to yourself to wear it on a t-shirt! (or mug or notebook or stickers etc)

Follow Nida on the socials!
Twitter: @nidaallam
Instagram: @nidaallam

Follow US for more local democracy info around the country (and pictures!):
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Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State

Please consider supporting us on Patreon and help make this series sustainable

Check out our Website – localselectionpodcast.com

We now have fabulous merch! If you want everyone to know you think Local Representation is Sexy then you owe it to yourself to wear it on a t-shirt! (or mug or notebook or stickers etc)

Articles on Ken Blackwell and 2004 Ohio voter suppression and election rigging:

Ken Blackwell’s Greatest “Hits”: Voting Edition – ACLU Ohio https://www.acluohio.org/archives/blog-posts/ken-blackwells-greatest-hits

Mother Jones on voting machines (pre-election) https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2004/03/diebolds-political-machine/

NY Times: Glitch Found in Ohio Counting https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/06/politics/campaign/glitch-found-in-ohio-counting.html

Follow Jocelyn Benson on the socials! You will be glad you did.
Twitter: @JocelynBenson
Instagram: @JocelynBenson

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Christina Haswood, Kansas State Representative, House District 10

"How many times in this room of the House of the Chamber are the discussions that try to take and dehumanize Indigenous peoples and Native Americans? I was like, man, whatever they tried to do in this room, it didn’t work. It failed. I’m here." – Christina Haswood

Please consider supporting us on Patreon and help make this series sustainable

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We now have fabulous merch! If you want everyone to know you think Local Representation is Sexy then you owe it to yourself to wear it on a t-shirt! (or mug or notebook or stickers etc)

Follow Christina on the socials! You will be glad you did.
Twitter: @HaswoodforKS
TikTok: @HaswoodforKS
Instagram: @HaswoodforKS

Here is a link specifically to the TikTok from the swearing in ceremony
And here is the link to the FABULOUS video explainer of "The Kansas Experiment" (aka, "the Brownback Experiment") from Loud Light that Christina mentioned in the interview.

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Katie Rosenberg, Mayor of Wausau, Wisconsin

"I know we have the philosophical debates, but at the end of the day it’s like: do we care about our neighbors or do we not?" – Katie Rosenberg

 Follow Katie on the socials! You will be glad you did.
 Twitter: @katierosenberg

Here’s the website for Mayors for a Guaranteed Income.

Here’s an NPR article with the results I referenced from the Michael Tubbs’ foray into guaranteed income in Stockton, aka the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration.

Please consider supporting Local Selection on Patreon.

Check out our Website – localselectionpodcast.com

We now have fabulous merch! If you want everyone to know you think Local Representation is Sexy then you owe it to yourself to wear it on a t-shirt! (or mug or notebook or stickers etc)

Follow US for more local democracy info around the country (and pictures!):
Twitter: @LocalSelection
Instagram: @localselectionpodcast

Follow our host for his v feisty political thoughts and/or videos of him eating pastries and doing chores:
Instagram: @bhastert
Twitter: @bhastert

Lorena González, Seattle City Council President and Candidate for Mayor of Seattle

"Seattle is an example of how you can be reforming your police department for 12 years and still get a knee on the neck when you’re protesting." – Lorena González

If you like what you heard here today, please consider supporting us on Patreon and help make this series sustainable

We now have fabulous merch! If you want everyone to know you think Local Representation is Sexy then you owe it to yourself to wear it on a t-shirt! (or mug or notebook or stickers etc)

Check out our Website – localselectionpodcast.com

Follow Lorena González on the socials! You will be glad you did.
Twitter: @cmlgonzalez (mayoral campaign account: @mlorenagonzalez
Instagram: @cmlorenagonzalez (mayoral campaign IG: @lorena4seattle)

Here is an article with more coverage of the police budget negotiations from Sept. 2020. The article includes a local King 5 news station video that features today’s guest – give it a watch.

 Follow US for more local democracy info around the country (and pictures!):
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Follow our host for his v feisty political thoughts and/or videos of him eating pastries and doing chores:
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Madinah Wilson-Anton, Delaware State Representative - district 26

"They thought we were joke candidates, they didn’t think we had a shot at all. And then to see all of us sweep out incumbants? People were like – oh crap. Maybe people actually want the things that are on their websites. Maybe we should act differently. And that’s real power." – Madinah Wilson-Anton

Please consider supporting us on Patreon and help make this series sustainable

Check out our Website – localselectionpodcast.com

We now have fabulous merch! If you want everyone to know you think Local Representation is Sexy then you owe it to yourself to wear it on a t-shirt! (or mug or notebook or stickers etc)

 Follow Madinah on the socials! You will be glad you did.
 Twitter: @MadinahForDE
Instagram: @MadinahForDE
And here's her website that I glowed about in the interview.

Follow US for more local democracy info around the country (and pictures!):
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Santa Claus, North Pole City Council, Alaska

"That whole love vs. fear dynamic that kept popping up through my different careers." - Santa Claus

You can't follow (this) Santa on social media, as awesome as that would be, but he does have a website you can visit: santaclausnorthpolealaska.com

For more background on some of the stats I mention re: the challenges that adults have created for children in America:

Stats on children and teens killed by guns, more info on child gun deaths with more info on race and immigration factors

Uninsured children rates rise

Trying minors as adults (and why it is bad)

Follow US for more local democracy info around the country:
Twitter: @LocalSelection
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Follow our host for his v feisty political thoughts and/or videos of him eating pastries:
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Follow on Twitter: @LocalSelection and Instagram: @LocalSelectionPodcast

Today's episode features *gasp* two guests who are not elected officials.

We're talking about activism, and moments of "gateway activism". How we encourage others and ourselves to notice our relative privileges and turn holiday charity aimed at the hardship of the moment into activism aimed at the systems that perpetuate these hardships year after year.

Megan Merrick is a nurse in Denver who works mainly with severely ill children and their families. In May she appeared with Brian on the 24+ hour filibuster Hold The Floor. More about that at holdthefloor.info, and videos of the event on Instagram - @bhastert.

Jonathan Judge is the Director of Youth Engagement at Rise Above Colorado, an organization founded to help empower teenagers to make healthy choices and avoid substance abuse. More info at iriseaboveco.org.

Some additional reading on the darker origins of Thanksgiving.

The books that Megan mentioned:
No One Ever Asked Me: The World War II Memoirs of an Omaha Indian Soldier

A Little Radical: The ABCs of Activism

A Child's First Book of Trump - by Michael Ian Black

Leslie Herod, Colorad State Rep
Recorded on location at Honey Hill Café in Denver, CO

"The best of us looks out for each of us." - Leslie Herod

Follow Leslie on the socials! You will be glad you did.
Twitter: @LeslieHerod
Instagram: @LeslieHerod

Follow US for more local democracy info around the country and bts shots:
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Instagram: @localselectionpodcast

Follow our host for his v feisty political thoughts and/or videos of him eating pastries:
Twitter: @bhastert
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