With the demise of the Voting Rights Act, Republicans are racing like mad to dismantle Black districts across the South. On this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, co-hosts David Nir and David Beard recap all the latest developments, including Donald Trump’s successful ouster of Indiana Republicans who opposed his drive to gerrymander their state, plus GOP efforts to impose new maps in Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee just six months before Election Day.

And just how did we get here? Kevin Morris, a senior research fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, tells us all about the history of the Supreme Court’s efforts to undermine voting rights, from Reconstruction through the Roberts court. Since 2013, SCOTUS has repeatedly chipped away at the VRA, with Callais serving as the final blow. Morris warns that the gravest effects are likely to be felt at the state and local level, which have yet to receive the attention they deserve.

Wednesday was one of the darkest days ever for American democracy, as the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act while pretending it was doing no such thing. But on this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, co-hosts David Nir and David Beard explain how Democrats can fight back, both by drawing new maps of their own and laying the groundwork for major SCOTUS reforms.

The Davids also talk with Eugene DePasquale, the chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, about why he’s bullish on the midterms. DePasquale tells us about much-improved Democratic fortunes in voter registration and highlights four critical congressional races in the Keystone State. He also explains how Democrats can retake full control of state government in November for the first time since the early 1990s.

Democrats kicked Eric Swalwell to the curb lightning-quick, and it’s a very good thing he’s gone. On this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, co-hosts David Nir and David Beard discuss the brave women who came forward to accuse Swalwell of sexual assault and wound up ending his political career. We also assess the fallout from his departure—and how it differs so starkly compared to the way Republicans dealt with a miscreant of their own, Tony Gonzales.

The Davids then talk with Maryam Jazini, the senior director of litigation at Common Cause, about the Justice Department’s efforts to wrest confidential vote data from nearly every state. Jazini explains why the DOJ’s crusade is such a dangerous component of Donald Trump’s hopes of asserting federal control over our elections. But groups like Common Cause are fighting back—and winning in court.

P.S. The Downballot podcast is taking next week off, but to attend the live recording of the Strength In Numbers podcast with Nir and G. Elliott Morris on April 23 in Washington, DC, please RSVP here!

It was a massive blowout for progressives up and down the ticket in Wisconsin on Tuesday night, capped by a rout in the race for the Supreme Court that saw liberals expand their hard-won majority. On this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, co-host David Beard and guest host Joe Sudbay break down all of the top contests, as well as the special election for Marjorie Taylor Greene’s old seat, which saw another massive Democratic overperformance.

Beard then talks with G. Elliott Morris from Strength in Numbers about his new report on Donald Trump’s job approval broken down by congressional district, which shows Trump underwater in a huge number of Republican seats. Elliott explains how he produced this unique data set and tells us where Trump has lost the most ground—and with which groups of voters.

There are 36 races for governor in 2026, and many are shaping up to be highly competitive. On this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, co-hosts David Nir and David Beard run through 10 of the most interesting races for governor across the country. They explain how the blue-leaning environment could help Democrats compete in red states and how ranked-choice voting systems could affect races in both Alaska and Maine.

The Davids also preview the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, a contest in which liberal candidate Chris Taylor looks like the decided favorite over her conservative rival, Maria Lazar. They discuss Democrats’ current structural advantage in races like these during the Trump era and consider the possibility of a dominant 6-1 progressive majority in 2027.

Democrats flipped not one but two districts in special elections on Tuesday night, and they managed it in Florida, of all places. On this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, co-hosts David Nir and David Beard discuss how Democrats pulled off this most unlikely of feats in a state where their hopes have so often gone to die in recent years—and why Republicans should be particularly worried.

We’re also diving deep into Maryland politics with Baltimore Sun reporter Tinashe Chingarande, who explains why the Democrats’ hope of opening a new front in the redistricting wars ran aground in the Old Line State. But Senate President Bill Ferguson, the man who shut down any hopes of a remap, faces an unusual primary challenge that could end his long dominance over the legislature. Plus, the jam-packed race to succeed Steny Hoyer!

Illinois’ high-profile, high-dollar primaries are finally in the rearview, and oh man have the hot takes come fast and furious. On this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, co-hosts David Nir and David Beard dial down the temperature to understand what really happened, with a special emphasis on the races for Senate and the 9th Congressional District. And no, Kat Abughazaleh did not run a “too online” campaign, as the Davids explain.

The hosts also speak with Torey Dolan, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School and an expert on how election law intersects with the lives of Native voters. Because Native citizenship is guaranteed by federal law while elections are governed by state law, major gaps between the two exist, especially for those living on reservations. Dolan details the challenges many Native voters face, and how they can be remedied.

On Tuesday night in New Hampshire, Democrats won yet another Republican seat in a special election—marking their 10th flip of Donald Trump’s second term. On this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, we unpack that race, then dive into a ton of others, including Steve Daines’ attempt to hand off his Senate seat to a preferred successor, Darrell Issa’s last-second dropout, runoff drama in Texas, upcoming primaries in Illinois, and more!