New Faces of Democracy

This episode features a conversation with Jeff Clements, cofounder and CEO of American Promise. American Promise is a nonprofit dedicated to undoing the damage wrought by the Supreme Court in Citizens United and returning the power to regulate money in politics back to We The People. The way to do this is by a 28th amendment to the Constitution. There is no easy fix to our troubled times, but there is also no question that unlimited amounts of money in campaigns and elections has a distorting and corrosive effect that is destabilizing our democracy. Billionaires, foreign entities, corporations, dark money or disclosed, all are overwhelming our political system with billions of dollars that drown out the voices of everyday Americans. Jeff and Nancy speak about how the Supreme Court is uniquely unsuited to resolve questions of complex political policy; why a constitutional amendment is the only solution; and the crosspartisan support behind the amendment with 24 states already on board. You can learn more, sign the citizen pledge, donate and volunteer at americanpromise.net.In addition to being cofounder and CEO of American Promise, Jeff is also a former Assistant Attorney General of Massachusetts and the author of Corporations Are Not People.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

If you’re a regular listener of this podcast, you know that it rarely features political candidates. Why? They are often way too boring! But that description does not apply to Jami Floyd who is running for Congress in New York City’s 12th Congressional district. This is not just any race but the highly coveted seat that has been held for decades by Jerry Nadler. Nancy recently met Jami and was so impressed with her intelligence, background and authenticity that she wanted to introduce her to podcast listeners as well. In this lively yet insightful conversation, Nancy and Jami speak about being a native New Yorker who knows how to fight, bringing the Democratic party together, and actually listening to voters to deliver what they need. Whether or not you’re a New Yorker, the fact that people like Jami are willing to step up and fight for democracy will give you hope for the future of our country.Jami Floyd was born and raised in New York City, and by age 15, she was working in restaurants and retail around the district, building the grit that carried her through college and law school. After practicing law, Jami served as a White House Fellow in the Clinton Administration. She then traded DC politics for journalism to elevate the voices of real people in NY. Jami went on to cover their challenges for national news outlets like MSNBC, ABC News, and WNYC, where she hosted All Things Considered. She’s still focused on helping her neighbors and today serves on Manhattan Community Board 7 where she sits on the Transportation Committee and chairs the Public Safety Task Force. You can learn more about Jami on her campaign website, jamifloydforcongress.com.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

This episode features Heather Cronk, founder of Project 21:12, a group that helps ex-evangelical Christians, or exvangelicals as they are known, find community with others like them, and take action to diminish the power of rising Christian Nationalism, fueled in part by evangelical leaders. Heather and Nancy speak about the power of community within the church and the importance of creating a new community for people leaving it; Evangelicals’ transactional alliances with unlikely partners to pursue their end goals; and how secular progressives are reading the room wrong when it comes to strategically pushing back on the church’s agenda. You won’t want to miss this episode for Heather’s fascinating insights into the evangelical mindset and the very real dangers that it poses to our democracy.Project 21:12PRRI, “Exvangelicals: Who They Are, Why They Left, and What They Believe”Matthew D. Taylor, The Violent Take it By Force: The Christian Movement That is Threatening Our DemocracyThank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

On this episode, Nancy is joined by guest co-host Betsy Morgan to speak with award- winning documentary filmmakers Kim Snyder and Maria Cuomo Cole about their recent documentary The Librarians. The film is a moving portrayal of the school librarians on the front line in the battle against book bans and censorship. In the film, Kim and Maria deftly explore how the rightwing political movement that started with parental rights evolved into an attack on librarians, traditionally viewed as valued and apolitical members of our society. Their conversation touches on the dark forces behind the book bans, the bravery and conviction of the librarians who have stepped outside their comfort zones to fight these bans, and the bipartisan movement that has been sparked by the film, giving voice to everyday Americans who oppose censorship and believe deeply in intellectual freedom. To learn more about how you can watch The Librarians or even host a screening, go to thelibrariansfilm.com. The film will also be broadcast on February 9th, 2026 on PBS, check your local station for details.Kim A. Snyder is an Academy Award® nominee and Peabody Award-winning Director / Producer whose latest feature, THE LIBRARIANS, premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and is now released globally in 160+ cities. Her Oscar-nominated short DEATH BY NUMBERS, co-created with gun-violence survivor Sam Fuentes, has won multiple awards. Snyder’s acclaimed films include US KIDS (Sundance 2020), LESSONS FROM A SCHOOL SHOOTING (Netflix Original), and NEWTOWN (Sundance 2016, Peabody Award, PBS). Her earlier work includes WELCOME TO SHELBYVILLE (PBS) and I REMEMBER ME (Zeitgeist Films). She also associate produced the Oscar-winning short TREVOR, which spawned The Trevor Project. Snyder holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins SAIS and lives in New York City.Peabody and Emmy Award-winning producer Maria Cuomo Cole’s credits include the Oscar-Nominated DEATH BY NUMBERS (2024, Montclair - Best Short Doc), US KIDS (Sundance 2020), LESSONS FROM A SCHOOL SHOOTING (Netflix), NEWTOWN (Sundance 2016) and Oscar-shortlisted Living for 32 (2010), EP: THE HUNTING GROUND (2015) and Oscar-nominated THE INVISIBLE WAR (2014)Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.Photo credit: Tessa Belle Dillman Photography

On this episode, Nancy is speaking with former governor, former presidential candidate and former Democratic National Committee chair, Howard Dean. When Governor Dean served as the DNC chair, he implemented what he called the “fifty state strategy,” a radical idea at the time with a goal of supporting Democrats in every state in the country, be it red, blue or purple. Governor Dean and Nancy discuss how the strategy worked two decades ago, what a robust version of it could look like today, and how to keep the grassroots growing and not left to wither in the sun. Don’t miss this refreshing conversation with a person who has seen the inner workings of government at the highest levels and speaks with refreshing candor about how things played out then and what we need to be doing now.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

On this episode, Nancy is joined once again by guest co-host Betsy Morgan for a conversation with Robert Hubbell of Today’s Edition newsletter, the ultimate resource for grassroots Democrats who can’t face the news. In Today’s Edition, Robert provides a digest of the day’s news, couched in hopeful realism. In other words, Robert spends his days immersed in the media landscape so you don’t have to. And on this episode he is giving us a much needed pep talk. Robert, Betsy and Nancy talk about how to keep on keeping on during dark times, the importance of perspective, how to find joy in activism, and becoming the leader you want to see in the world.  You can subscribe to Today’s Edition (for free if you want!) on Substack.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here. If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

If you’re listening to this podcast, you’re probably no stranger to the postcard writing groups that have blossomed since the 2016 election. In fact, you may have written some of them yourself. But Nancy’s guest on this episode, Erin Miller, has come up with a different take on the postcard concept with her new group, Cartoons for Democracy. Instead of writing to Democrats to get out the vote as existing groups do, she is targeting Republican and independent voters with postcards featuring political cartoons in an effort to break through corporate media bubbles and get people thinking for themselves. Erin and Nancy talk about the power of political cartoons, why postcards are uniquely well suited for this kind of messaging, and the current postcard campaign going on in Virginia where you can have an impact in the upcoming elections there. To learn more about Cartoons for Democracy or make a donation, visit their website here or you can order postcards for their current campaigns here.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

On this episode, Nancy is joined once again with guest co-host Betsy Morgan for a conversation with Brian Derrick, of the online Democratic fundraising platform, Oath.Vote. Brian last came on the podcast in July 2024 when many of us were still nervously hopeful that a Democrat might win the election. Now a year later, but feeling like worlds apart from the American democracy as it existed back then, Nancy and Betsy talk to Brian about Oath’s impact in 2024, their big goals for Virginia this fall and bigger goals for the midterms, the difference between witnessing and action, and so much more. Listen to the end for some great actionable suggestions for you or anyone else trying to figure out how to get more involved. And a direct link to their most impactful ways to give, updated in real time, is here. At a time where there is woefully little to feel good about, this conversation is like a ray of political sunshine.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

Nancy is joined by guest host Betsy Morgan on this episode featuring superstar activist Jess Piper speaking about how Democrats can win with rural voters. Jess has become a prominent voice for rural Democrats and in her work at Blue Missouri, she and her colleagues are working to run a Democrat in every race in the state. Jess, Betsy and Nancy talk about the desperate state of affairs in rural Missouri where infrastructure has been gutted by the Republican state supermajority; what Democrats get wrong when it comes to rural voters; and how a relatively small increase in Democratic turnout in those areas can have outsize impacts on top of ballot races.To learn more about Jess and her work, check out her Substack newsletter and to support Blue Missouri, you can do so here.The University of New Hampshire study that Jess refers to in the podcast can be found here.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

This episode features Jackie Payne of Galvanize Action, an organization that focuses on moderate women living in rural, small town and suburban areas. These women want progress on key issues but aren’t reliably playing a role to get us there. Galvanize Action helps them connect with their values in a way that impacts their civic behavior. Nancy and Jackie talk about the neuroscience and behavioral psychology underlying the work at Galvanize Action; the nuanced concerns of this group of women that constitute the largest voting bloc in the country; and the challenges posed by misinformation and disinformation. To learn more about Galvanize Action and see examples of their top-performing messaging, check out their highlights page.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

This episode features a conversation with Sarah Curmi, Executive Director of Sister District. Founded in the aftermath of the 2016 election, Sister District is a women-led grassroots political group that is dedicated to building lasting Democratic power in state legislatures. The group is powered by volunteers in blue districts that pair or “sister” up with key swing districts where their efforts can really move the needle. Unlike some other groups that have petered out over the years, the folks at Sister District have taken their mandate and run with it, expanding their operations to much more than just elections. Sarah and Nancy talk about the secret sauce that makes Sister District different, their work with local grassroots groups, and the community that people can find within the local chapters. Sister District is doing really interesting, smart and multifaceted work; you can check out their website to learn more and get involved.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

This episode features a conversation with Amanda Carpenter of Protect Democracy, a cross-ideological nonprofit devoted to stopping authoritarianism. Nancy first featured Protect Democracy on this podcast four years ago, shortly after the January 6th insurrection. Given the rollercoaster that we have been on since then, and the new and dangerous threats that we face as a country, this seemed like a good time to check back in. Amanda and Nancy discuss the challenges of imposing political consequences without political power, and how the pro-democracy coalition must channel the energy and anger of the current moment into meaningful pressure from the outside in and the bottom up. They also talk about he ways in which Trump is following the authoritarian playbook to dismantle democratic institutions, as well as specific, concrete actions that we can all do to protect democracy.Mentioned in the episode:Sign up for the If You Can Keep It newsletterThe Authoritarian Playbook for 2025How *You* Can Protect DemocracyHow to Pay AttentionThank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

Is registering Democrats the key to saving the world? That’s the premise behind Field Team 6 whose founder Jason Berlin is Nancy’s guest on this episode. Jason and Nancy first spoke five years ago when Field Team 6 was registering voters in parking lots. Now the group has grown into a grassroots powerhouse that is reaching millions of unregistered voters online and in person and getting out the vote in swing states and districts around the country. Jason and I talk about the massive volunteer army that powers his organization, with teams of experts in their fields; and the measurable impact of their work in winning elections with the slimmest margins of victory; and their initiative to combat ballot rolloff. In a time when it feels hard to smile, Jason and his great sense of humor make resistance fun. And one last thing – we are excited to announce that New Faces of Democracy is now a member of the Democracy Group, a network of podcasts and organizations that create educational content about democracy, civic engagement, and civil discourse. Check it out! Here is the New Faces of Democracy profile of Jason from 2020.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here. If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!Follow New Faces of Democracy on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.

This episode features a conversation with Dana Castner, founder of Choice Tracker, a new and important tool in the fight for reproductive freedom. When the Supreme Court ruled in June 2022  that abortion laws must be decided by the states, that put a lot of power in the hands of our state legislators, many of whom we had never heard of, let alone knew their stances on abortion. That’s what Dana discovered and led her to start the all-volunteer group Choice Tracker just two weeks after the Dobbs decision. Nancy and Dana discuss the value in providing voters all the available information on their state representatives in one place; what actions people can take both in election cycles and off years; and why constitutional abortion protections are not enough to save us on their own. Listen to the end if you want to know how to bring Choice Tracker to your state and other ways you can help now, not just right before the next election.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here. If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send an email to [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!

This episode features a conversation with activist Jess Craven of Chop Wood Carry Water. With close to half a million followers on TikTok and 53,000 subscribers to her substack, Jess is a fierce and passionate warrior for democracy. On this episode, Jess shares with Nancy her view of what it means to be an activist at this time full of so many unknowns, how to find hope through action, some of her favorite organizations right now, and so much more. Tune in for a dose of sanity and humanity, and you will leave both calmed and energized for whatever it is that lies ahead.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!

This season is dedicated to helping you get your head out of the sand after a brutally disappointing election, finding strength through community and taking action that helps real people in palpable ways. If you’re looking for rage, this may not be the place for you, but if you seek inspiration, and maybe even hope, then tune into to Season 5 of the New Faces of Democracy podcast.

This episode features a conversation with Grace Cowan of Frogmore Stew, a podcast focused on South Carolina politics. Nancy and Grace thought it would be interesting, on the cusp of this momentous election, to see how life looks like on the other side of our red state and blue state fences. They talk about how when it comes down to everyday issues there really is a lot more blurring of the partisan lines than the media and national party propaganda would have us believe. They also discuss how certain issues like climate change can transcend party, and that, in the end, there is much more that unites us than divides us. Sure, we have different opinions, but in a nation dominated by an us vs. them mentality, this conversation will make you feel better about the prospect of coming together as a country again. We just have to keep talking. Frogmore Stew is a podcast about South Carolina politics, political history and political culture.  Grace and her guests talk through the intersection of national and state politics, she feature guests that give deep insight into a variety of topics, and she looks at how pop culture has become intertwined in our political vernacular.  Frogmore Stew is a realistic and educated approach to the policy issues that affect South Carolinians everyday.  Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here. If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send an email to [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!

What if Trump wins? On this episode, Nancy has a conversation with Mark Bergman about something none of us want to think about: what would happen to the rule of law and American democracy in a second Trump term. Last spring, Mark was an observer at a series of large scale simulated exercises (aka war games) stress testing democracy under an authoritarian ruler. Hosted by the Brennan Center, a nonpartisan think tank at NYU Law School, the exercises were conducted as part of theDemocracy Futures Project. Nancy and Mark discuss the outcome of the games, our lack of preparedness for an unfettered Trump, a few positive takeaways and important groups defending democracy that need our support. The number one most important lesson of these exercises? Elect Kamala Harris on November 5th.Mark S. Bergman is a former international corporate lawyer who, through 7Pillars Global Insights, LLC, comments, briefs and convenes on a range of political, geopolitical and democracy-related topics. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the International Crisis Group, a Director of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to reversing the rising tide of polarization, extremism, weaponization of hate and disinformation worldwide), a Director of Bellingcat US and a Director of TIM Cooperative (an NGO focused on information quality). Mark is also a member of the National Finance Committee of the Democratic National Committee.Pro-Democracy Organizations Recommended by MarkProtect DemocracyDemocracy ForwardPrinciples FirstState Democracy Defenders ActionACLUThe National Immigration Law CenterThank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send an email to [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!