The NPR Politics Podcast

Texas: Democrats' eternal hope

Democrats have long seen Texas as the next state for their politicians and ideas to break through, but they haven't won a statewide race there since 1994. We look at why

Why Dems see opportunity in Alaska

Democrats think they have a shot at winning a U.S. Senate seat and the governor's mansion in Alaska this election. We look at the issues at stake, and why Republicans are

The Kansas Senate race is looking like a toss up. Yes, really.

Kansas hasn't elected a Democratic senator since the 1930s. But political headwinds against Republicans are turning this year's race between incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall

A week of warning signs for the GOP?

This week saw staffing changes at the White House, the president hitting the road to campaign in Republican strongholds, and backlash to a deal to buy diesel fuel from Ru

They voted for Trump in 2024. Now, they regret it.

As part of our monthly series of focus groups with swing voters, we head to Georgia, where many voters say they regret giving Trump a second run at the White House in 202

AI chatbots: the new voter guides?

Voters have many ways to learn about the candidates and issues they'll vote on each election cycle. Some are now turning to AI chatbots to get that info, asking the tools

Why the GOP Is now worried about Ohio

Ohio was a political bellwether for many years, but has trended solidly Republican since Donald Trump entered politics. But now, Democrats are closing the gap in races fo

What does the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq mean for the region? | Sources & Methods

Earlier this month, American forces fully withdrew from Iraq for the second time since the 2003 invasion. In this episode of NPR's national security podcast Sources & Me

It's a great time to spy on America

The FBI has cut counterintelligence efforts, dedicating fewer resources to finding and preventing espionage in the United States. What are the practical, and political, i

What is the Protect College Sports Act?

During many college sports events recently, ads have run encouraging people to call their congressmembers to support the Protect College Sports Act. But what exactly woul

California considers a wealth tax on billionaires

California has more billionaires than any other state in the U.S. On the state's ballot this election cycle is a proposition to levy a one-time wealth tax on its resident

Why Democrats and Republicans have hope in the Midwest

Democrats see opportunity in Iowa to flip a Senate seat, while Republicans see a chance in Minnesota. We break down the state of play across those states and in Nebraska,

The path to Senate control runs through this state

Incumbent Sen. Susan Collins is the Republican defending a Senate seat in a state Kamala Harris won in 2024. Democrats replaced their nominee in July with Troy Jackson, a

From the pulpit to the political arena

In some parts of the country, active clergy members are running for office as Democrats, citing the Bible's parable of the Good Samaritan as part of their reasoning for s

What's on the Supreme Court docket this term?

The Supreme Court has a busy agenda as it begins its new term in October. We take a look at some of the key cases that are set to be argued & decided, and what impacts th

A trip to one of the last toss-up districts

Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley has one of this election cycle's last remaining toss-up districts. Latino voters make up a majority of voters in Allentown, and both Democrat

It's time for a voting vibe check

Voters are already voting in this year's midterms. With Election Day just five weeks away, we take a look at how things are going so far in an election cycle filled with

What's next for the Freedom Caucus?

As one founder of the movement described it to NPR, the Freedom Caucus was "MAGA before MAGA." The Republican lawmakers pushed their party to be more conservative, and fo

The NPR Politics Podcast — live from Seattle!

The podcast hits the road and heads to Seattle to talk about the big issues and races our reporters are watching. This episode was recorded before a live audience on Thur

(Almost) everything you wanted to know about politics (but were afraid to ask)

Tam, Miles and Mara answer questions about the midterms, the state of politics today, and more in this special episode recorded before a live virtual audience. This epis