Election Chaos: Texas Republicans vs California Dems

Election Chaos: Texas Republicans vs California Dems

Author: Runaway Country with Alex Wagner May 28, 2026 Duration: 1:17:12
Could reality TV star Spencer Pratt become Mayor of Los Angeles? And could Trump’s endorsement of Ken Paxton cause Texas to go blue? This week, Alex dives into all things primaries to see if we can read the tea leaves for what awaits both Republicans and Democrats in the future. She’s joined by Nikki Laurenzo, anchor and political reporter for FOX40 in Sacramento, to break down the chaotic and still very undecided races shaping California politics. Then she speaks to Crooked Media’s Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Pod Save America and author of the Message Box newsletter, to get a read on the consequences of Senator John Cornyn’s loss to Ken Paxton, and why a crowded gubernatorial primary in California could be a warning for Democratic presidential hopefuls in 2028.

In a landscape saturated with political talk, Runaway Country with Alex Wagner offers a different kind of conversation. This podcast moves beyond the day-to-day noise of headlines to explore the deeper forces shaping American life. Alex Wagner guides listeners through complex intersections of power, identity, and belief, examining how cultural shifts and government policies resonate in communities across the nation. Each episode is built on thoughtful discussion that connects the dots between news events and their human consequences, asking what current political realities reveal about our society's trajectory. The focus is on understanding the undercurrents-the cultural narratives and historical contexts-that define this moment. You'll hear analysis that prioritizes depth over instant reaction, considering how issues of governance and politics are lived and felt far from the capital's corridors. It’s a space for considering the American story from multiple angles, making sense of a rapidly changing world. For anyone seeking a more nuanced perspective on the forces driving the country, this podcast provides essential listening.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner
Podcast Episodes
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President Trump’s acrimonious relationship with the press reached new heights after he banned MS NOW, Politico, and CNN from the White House — and other media organizations banded together to suspend the White House pres…
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Duration: 52:51
Less than two months before the midterms, the Supreme Court made a shockingly good decision and rejected a Trump rule that would have restricted mail-in ballots and possibly disenfranchised millions of voters. But Trump…
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Duration: 23:24
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Duration: 1:11:50
Usually parents breathe a sigh of relief when kids go back to school, but with over 3,000 confirmed cases of Measles spreading across the US, the consequences of the Trump administration’s disinformation and vaccine skep…
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Duration: 57:26
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Duration: 1:19:18
President Trump has embarked on a pro-AI data center kick, causing a world of hurt for his own party. The gigantic, energy-guzzling factories are literally and figuratively steamrolling small rural communities—the very s…
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Duration: 25:47
North Carolina is one of the most closely divided states in the country. But when it comes to political power, the story is much more complicated.Jen, Mitch, and Errin explore the growing power of unaffiliated voters, th…
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Duration: 1:13:45
Democratic Socialists are racking up wins in primaries across the country, Tucker Carlson is conspiring with other exiled MAGA stars to form a third party, and polling shows that American voters are open to a system with…
Trump Tries to Bleach the Country [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:49
Up to 350,000 Haitians have now lost their Temporary Protected Status in the United States, and they are only one ethnic group among the more than 1.3 million people that the Trump administration wants out. This week Ale…
Stopping the Steal (Again) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:25
Donald Trump just got one step closer to stealing the next election. The Senate confirms a new head of National Intelligence: former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton — a man who won't say wh…