There is a quiet problem at the center of American democracy, and it has nothing to do with partisanship. It is a data problem. Government information in the United States is, by law, public. Voting records, campaign finance filings, committee memb…
We are watching three structural shifts unfold simultaneously, and the framing in most political coverage is missing the actual mechanics. As the host of Purple Political Breakdown, my job is to give people the chain of events without the partisan g…
By Radell Lewis, Host of Purple Political Breakdown Ohio's May 5, 2026 primary is roughly a week away, and a quiet but useful realignment is forming on the right side of the spectrum. On a recent double feature episode of Purple Political Breakdown…
Subtitle: A conversation with Dr. Bryan Hambley on gerrymandering, ballot language, voter rolls, and what it actually takes to fix a democracy. Body: When most people think about the offices that matter in a midterm election, they think governor, …
On the latest episode of Purple Political Breakdown, I sat down with Pisco, a lawyer and political streamer from Live and Learn, to have a conversation that I think every Democrat, strategist, and politically engaged citizen needs to hear. The quest…
By Radell Lewis, Host of Purple Political Breakdown There is a date on the calendar most Americans have not circled, and it is going to define the next six months of American political life. Around May 1, the 60-day clock under the War Powers Act …
The person who keeps Ohio state government financially honest is chosen by voters. Most Ohioans cannot name who currently holds that job. That mismatch between the power of the office and the public's awareness of it is the quiet story of the 2026 O…
Three stories broke this week that most outlets are still covering as separate news items. Together, they explain something important about how political influence is actually manufactured in 2026, and what it means for the Democratic Party heading …
There is a moment in political organizing when the opposition tells you exactly how to beat them. Most of the time, you miss it because you are too busy fighting about something else. Zee, Executive Director of National Ground Game and founder of th…
There are weeks in American politics where everything converges at once. This past week was one of them. As the host of Purple Political Breakdown, a nonpartisan political analysis podcast, I spent this episode walking through five major stories th…
Ohio's 7th Congressional District is quietly becoming one of the most closely watched races of the 2026 midterm cycle. Eight Democrats have filed to challenge Republican incumbent Max Miller in a May 5 primary that will determine who takes on a well…
The American Dream has always been anchored to homeownership. A place to raise your family. Stability. Something to pass down. But for millions of Americans, and Black families in particular, that dream has been systematically pushed further out of …
The United States is currently governed more by executive orders than by legislation. That is not hyperbole. It is a measurable fact. In his first 100 days back in office, President Trump signed 147 executive orders but only 5 bills into law. That i…
Every single statewide executive office in Ohio is open in 2026. The governor, attorney general, auditor, treasurer, and secretary of state are all term-limited out. Ohio voters are essentially restaffing the entire executive branch in a single elec…
The United States is currently engaged in a military conflict with Iran that is not going as planned, a Supreme Court battle over birthright citizenship that could fundamentally alter who qualifies as an American, an executive order designed to rest…
The phrase "court packing" has become one of the most debated terms in American politics. It gets thrown around in cable news segments and social media arguments, but most people do not actually understand what it means, whether it is legal, or how …
Democrats are going to get power back. That much seems likely. Emily Gregory just flipped a Florida state House seat that includes Mar-a-Lago, a district the previous Republican won by 19 points. Brian Nathan flipped a Tampa state Senate seat with r…
If you live in Ohio or care about what's happening in a state that still shapes national politics, the next seven months are going to be pivotal. The Statehouse is moving at full speed, primary elections are May 5, and the decisions being made right…
By Radell Lewis Host, Purple Political Breakdown Most Americans have heard the word "filibuster." Very few understand what it actually is, where it came from, or why it matters right now more than it has in decades. Here is the short version: the…
Introduction The 2026 midterm elections are approaching, and across the country, a new generation of candidates is stepping forward with backgrounds that look nothing like the typical political resume. In Ohio's 12th Congressional District, one of …
When Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, submitted his resignation, he did something unusual for a Trump appointee. He told the truth about why he was leaving. Kent stated that Iran posed no imminent threat to the Uni…
Congress Scores 0%: The Scorecard That Exposes What 540 Representatives Are Ignoring What if I told you there are 10 policy issues that 70% or more of Americans already agree on, backed by years of credible polling data, and Congress is doing essen…
There are weeks where the news feels heavy, and then there are weeks where the news feels like it is actively reshaping the country you live in. This was one of those weeks. On the latest episode of Purple Political Breakdown, I broke down three co…
Every two years, a handful of House races decide which party controls Congress. In 2026, Ohio's 1st Congressional District is one of them. After Ohio's redistricting commission unanimously approved a new congressional map in October 2025, this Cinc…