Can an Independent Candidate Survive New York Politics? Ft. Todd Sloan

Todd Sloan is a defense attorney from Auburn, New York and an independent candidate for Congress in NY-24, a heavily Republican seat held by Rep. Claudia Tenney. He calls himself a fundamental constitutionalist, and his slogan is Kickstart Congress: affordability, integrity, and loyalty to the district.

Sloan argues Congress has spent decades handing its Article I authority to the executive branch, and makes the case that tariffs are taxes and a congressional power. Radell presses him on New York's political moment, the socialism conversation dominating coverage of the state, and what running as an independent looks like where two thirds of voters are Republican. The episode closes with a policy round on term limits, campaign finance, uncapping the House, and the filibuster.

Todd Sloan's campaign and platform: https://toddsloanforcongress.com

All positions expressed by Todd Sloan are his own. PPB is nonpartisan: political solutions without political bias.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction
0:33 Meet Todd Sloan, Independent in NY-24
3:19 Cooking and Minecraft
7:41 Why a Lawyer Ran for Congress
8:58 What a Constitutionalist Believes
11:38 Article I and Congress Giving Power Away
15:15 The Duopoly and Unheard Independents
19:18 Kickstart Congress: The Three Prongs
20:38 Are Tariffs a Tax?
25:34 How Do You Hold Congress Accountable?
27:26 Does Toxicity Push Good People Out?
34:10 Is New York Really Turning Socialist?
38:00 Sizing Up Tenney and Ellman
40:56 Mamdani and What Actually Won in NYC
43:04 Echo Chambers and Media
45:43 Policy Round: Term and Age Limits
50:09 Policy Round: Campaign Finance
52:33 Policy Round: Uncapping the House
54:46 Policy Round: The Filibuster
58:30 Lobbying and Disclosure
1:04:35 Final Pitch

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