The Civic App: Devin Neal on Finding Your Representatives, Fixing Government Transparency, and Winning the 2026 Midterms

What if finding your representatives, tracking their votes, and holding your government accountable was as easy as opening an app? In this episode of Purple Political Breakdown, host Radell Lewis sits down with Devin Neal, co-founder of Civic, the new civic engagement app built to make democracy accessible before the 2026 midterms.

Devin brings serious technical firepower to this mission. He is a software engineer with experience at Google, Meta, and Cash App, holds degrees in computer science and mathematics from MIT, and previously built EulerStudio, an educational animation platform. He left all of that behind to go full time on Civic after the 2024 election made one thing painfully clear: public government data is public in theory, not in practice.

Radell and Devin break down what the Civic app does right now (mapping your federal, state, and municipal representatives, pulling in FEC campaign finance data, and surfacing contact information for the people who actually represent you), where it is headed (voting records, committee memberships, sponsored bills, constituent feedback loops, and eventually a one stop shop for any public government information), and the deeper problem it is trying to solve: the feeling that government is a black box floating somewhere above your life.

The conversation gets into why local elections matter more than most voters realize, why Ohio and other battleground states deserve way more attention heading into the 2026 midterms, how the Mamdani playbook of radical transparency is changing what voters expect from politicians, the right and wrong way to use AI in civic tech, what happens when Republican states try to restrict access to public data, and Devin's picks for 2028 (Gavin Newsom and Mark Kelly, with receipts).

Whether you are a first time voter, a political organizer, a civic tech nerd, or someone who just wants to know who the hell represents you, this episode is a blueprint for what informed citizenship can actually look like.

Check out Civic: https://www.civicpolitics.com

Keywords: Civic app, find your representatives, 2026 midterms, civic engagement, government transparency, voter empowerment, civic tech, local elections, FEC data, contact your representatives, democracy tools, political accountability, Ohio politics, swing states 2026, how government works, Devin Neal, Civic co-founder, MIT software engineer, Purple Political Breakdown, Radell Lewis.

Standard Resource Links & Recommendations

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HeadOn - A platform for contentious yet productive conversations. It's a place for hosted and unguided conversations where you can grow a following and enhance your conversations with AI features. Link: https://app.headon.ai/

Living Room Conversations - Building bridges through meaningful dialogue across political divides. Link: https://livingroomconversations.org/

UNITY MOVEMENTS

Us United - A movement for unity that challenges Americans to step out of their bubbles and connect across differences. Take the Unity Pledge, join monthly "30 For US" conversation calls, wear purple (the color of unity), and participate in National Unity Day every second Saturday in December. Their programs include the Sheriff Unity Network and Unity Seats at sports events, proving that shared values are stronger than our differences. Link: https://www.us-united.org/

BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATION

OtherWeb - An AI-based platform that filters news without paywalls, clickbait, or junk, helping you access diverse, unbiased content. Link: https://otherweb.com/

VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACY

Equal Vote Coalition & STAR Voting - Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting. Link: https://www.equal.vote/star

Future is Now Coalition (FiNC) - A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse. Link: https://futureis.org/

POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT

Independent Center - Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement. Link: https://www.independentcenter.org/

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