Best The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter Podcasts (2025)

1
"Trump voters are starting to ask questions." Pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson on 100 days. 46:34

14h ago46:34

46:34

We are 100 days into the second Trump administration and there's no better person to help us understand what voters are making of these first months of Trump 2.0 than Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson. Kristen is a founding partner of Echelon Insights, an opinion research and analytics firm. She's a contributing opinion writer for The New…

1
Episode 45: Covering Trump Agenda on the Ground in Key States + Election Coverage w/ Adam Levy of the BBC 50:02

5d ago50:02

50:02

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin, and Adam Levy of the BBC analyze the impact of tariffs, immigration and President Donald Trump’s economic agenda in local economies in key states including Ohio and Florida ahead of the midterm elections and discuss how U.S. election coverage has changed over the years and how it’s different to domestic and foreign…

1
By this measure, America is actually a little less polarized these days 36:06

15d ago36:06

36:06

Way back in the late 1990s, Cook Political Report founder Charlie Cook had an idea to rank all 435 congressional districts by their partisanship - in other words, whether a district is more Republican or more Democratic. That way, we'd be able to see, at a quick glance, which members of Congress represented districts that were either slightly or st…

1
Episode 44: Trump, Tariffs, the Economy & Elections w/ Laura Weiss of Punchbowl News 41:54

18d ago41:54

41:54

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin, and Laura Weiss of Punchbowl News analyze how President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the uncertainty of the economy and stock market affect his relationship with Republicans on Capitol Hill and how it could threaten Republicans’ majority in the House and the Senate in next year’s midterm elections. Also, Jacob brings…

1
Trump's Top Ad Man Pulls Back the Curtain On 2024 48:36

22d ago48:36

48:36

On the last podcast, Amy talked with Chauncey McLean, head of the Democratic super PAC Future Forward, about their media strategy for Kamala Harris and why things didn't work out as they had hoped. For this podcast, we turn to the ad strategy of the Trump campaign with John Brabender, the chief creative officer for the media company BrabenderCox. J…

1
Episode 43: A Potential Democratic Upset in Florida, and More Upcoming House Specials w/ Erin Covey of the Cook Political Report 49:27

30d ago49:27

49:27

Jacob Rubashkin and Erin Covey talk through the potential for a Democratic upset in the special election for Florida's 6th District, as well as what we'll learn from the outcome there and in Florida's 1st District. The episode also touches on upcoming special elections in Texas' 18th District and Arizona's 7th District. Twitter profiles: @jacobruba…

1
Data Analytics Was Supposed To Be How Dems Dominated Politics. That Didn't Happen in 2024. 54:31

1M ago54:31

54:31

Back in the 2012 cycle, Chauncey McLean was a young staffer on the Obama campaign working in the newly developing field of data analytics. Six years later, McLean put those data science skills - and the ones he developed while working in the private sector testing ads for commercial products - to work as head of the Democratic super PAC, Future For…

1
Why Men of Color Might Be the New Swing Voters 39:49

1M ago39:49

39:49

We've been wanting to have Terrence Woodbury on the podcast for a long time. The reason is that he's a pollster who has done some amazing work with demographic groups that made a big difference in the presidential race last year, but also in previous cycles: Black voters, voters of color, and younger voters. And if many Democrats were surprised by …

1
Episode 42: House Ratings & Sleeper Races w/ James Downs of National Journal's Hotline 53:06

2M ago53:06

53:06

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin, and James Downs of National Journal’s Hotline analyze the fight for the House majority, the 10 key Toss-up races, and some potential surprise races in places that haven’t been competitive for years. The episode also includes Jacob’s recent purchase of a political plate, James’s journey to find a political button an…

1
From Title IX to Caitlin Clark 1:01:46

2M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

Last year, as March Madness kicked into gear, there was one athlete everyone seemed to be talking about: Caitlin Clark. The then University of Iowa guard was on her way to leading her team to the NCAA finals, selling out stadiums everywhere she went and creating an unprecedented level of excitement around women's basketball. This interest followed …

1
Episode 41: Big, Nice Minnesota Races w/ Briana Bierschbach of The Star-Tribune 55:10

2M ago55:10

55:10

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin, and Briana Bierschbach of the Minnesota Star-Tribune analyze the fight for the Minnesota Senate seat left behind by retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, talk about whether DFL Gov. Tim Walz will seek a historic third term and look ahead to who might run for Rep. Angie Craig’s competitive seat if she decides to run …

1
Editors Roundtable: 2026 House Races We Couldn't Agree On And Why Our Ratings Will Change 29:33

2M ago29:33

29:33

This is a special episode in your podcast feed. You are about to hear a recent edition of Editors Roundtable, our Cook Political Report podcast where our team of editors trades behind-the-scenes analysis and dives into the weeds on races and elections. If you're a political junkie - and chances are high that you are if you're listening to this - su…

1
Chuck Todd on Political Journalism and Why He's Passionate About Local News 52:10

2M ago52:10

52:10

Few people in Washington have shaped the political media ecosystem like Chuck Todd. Amy first met Chuck more than 25 years ago when he was the editor of what was then one of the most innovative news media disruptors of its time - The Hotline. The Hotline was political media's first aggregator using the breakthrough technology of the 1990s - the fax…

1
Episode 40: Top 3 Most Important Races for Governor w/ Jessica Taylor of The Cook Political Report 57:59

3M ago57:59

57:59

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin, and Jessica Taylor of The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter analyze the top three biggest races for governor in the 2026 cycle, the three most difficult races to rate at this early stage, and what’s ahead for the 2025 races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey. Jacob and Jessica also admit their latest favor…

1
"This is not chaos for chaos's sake." Molly Ball on Trump 2.0. 55:23

3M ago55:23

55:23

Whether you expected it or not, it seems pretty safe to say that President Trump's first days have been defined by its intensity, a very fast moving news cycle, and often, the trademark chaos we remember from his first term. And that's why we love conversations like this one with The Wall Street Journal's Molly Ball. She's the kind of journalist wh…

1
Episode 39: Surprise Michigan Senate Retirement Reaction w/ Melissa Nann Burke of The Detroit News 49:55

3M ago49:55

49:55

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin, and Melissa Nann Burke of The Detroit News analyze Democratic Sen. Gary Peters’ decision not to run for re-election in the battleground state of Michigan, discuss the candidates who might run for the open seat, and talk about the impact of the Senate race on the race for governor and key House races. Nathan and Jac…

1
Gen Z's Gender Divide Goes Beyond Politics 41:34

3M ago41:34

41:34

We are kicking things off with a topic Amy has been fascinated by - the gender divide in American politics and why it’s so pronounced among Gen Z. In the past, young voters have reliably supported the Democratic candidate for president, regardless of gender. Just four years ago, a majority of both young men and young women voted for Joe Biden. But …

1
Episode 38: Impact of Trump's Cabinet Picks? w/ Meg Kinnard of the AP 1:06:21

3M ago1:06:21

1:06:21

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin, and Meg Kinnard of the Associated Press talk about the political dynamics and implications for President Donald Trump’s cabinet choices, analyze the initial 2026 Senate battleground including the five most important races and handicap how difficult it will be for Democrats to win the majority, and discuss the count…

1
Get ready for a new season of The Odd Years! 1:12

3M ago1:12

1:12

We started The Odd Years in 2023, which was both a literal odd numbered year, and also a political odd year; a year when there were no national elections. But Amy enjoyed these conversations so much - and so did you - that we kept going into 2024 even though it was an even year. We just couldn’t help ourselves. As we head into another odd year, we …

1
Season 2, Episode 12: A Deeper Understanding of Swing State Voters 35:02

4M ago35:02

35:02

For our final show of 2024, we are bringing you a conversation we recorded a couple weeks ago with the Cook Political Report's David Wasserman and the two pollsters who collaborated with the our team on 2024 Swing State Project. We started the project in the spring of 2024 in order to get a deeper understanding of the issues, concerns, and prioriti…

1
Episode 37: Election Hits & Misses, Key Nebraska Race, 2026 Senate and Online Scams 47:33

5M ago47:33

47:33

Nathan Gonzales and Jacob Rubashkin talk about what they got right (and wrong) in the 2024 elections, do a deep dive into one of the most competitive House races in the country and how Rep. Don Bacon was able to survive, and look ahead to the 2026 fight for the Senate including a key race in North Carolina. Nathan also admits he got scammed online …

1
Season 2, Episode 11: If Americans Are Unhappy With Politics, Why Didn't They Vote For Electoral Reform? 43:11

5M ago43:11

43:11

Americans often say they hate how vitriolic and polarized our politics has become, and yet our current political system helps to promote this very behavior. That's why there's been a push for electoral reforms that incentivize candidates to appeal to voters across the political spectrum instead of just focusing on the most ideological and extreme v…

1
Episode 36: 2024 Election Results & Analysis with Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report 1:03:00

5M ago1:03:00

1:03:00

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin, and Amy Walter of The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter discuss the 2024 election results including the fights for the White House, Senate, and House. In addition, Jacob finally gets around to watching L.A. Confidential, Amy talks about the hottest ticket in Washington, D.C. and Nathan showed up to DC’s Punk Ro…

1
Episode 35: Pre-Election Projections w/ Kirk Bado of National Journal 48:54

6M ago48:54

48:54

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin, and Kirk Bado of National Journal’s Hotline break down the fights for the Senate, House, and White House in the final pre-election episode of the 2024 elections. Twitter profiles: @nathanlgonzales @jacobrubashkin @kirk_bado @InsideElections The Inside Elections podcast analyzes congressional, presidential and guber…

1
Episode 34: Rating Changes, Debates, Election Nights, & Political Civility w/ Judy Woodruff 51:54

6M ago51:54

51:54

Nathan Gonzales and Jacob Rubashkin reveal the latest batch of House and Senate race rating changes and talk with legendary political journalist Judy Woodruff of the PBS Newshour about the 2024 election, prepping for Election Night, moderating debates and the lack of civility in America. Twitter profiles: @nathanlgonzales @jacobrubashkin @judywoodr…

1
Episode 33: Sleeper Race Poll in Arizona, Senate Ratings, House Races w/ Erin Covey of Cook Political Report 1:07:39

6M ago1:07:39

1:07:39

Nathan Gonzales and Jacob Rubashkin unveil the latest Inside Elections/Noble Predictive Insights poll in a sleeper race in Arizona’s 2nd District and discuss race rating changes in the Nevada and Arizona Senate races before breaking down the fight for the House majority with Erin Covey of The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. Twitter profiles:…

1
Season 2, Episode 10: Why Presidential Elections Are Razor Thin in Wisconsin 39:34

7M ago39:34

39:34

Presidential elections in Wisconsin the last two cycles have been incredibly close. In 2016 and 2020, they were decided by less than one percentage point. Of course, polling in the state has been notoriously "off" - or maybe fickle - which makes it more important than ever to talk to people who have been covering politics in Wisconsin for quite som…

1
Episode 32: New North Carolina Poll, VP Debate, Polls and Election Models w/ Nathaniel Rakich of 538 1:10:33

7M ago1:10:33

1:10:33

Nathan Gonzales and Jacob Rubashkin unveil the latest Inside Elections/Noble Predictive Insights poll in North Carolina’s 1st District and analyze the vice presidential debate between Sen. J.D. Vance and Gov. Tim Walz before discussing election polls, models, and election forecasting with Nathaniel Rakich of FiveThirtyEight. Twitter profiles: @nath…

1
Season 2, Episode 9: Why Pennsylvania is the Swingiest of Swing States 27:03

7M ago27:03

27:03

It's hard to overstate just how important Pennsylvania plays in deciding the Electoral College winner. If Kamala Harris loses the state, she'd need to win North Carolina or Georgia, as well as Nevada and the remaining blue wall states of Wisconsin and Michigan. If Trump were to lose Pennsylvania, he'd need to pick off at least one of those other Mi…

1
Season 2, Episode 8: Can Democrats Finally Win North Carolina this November? 46:21

7M ago46:21

46:21

Amy's guest today, Dr. Michael Bitzer, calls North Carolina the "stuck battleground state." That's because Republicans have dominated there in presidential elections. And yet, every four years, Democrats hold out hope that they can turn it blue. Barack Obama did it in 2008, but no other Democrat has done so since. Will 2024 be different? Joe Biden …

1
Episode 31: New Montana Poll, Rating Changes, Connecticut 5 w/ Daniela Altimari of Roll Call 53:58

7M ago53:58

53:58

Nathan Gonzales and Jacob Rubashkin unveil the latest Inside Elections/Noble Predictive Insights poll in Montana’s 1st District and discuss the latest rating changes, and analyze a critical House race in Connecticut with Daniela Altimari of CQ Roll Call. Twitter profiles: @nathanlgonzales @jacobrubashkin @capitolwatch @InsideElections The Inside El…

1
Episode 30: New Oregon Poll, Rating Changes, Meeting the Press w/ Chuck Todd of NBC News 1:10:24

8M ago1:10:24

1:10:24

Nathan Gonzales and Jacob Rubashkin unveil the latest Inside Elections/Noble Predictive Insights poll in Oregon’s 5th District and the latest rating changes, and chat with former Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd of NBC News about interviewing candidates and covering elections. Twitter profiles: @nathanlgonzales @jacobrubashkin @chucktodd @Inside…

1
Episode 29: Harris Takes the Nomination, Democratic National Convention highlights from Chicago 48:11

8M ago48:11

48:11

Nathan Gonzales and Jacob Rubashkin discuss and analyze the first three days of the Democratic National Convention on location in Chicago, including the biggest themes, speeches and highlights, and the impact Vice President Kamala Harris is having on the presidential races and the fight for the House and Senate. Twitter profiles: @nathanlgonzales @…

1
Season 2, Episode 7: How Kamala Harris Changed the Presidential Race in Georgia 32:02

9M ago32:02

32:02

Right before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, his path to victory appeared very narrow. It was: win the midwest states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. But with Kamala Harris now at the top of the ticket, the electoral map could open up for Democrats, and some of those states that Joe Biden won in 2020, but seemed out of reach i…

1
Episdoe 28: Biden Drops Out, Harris VP Pick, New Ohio Poll w/ Leah Askarinam of the Associated Press 46:19

9M ago46:19

46:19

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin, and Leah Askarinam of the Associated Press analyze the impact of President Joe Biden’s departure from the race and Vice President Kamala Harris’ ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket, talk about the various potential vice presidential picks for Harris, and release the latest exclusive poll by Noble Predicti…

1
Episode 27: Assassination Attempt, Republican National Convention, New Michigan Poll from Milwaukee 50:48

10M ago50:48

50:48

Nathan Gonzales and Jacob Rubashkin, on location at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, analyze the state of the presidential race after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, talk about the first two days of the Republican convention, and release fresh polling data in Michigan’s 7th District, one of t…

1
Season 2, Episode 6: David Axelrod, Amy Walter and David Wasserman at the RNC 18:43

10M ago18:43

18:43

A special episode of The Odd Years: Amy and David catch up with David Axelrod in Milwaukee at the RNC. The three discuss what they're seeing on the ground, their thoughts on the selection of J.D. Vance as Trump's running mate, and the situation for President Biden and the Democrats as they head into their convention in a few weeks. David Axelrod is…

1
Season 2, Episode 5: What Polls Miss — and What We Should Focus on Instead 41:41

10M ago41:41

41:41

We originally asked our guest today, Michael Podhorzer, to come on to talk about voter demographics. Mike was the longtime political director for the AFL-CIO. He’s now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and he writes a Substack called Weekend Reading. And Mike has been one of the pioneers in Democratic circles using data and analyt…

1
Episode 26: Post-Debate Analysis + New York House Races with Emily Ngo of Politico 57:27

10M ago57:27

57:27

Nathan Gonzales and Jacob Rubashkin look at the potential fallout from the CNN debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump and analyze a handful of key House races in New York with Emily Ngo of Politico. Twitter profiles: @nathanlgonzales @jacobrubashkin @emilyngo @InsideElections The Inside Elections podcast analyzes congr…

1
Season 2, Episode 4: How The Diploma Divide Is Reshaping American Politics 51:54

10M ago51:54

51:54

If you listen to this podcast, you’ve probably heard of the so-called education divide in American politics with those with college degrees increasingly supporting Democrats and liberal causes and those without college degrees, increasingly supporting Republicans and conservative social issues. On today's show, Amy talks with Matt Grossman, Directo…

1
Episode 25: Virginia Elections & Congressional Softball Game w/ Laura Vozzella of The Washington Post and Atalie Ebersole of Pet Food Institute 55:36

11M ago55:36

55:36

Nathan Gonzales and Jacob Rubashkin analyze the upcoming Virginia primaries and general election with Laura Vozzella of The Washington Post and talk about the annual congressional softball game for breast cancer research with Atalie Ebersole of the Pet Food Institute. Twitter profiles: @nathanlgonzales @jacobrubashkin @LVozzella @aaepb89 @CWSoftbal…

1
Mailbag: How Will Trump's Conviction Impact Downballot Races? 22:08

11M ago22:08

22:08

The Cook Political Report's David Wasserman, Jessica Taylor and Erin Covey answer your mailbag questions this week. They weigh in on what Trump's conviction will mean for Republicans in down-ballot races; they go into the weeds on their process for rating two congressional districts in California; they discuss Senate races in Virginia and Minnesota…

1
Episode 24: Texas Runoffs, Nevada Races with Gabby Birenbaum of the Nevada Independent 49:44

11M ago49:44

49:44

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin and Gabby Birenbaum of The Nevada Independent look ahead to key races in Nevada including upcoming primaries and a handful of consequential races that will help determine who sits in the White House and which party controls Congress. Twitter profiles: @nathanlgonzales @jacobrubashkin @birenbomb @InsideElections The …

1
Season 2, Episode 3: What Coverage of Rural Voters Is Not Getting Right with Dan Shea and Nick Jacobs 47:00

11M ago47:00

47:00

Donald Trump is very popular in rural America. Drive down a rural stretch of road, and you are still likely to see Trump flags waving in the breeze or the Trump logo painted on the side of a barn. Rural parts of America have always been conservative-leaning. But Republicans now dominate rural politics from the top of the ticket to the bottom. There…

1
Episode 23: Oregon Primaries, Maryland Results with Dirk VanderHart of OPB 50:08

12M ago50:08

50:08

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin and Dirk VanderHart of Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) look ahead to key House primaries in Oregon and look back at consequential results in Maryland, Nebraska, and West Virginia. Twitter profiles: @nathanlgonzales @jacobrubashkin @dirquez @InsideElections The Inside Elections podcast analyzes congressional, presid…

1
Mailbag: Which Biden District Republicans Are the Most Endangered? 20:40

12M ago20:40

20:40

Amy Walter is joined by her colleague, Cook Political Report Senior Editor and Election Analyst David Wasserman. First, they answer a listener's question on partisan realignment, particularly among education lines. Next, they dive into the question of which House Republicans won by Biden in 2020 are the most endangered. Ask us your questions here o…

1
Episode 22: Mailbag with Leah Askarinam of the Associated Press 51:02

12M ago51:02

51:02

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin and Leah Askarinam of the Associated Press take questions in the first-ever mailbag episode, talking about races in Iowa, Florida, and New York, the number of astronauts turned politicians, and a look into the world of political handicapping. Twitter profiles: @nathanlgonzales @jacobrubashkin @leahaskarinam @InsideE…

1
Season 2, Episode 2: On the Campaign Trail with Melissa Benoist, Amy Chozick and Julie Plec of 'The Girls on the Bus' 42:39

12M ago42:39

42:39

Amy is back with a conversation about the new show now streaming on Max, The Girls on the Bus. The show stars Melissa Benoist as Sadie McCarthy, a scrappy and ambitious journalist covering a fictional Democratic presidential primary. It follows Sadie and three other women reporters as they navigate the campaign trail, while juggling their careers, …

1
Episode 21: Maryland Senate and House Primaries w/ Pamela Wood of Baltimore Banner 51:42

1y ago51:42

51:42

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin and Pamela Wood of the Baltimore Banner discuss the Democratic primary for the Senate in Maryland and a look ahead to the general election against Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan, as well as the Democratic primary in Maryland’s 3rd District featuring a former Capitol police officer who was at the capitol on Jan. …

1
Season 2, Episode 1: The Defining House Races of the Last 40 Years 33:39

1y ago33:39

33:39

Amy sits down with her Cook Political Report colleague, Senior Editor & Elections Analyst David Wasserman, for a walk down memory lane. In honor of The Cook Political Report's 40th Anniversary, David selected the defining House races of every cycle since 1984. Amy and Dave reminisce about the names, faces, issues, and districts that have shaped con…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

The Cook Political Report With Amy Walter Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen