Production Work Samples
A collection of interviews and social clips for Ballotpedia’s On the Ballot
How Cook rates races, why states like Kansas, Nebraska and South Carolina are suddenly on the radar, each party’s path to a Senate majority, the governors’ races to watch, how money and issues like affordability and data centers are shaping the final stretch, and the early results she’ll be watching on election night. (28k+ Views)
In an Office Hours episode, Ballotpedia CEO Leslie Graves explores how AI data centers became a local political fight, and why city councils, county commissions, recalls, and ballot measures are where communities are deciding whether they come to town.
Former CFTC Chairman Chris Giancarlo, co-founder of the Digital Dollar Project, explains where U.S. crypto regulation stands as agencies compete for oversight and the Trump administration promises a growth-friendly framework. (May ‘25)
City & State NY City Hall reporter Annie McDonough talks early voting in New York City's 2025 mayoral primary and what the numbers could mean for primary day. (June ‘25)
Former Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker traces the Federal Reserve's history, from the banking panics behind its founding to Paul Volcker's fight against inflation, and what that history means for today's debates over the Fed's independence.
Ballotpedia's Ellen Morrissey, Doug Kronizel, and Joel Williams join host Norm Leahy to break down ten key 2025 races, from the Virginia and New Jersey governorships to mayoral contests in New York, Minneapolis, and Seattle, and what they signal heading into the 2026 midterms.
How OpenSecrets got its start as a 1,500-page book in the post-Watergate era, how two 2010 court decisions gave rise to super PACs and dark money, what’s driving the rising cost of elections, the growing role of mega donors and industries like crypto and AI, why spending on state and local races and ballot measures deserves more attention, and where campaign finance could be headed next.
Erin Covey of the Cook Political Report breaks down the redistricting race Texas set off ahead of the 2026 midterms, how California, Missouri, Ohio, and Utah are responding, and the Supreme Court case that could reshape the Voting Rights Act. (30k+ Views)
Google Jigsaw CEO Yasmin Green and pollster Scott Rasmussen discuss "We the People," their project to hear from every congressional district for America's 250th anniversary, and what they've learned so far about how Americans feel about the country and its democratic values.
Axios co-founder Mike Allen sits down with host Norm Leahy on On the Ballot to break down Simplify, his new book with Jim VandeHei and Roy Schwartz, including its three-step Confront, Delete, Amplify framework, why AI has made work harder instead of easier, the fight over data centers in Virginia, and what to watch in the 2026 midterms and beyond.
Election analyst Nathaniel Rakich explains how redistricting typically works, why it's such a big deal, and what it means for control of the House. (Aug. ‘25)
AP data reporter Maya Sweedler breaks down what the 2025 elections revealed about turnout and voter shifts in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City, including how the AP maps results by population. (Nov. ‘25)