The Contrarian Pod

VoteHub’s head of data science Zachary Donnini is back with his final verdict on the 2026 midterms. With the election less than a week away, Zachary unpacked the data to share what he’s seeing in early voting numbers, how James Talarico’s chances look in Texas, and why control of the U.S. Senate could hang in the balance for weeks due to Alaska’s ballot counting methods. Plus, Zachary and Tim discuss how prediction markets factor into polling during this midterm election cycle. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

Virginia’s 5th district has been a Republican stronghold for 15 years. But voters have the chance to change that next week. Tom Perriello is the Democratic candidate in that district, and he held the seat from 2009 to 2011. Now, he’s running to get it back. Contrarian Senior Editor Tim Dickinson sat down with Tom to talk about what he sees as the biggest issues in the region: protecting rural Virginians while fighting corruption and monopolies in Washington. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

Contrarian editor in chief Jen Rubin and publisher Norm Eisen chatted with pollster and data whiz Simon Rosenberg about what early turnout numbers look like and what that could mean for a blue wave in the Midterms. Plus, Jen sat down with David Crowley. He’s running for governor in Wisconsin against Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany. Sharing the most pressing issues he’s heard from voters on the ground, Crowley emphasizes why he sees the need to invest in rural communities, public schools, and infrastructure tailored to the state’s unique needs. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

On Let’s do Lunch, economist and Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress Jared Bernstein answered your burning questions about economics with Claudia Sahm . She’s a macroeconomist who has worked at the Federal Reserve and the White House. They talked about some of the biggest econ issues of the day, how inflation keeps driving up the costs of housing, healthcare, and childcare, and why fallout from a potential AI bubble could trickle through the rest of the economy. You can join Let’s do Lunch and ask your own questions about economics and money every other Tuesday at Noon eastern.The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

April Ryan spoke with Representative Shomari Figures, one of only two Black representatives in Alabama, who is now fighting for his seat after redistricting in the state following the SCOTUS decision in Louisiana v. Callais . Like in many districts, affordability and healthcare are on voters’ minds, but Representatives Figures mentions that a key challenge will be getting voters to the polls in November. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

On Coffee with Contrarians, Jen Rubin and Norm Eisen chatted with Ben Sheehan, Civics Expert and author of the book, “What Does the Constitution Actually Say?” You might have seen his constitutional explainers for The Contrarian, making an issue in the news or a statute of the Constitution easy to understand. The trio talked about why understanding the Constitution is more important than ever and about “Civics Made Easy,” a show Ben hosts which just had its second season premiere on PBS. You can join Coffee With Contrarians. Live every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 9:15 AM Eastern time. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

With only 20 days ahead of the midterm elections, Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King from the Drum Major Institute discussed the importance of building Black and Brown political power, and fighting legislative oppression at the ballot box on the Tea with April Ryan. “Our daughter just turned 18 in May. This is the first election that she’s able to vote in. Her generation is the first generation since the end of Reconstruction that have progressively lost rights since the day that they were born. She and her peers in this election, where they’re able to vote for the first time, have fewer rights today in 2026 in the day that they were born.” You can join The Tea with April Ryan, live every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30pm ET. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

On Coffee with Contrarians, Jen Rubin and Norm Eisen chatted with Mike Zamore, National Director of Policy and Government Affairs at the ACLU. They discussed the ACLU’s new report on Trump’s mass deportation agenda, titled “76 Ways Mass Deportation is Breaking Our Democracy.” They also discussed how the ACLU is working to safeguard mail-in voting against the administration’s potential threats to the midterm elections. You can join Coffee with Contrarians live every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 9:15 AM Eastern time. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

On Coffee with Contrarians, special guest hosts Maria Cardona and Juan Proaño took the episode to Texas, and chatted with congressional candidate Johnny Garcia in San Antonio and Representative Ramón Romero Jr. from Fort Worth. They talked about what it will take to win back the Latino vote in Texas, Trump’s campaign stop in San Antonio, and why the latest incidents of ICE brutality are a bipartisan issue. You can join Coffee with Contrarians live every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 9:15 AM Eastern time. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

On Coffee with Contrarians Jen Rubin, Norm Eisen and April Ryan discussed Trump’s abhorrent comments about sacrificing Los Angeles and San Diego in the war with Iran. April also talked about her new book, “ Notes on a Blacklash ” and reflected on the time a Housing and Urban Development official in the Trump Administration referred to her as “Miss Piggy” You can join Coffee With Contrarians. Live every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 9:15 AM Eastern time. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

Contrarian Editor in chief Jen Rubin sat down with author Jennifer Weiss Wolf. Jennifer is the executive director of the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center at NYU School of Law and she’s out with a new book: When in Menopause: A User’s Manual and Citizen’s Guide. You might have seen in the news that Congress, and government health agencies are suddenly very interested in menopause and hormone therapy. But this is not a new conversation: doctors have been pushing for more attention on menopause for decades. Jen and Jennifer discussed why advocating for women’s health goes far beyond medicine. “Women’s health and women’s empowerment is multifaceted.. This is a midterms issue. This is the heart and soul of what we’re talking about at our, you know, our so-called kitchen tables, the cost of health care, lack of access to insurance, lack of investment in women in women’s research and women’s lives.” The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

Contrarian senior editor Tim Dickinson spoke with two candidates hoping to flip tough House seats in the November midterms, Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania and Chaz Molder in Tennessee. Brooks is a firefighter and union leader in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. He brings a working class perspective that’s a big contrast to incumbent Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie. And Chaz Molder is no stranger to winning tough races. He’s served two terms as mayor of Columbia, Tennessee, in a region that has consistently voted for Trump. Tim and Chaz talked about the pushback against data centers in rural communities and why affordability remains the most important issue in this election. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

On Coffee with Contrarians, Jen Rubin and Norm Eisen chatted with Adrienne Elrod, Democratic political strategist. The trio talked about Trump’s latest commercial, which not only could be the world’s worst campaign ad, but also possibly violates the Hatch Act, and the key Senate races they’re tracking ahead of the November midterms. You can join Coffee With Contrarians. Live every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 9:15 AM Eastern time. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

Contrarian senior editor Tim Dickinson chatted with Sarah Mehta, a deputy director of the ACLU and an expert in immigration policy. They discussed the Trump Administration’s practice of deporting vulnerable asylum seekers to third countries — where they have no cultural ties, no right to long term residence, and could be subject to abuse, or worse illegally sent back to the home counties that they fled from. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

On Coffee with Contrarians, Jen Rubin and Norm Eisen chatted with Ben Wikler, a political organizer and the former chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin The trio discussed yet another Trump legal L this week: a federal judge’s block on his press ban against MS NOW, POLITICO, and CNN. Then, they dived into all things midterms, Ben’s top races to watch in November and how communities can stand up to corporate tax breaks for data centers at the ballot box. You can join Coffee With Contrarians. Live every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 9:15 AM Eastern time. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

On Coffee with Contrarians earlier today, Jen Rubin and Norm Eisen chatted with Tom Malinowski, Former New Jersey Congressman, speechwriter for President Bill Clinton, and diplomat in the Obama administration. This week is the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, putting foreign policy at the forefront of today’s news. The trio reacted to Trump’s antagonistic address to allies at the UN General Assembly, particularly his possible threat against Iran, and his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. They also tackled the escalating costs from the Iran War and why we should make a plan to vote early in the midterms. You can join Coffee With Contrarians. Live every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 9:15 AM Eastern time. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

On Let’s do Lunch, economist and Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress Jared Bernstein answered your burning economics questions with Ernie Tedeschi, Chief Economist at Stripe. Tedeschi is the former Director of Economics at Yale’s Budget Lab, and Former Chief Economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisors under President Joe Biden. The two discussed how the constantly increasing diesel prices, which just hit a new high, are rippling through the economy. They also consider how tariffs may affect midterm outcomes and unpack the reality behind rising interest rates. You can join Let’s do Lunch with Jared every other Tuesday at Noon eastern. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

We have a special edition of the Tea with April Ryan for you today, April took a trip to the annual Congressional Black Caucus conference in DC and chatted with Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) and Rep. Angie Nixon (D-FL) from the Convention Center. She also had the chance to sit down with Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) to discuss the upcoming midterms and what he wants to see Democrats fight for if they take over Congress. You can join The Tea with April Ryan, live every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30pm ET. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

On the Tea with April Ryan, April chatted with vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey. Vote.org helped 8.3 million people vote in 2024 and lets voters check their registration status, find polling locations, and see what’s on the ballot. April and Andrea talked about the importance of making a concrete plan — and even backup plan — to vote, why 18 year olds are registering to vote in droves, and a recent Supreme Court decision protecting mail-in voting from federal limits. You can join The Tea with April Ryan, live every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30pm ET. The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe

Contrarian senior editor Tim Dickinson got the chance to sit down with three House candidates who are all fighting to flip swing districts across the midwest: Jake Johnson in Minnesota, Christina Hines in Michigan and Mitchell Berman in Wisconsin. They share strong lived experience in their communities – as a teacher, a prosecutor, and a nurse – that informs their platforms to fight for working class Americans ignored by the Trump administration. We talked about their backstories, why they’re running, what makes their districts unique, and the drumbeat of this election: affordability, affordability, affordability The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe