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Making Politics Honorable Again: New Podcast Debuts with Jason Kander as First Guest

News Category: Statements and Press Releases

For Immediate Release:

September 18, 2018

Contact: Jonathon Dworkin (NewDEAL), 202-660-1340 x5, jonathon@newdealleaders.org

Making Politics Honorable Again: New Podcast Debuts with Jason Kander as First Guest

Washington, D.C. - Amidst an increasingly toxic political environment, the NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders) has launched a podcast to showcase inspiring stories and positive outlooks on governing among rising leaders outside Washington.

County Supervisor, former Mayor, and author Ryan Coonerty (Santa Cruz, CA) hosts An Honorable Profession, which debuts with guest Jason Kander, who talks about how to enact a progressive agenda, what has motivated him as a national figure to run for local office in Kansas City, his efforts to make voting easier across the country, and advice for people running for the first time. The podcast aims to counter the rampant cynicism and policy failures that have dominated people’s perception of politics today by elevating voices of optimistic, dedicated and innovative leaders.

Listeners can subscribe to An Honorable Profession on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher.

“These people could be doing virtually anything they want professionally, yet they’ve chosen a career in public service,” said Coonerty. “They are dedicated to returning politics to, in the words of Bobby Kennedy, an honorable profession.”

Kander, a former Army Captain, was the first millennial in the country to be elected to statewide office as Missouri’s Secretary of State and was chosen to be a NewDEAL Leader. Since contesting a surprisingly close U.S. Senate race in Missouri in 2016, he has started the organization Let America Vote to fight voter suppression nationally, and the Democratic National Committee has appointed him chair of the Commission to Protect American Democracy from the Trump Administration. Politico has called him "the hottest star in Democratic politics.”

“For people who might want to run for office or otherwise get involved, or for those who just need a reason for optimism about the future, we want to share the personal stories of some of the most talented leaders in the country,” said NewDEAL Executive Director Debbie Cox Bultan. “Ryan is the perfect person to deliver these stories as not only a distinguished local official, but also a successful entrepreneur, educator, and thought leader on the most pressing issues facing our country. We look forward to hearing from his guests, including current and former NewDEAL Leaders, about ways to rebuild trust in government and restore sanity in politics in an insane era.”

About NewDEAL

Co-chaired by U.S. Senator Mark Warner (VA) and former Delaware Governor Jack Markell, the NewDEAL is a network of 155 pro-growth progressive state and local officeholders in 46 states, and was founded to support innovative, rising leaders in developing and spreading policies that spur economic growth that is broadly-earned and sustainable. In addition to facilitating the exchange of ideas among its members along with other political, policy, and private sector leaders, NewDEAL promotes a pro-growth progressive policy agenda to address the nation's biggest issues. NewDEAL Leaders have found broad support for their work, with 98 percent of members winning elections in 2016 and 2017, across red, blue, and purple states, including ten elected to higher office. Four members were elevated to statewide office, including in the swing states of Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

About Ryan Coonerty

Elected to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors in 2014, Ryan is a two-time former Mayor of the City of Santa Cruz. He is also an entrepreneur, author, and educator. He is the cofounder of NextSpace Coworking + Innovation (now owned by Pacific Workplaces), a lecturer on law and government at UC Santa Cruz, and co-author of The Rise of the Naked Economy – How to Benefit from the Changing Workplace (Macmillan, 2013) and wrote Etched in Stone – Enduring Words from our National Monuments (National Geographic, 2007). Ryan was selected by the Aspen Institute to be a Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership as one of "the nation’s most promising young elected officials," a "Community Hero" by the Red Cross of Santa Cruz County and “Advocate of the Year” by the United Way of Santa Cruz County.

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