The Electorette

Months before Graham Platner ended his campaign, EMILY's List publicly warned Democrats that nominating him would make it harder—not easier—to defeat Senator Susan Collins.

In this episode, Jen Taylor-Skinner sits down with Jessica Mackler, president of EMILY's List, to discuss what the organization knew at the time, why it believed Platner was the wrong candidate to take on Collins, and what this series of events reveals about candidate vetting, electability, and the growing influence of "vibes-based" politics.

Their conversation explores:

Why EMILY's List took the unusual step of speaking out during a Democratic primary.

The difference between a candidate being "human" and being disqualifying.

How political media and online echo chambers can manufacture momentum around a candidate.

Why women candidates continue to face different standards than men.

What Democrats should learn from the Maine Senate race heading into the 2026 midterms.

The Margin is a special midterm election series from The Electorette and URL Media, hosted by Jen Taylor-Skinner.

If you found this conversation helpful, like this video and follow @electorette for more political midterm coverage, election analysis, and nuanced discussions that go beyond the headlines.

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(Archive Episode)

Long before today's debates over Supreme Court legitimacy, ethics, and reform dominated the headlines, The Electorette explored one of the central questions facing American democracy: How do we fix the Supreme Court?

In this archival conversation, host Jen Taylor-Skinner sits down with Meagan Hatcher-Mays to discuss one of the most debated reform proposals—expanding the Supreme Court—and whether adding justices alone is enough to restore public trust in the nation's highest court.

Together, they examine the legislative path to court expansion, the political challenges of passing reform through Congress, and why many advocates argue that structural changes—including term limits, stronger ethics rules, and greater transparency—are also essential to preserving the Court's legitimacy.

This conversation also explores how Supreme Court decisions shape issues ranging from voting rights and reproductive freedom to immigration and the health of American democracy, making the case that judicial reform extends far beyond partisan politics.

Originally released in 2021, this conversation offers timely context for today's ongoing debates over the future of the Supreme Court.

If you found this conversation helpful, like this video and follow @electorette for more political midterm coverage, election analysis, and nuanced discussions that go beyond the headlines.
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As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Rebekah Caruthers, President and CEO of Fair Elections Center, joins The Margin to examine why this moment may be the most consequential for American democracy since Reconstruction.

Using the All Roads Lead South march in Selma, Alabama, as a starting point, this conversation explores why today's fight for voting rights feels fundamentally different—and why many civil rights leaders believe the South is once again at the center of the nation's democratic future.

Caruthers shares the remarkable story of her great-great-great-great-grandfather, who was enslaved, emancipated after Juneteenth, and went on to found a town in Texas. His extraordinary journey becomes a powerful lens for understanding Reconstruction, the violent backlash that followed, and what that history reveals about the unfinished work of American democracy.

In this episode:

Why Selma feels like the beginning of a new civil rights movement

What America's 250th anniversary reveals about the unfinished work of democracy

The parallels between Reconstruction and today's political moment

The impact of recent Supreme Court decisions on voting rights

Why Black political representation has reached Reconstruction-era levels

What history teaches about democratic backsliding—and how to prevent it

Why today's generation refuses to lose another century of civil rights

"It took 87 years for Black folks to get their rights back. I'll be damned if we're gonna take another 90 years to get our rights back." — Rebekah Caruthers

The Margin is a special midterm election series from The Electorette and URL Media, hosted by Jen Taylor-Skinner.

If you found this conversation helpful, like this video and follow @electorette for more political midterm coverage, election analysis, and nuanced discussions that go beyond the headlines.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A timely re-release exploring the history behind one of the Supreme Court's most consequential constitutional questions.

With the Supreme Court poised to issue a landmark ruling on birthright citizenship, I'm re-releasing one of the most important conversations we've had on the subject.

In this episode, historian Martha S. Jones discusses her groundbreaking book, Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and Rights in Antebellum America, which traces the origins of birthright citizenship long before the Fourteenth Amendment—and long before today's immigration debates.

We explore how free and formerly enslaved Black Americans fought to define who belonged in the United States, challenged efforts to deny them citizenship, and helped lay the foundation for one of the Constitution's most consequential guarantees. We also discuss the Dred Scott decision, the colonization movement, the legal strategies Black Americans used to claim their rights, and why understanding this history is essential to understanding the debate today.

Although this conversation was originally recorded in 2019, its historical context is arguably even more relevant today.

If you found this conversation helpful, like this episode and follow @electorette for more conversations on democracy, constitutional rights, and the people shaping America's future.
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For generations, Black women have been among the most influential voices in the fight to expand American democracy. Yet many of their stories have been overlooked—or erased altogether.

In this episode, political strategist, organizer, and author Atima Omara joins me to discuss her new book, The Instigators, which traces the legacy of Black women who challenged injustice, organized their communities, ran for office, and helped shape the country we know today.

We discuss why Black women have so often been the catalysts for democratic change, the historical figures whose contributions deserve far greater recognition, what Shirley Chisholm's legacy still teaches us about political leadership, and why today's movements have so much to learn from the women who came before them.

If you found this conversation helpful, like this episode and follow @electorette for more conversations on politics, democracy, and the people shaping America's future.
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