The Socialist Sweep: How This Election Changes D.C.

The Socialist Sweep: How This Election Changes D.C.

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom are joined by veteran D.C. strategist Chuck Thies to break down Janeese Lewis George’s sweeping mayoral primary victory, why Kenyan McDuffie’s campaign never found its footing, and what the results say about the city’s political direction. Cuneyt also talked to Ward 1 D.C. Council Democratic primary winner Aparna Raj, a tenant organizer who describes why the democratic socialist platform resonated this year. 00:00 Chuck Thies’ Election Night Call Was Right 01:51 Aparna Raj on the Democratic Socialist Wave in Ward 1 04:48 How Aparna Raj Became a Tenant Organizer 06:51 Why DSA Just Won Big in D.C. 09:06 Aparna Raj’s Vision for Ward 1 12:09 Can a More Progressive D.C. Still Grow the Economy? 16:54 Janeese Lewis George’s Big Win 18:44 Why Kenyan McDuffie Lost 22:43 How JLG Ran the Table Across D.C. 26:10 The Empty McDuffie Tent That Said It All 28:24 Elissa Silverman’s Comeback 30:47 Robert White’s Huge Delegate Victory 33:51 What the Election Means for D.C.’s Budget Crisis 38:24 Tax Hikes, Unions, and City Hall's Fights Ahead The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner SpotlightDC: Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism [https://spotlightdc.org/]. The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town. Music credit: Highway 430 by Blue Dot Sessions [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/381497] The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

Trump Just Jumped Into D.C.'s Mayoral Race

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom break down the final days of D.C.’s mayoral race — including President Trump slamming Janeese Lewis George, Muriel Bowser’s all-but-official endorsement for Kenyan McDuffie, and the different paths each candidate has to victory. They also look at the other races on the ballot, the growing role of outside spending and dark money, and how Trump’s supersized fireworks show will make July 4 very different this year. 00:00 Trump Jumps Into D.C.’s Mayor Race 04:32 Bowser’s Unofficial Endorsement of Kenyan McDuffie 06:16 How Janeese Lewis George or Kenyan McDuffie Can Win 18:27 The Other Races to Watch 19:24 Dark Money and Outside Spending Flood the Election 20:24 Trump’s Unprecedented Freedom 250 Spectacle 22:41 July 4 Fireworks Chaos and Business Backlash The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner SpotlightDC: Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism [https://spotlightdc.org/]. The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town. Music credit: Highway 430 by Blue Dot Sessions [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/381497] The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

Mayoral Sprint, a 250 Mess, and D.C.'s Crazy Expensive Fire Alarm

Will Sommer, senior reporter at the Bulwark and former Loose Lips columnist at Washington City Paper, joined the Dream City Podcast as guest co-host this week. Cuneyt and Will broke down the Kenyan McDuffie vs. Janeese Lewis George sprint to the finish — the ground game, the prediction markets, the Chipotle moment, and what ranked choice voting could mean for the outcome. Plus: DC somehow spent a million dollars on human fire alarms, Freedom 250 is a mess, and the mayoral candidates reveal their favorite DC restaurants. 00:00 Intro— Will Sommer Guest Co-Hosts 03:26 DC Spent $1 Million on Human Fire Alarms 07:09 The Mayor's Race Final Sprint 15:36 Mayoral Polls, Prediction Markets, and McDuffie's Chipotle Bump 23:18 Freedom 250 Turmoil in DC 30:50 Speed Round: Capital Weather Gang Goes Independent 32:13 Speed Round: Mayoral Candidates' Favorite DC Restaurants 34:28 Speed Round: Snake Experts Rate RFK Jr. 35:29 Speed Round: Kangaroo Boxing Club Throwback The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner SpotlightDC: Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism [https://spotlightdc.org/]. The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town. Music credit: Highway 430 by Blue Dot Sessions [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/381497] The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

Why Robert White Thinks He Should Be D.C.’s Next Delegate

D.C. Council member Robert White joined the Dream City Podcast for a wide-ranging interview about why he’s running for Congress, how he’d take on President Trump, and what he thinks about some of the biggest stories right now — including that Chipotle brawl. Cuneyt and Tom talk with White about his D.C. roots, why he pivoted from a Bowser rematch mayoral run to the delegate race, and what sets him apart from Council member Brooke Pinto. Also discussed: Youth curfew zones, RFK Stadium, downtown redevelopment, Congress, civil rights, and what he'd actually say if Trump picked up the phone. This is part of Dream City’s interview series with candidates competing to shape Washington’s future. 00:00 Introduction 00:59 Robert White’s Five Generation D.C. Family Story 06:31 Why He Thinks He Would've Beat Bowser for Mayor 09:14 What Sets Him Apart From Brooke Pinto 10:23 How He’d Use the Delegate Seat’s 'Immense Power' 13:54 Why He Opposes D.C. Youth Curfew Zones 19:26 Building Influence in Congress Without Seniority 22:37 The Delegate Seat Is a “Civil Rights Seat" 23:49 What He’d Do First if Democrats Take Back the House 25:37 Why He Voted Against the RFK Stadium Deal 29:25 Could He Still Work With the Commanders? 31:13 Does He Want to be Delegate for the Long Haul? 33:08 Robert White’s Trump Strategy 35:05 What He’d Actually Say to Trump: Puerto Rico-Style Tax Break 40:01 Working With Business to Rebuild Downtown D.C. 41:57 Height Act, Casinos, AI, and Waymo The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner SpotlightDC: Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism [https://spotlightdc.org/]. The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town. The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

Metro Boss Randy Clarke Has a Message for Trump

WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke joined Dream City for a wide-ranging conversation about how he helped turn D.C.'s Metro system around, what America gets wrong about transit, and why the future of Washington depends on getting transportation right. Randy talked with Cuneyt and Tom about everything from fare evasion, permitting, and union tensions to the politics of building faster, the challenge of funding transit in a fragmented region, and what D.C. can learn from other cities around the world. They also get into RFK Stadium, the Gold Line, federal layoffs, and whether Clarke has any interest in a future Secretary of Transportation job. 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Randy Clarke's LA Visit 04:39 The Man Behind the Local Celebrity 12:56 Fixing Metro 16:27 What America Gets Wrong About Transit 20:30 Why Big Transit Projects Take So Long in America 22:13 Automation, Unions, and the Fight Over Metro Staffing 28:18 Randy Clarke vs. the Washington Post Editorial Board 30:52 Fare Evasion, Free Buses, and Who Should Pay for Transit 33:19 Why Metro Funding Is So Fragmented 36:08 The Bus Network Redesign and the Push for Dedicated Bus Lanes 41:19 RFK Stadium, the Gold Line, and Metro’s Future in D.C. 47:53 “You Either Hate the Way Things Are, or You Hate Change” 48:14 Does He Want To Be Secretary of Transportation? 53:40 Trump, Federal Layoffs, and Metro’s Future Under the New Administration 56:08 Randy Clarke’s Message to Trump The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner https://spotlightdc.org/ [https://spotlightdc.org/]. The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town. The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.