Prairie Populism and J.D. Scholten: Pitching a New Vision for Iowa

Six Votes That Changed Everything

Josh Turek won his first race by six votes. Now the two-time Paralympic champion is bringing his brand of common-sense populism to one of the most closely watched Senate primaries in America. We sit down with the State Representative, the first permanently disabled member of the Iowa legislature, and now U.S. Senate candidate running against Republican Joni Ernst in a race that could decide the balance of power in Washington, D.C. We Discuss: * What it took to overcome adversity and become Iowa’s first permanently disabled legislator. * Why healthcare reform is central to his campaign and vision for Iowa. * Defining “common sense populism” in a way that resonates across party lines. * How every vote matters — and what a six-vote margin taught him about democracy. * Carrying forward the spirit of prairie populism to represent everyday Iowans. Josh’s info: * Campaign: Turek for Iowa [https://turek4iowa.com/] * Bluesky: Josh Turek [https://bsky.app/profile/joshturek4iowa.bsky.social] * Twitter/X: @Turek4Iowa [https://x.com/Turek4Iowa] * Instagram: joshturek4iowa [https://www.instagram.com/joshturek4iowa] Get full access to Dispatch: Revolution at dispatchrevolution.substack.com/subscribe [https://dispatchrevolution.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Irony of the Tradwife Trend. And the Tech Arms Race in Voter Outreach

Our first Bonus Notes episode, where we pick up on some topics that didn’t make the first cut. We discuss the tradwife trend and the tech-divide in voter outreach. Listen| Watch the full first episode here: Are We Living in an Authoritarian Economy? [https://dispatchrevolution.substack.com/p/jessica-ka-burbank-podcast-are-we-living-in-an-authoritarian] Get full access to Dispatch: Revolution at dispatchrevolution.substack.com/subscribe [https://dispatchrevolution.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Prairie Populism and J.D. Scholten: Pitching a New Vision for Iowa

In this episode of Dispatch Revolution, Stacey Walker sits down with J.D. Scholten — state senator, former professional baseball player, and now U.S. Senate candidate taking on Joni Ernst in 2026. Scholten talks about running and winning in red districts, why leading with values matters more than labels, and how anti-monopoly policies and universal healthcare could reshape Iowa’s future. Along the way, he shares stories from the campaign trail, lessons from his grandmother, and why he still takes the mound for his Sioux City Explorers. J.D.'s info: Campaign: Scholten for Iowa [https://www.scholtenforiowa.com/] BlueSky: jdscholten.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/jdscholten.bsky.social] X Account: @ScholtenforIowa [https://x.com/scholtenforiowa] Instagram: JDScholten [https://www.instagram.com/jdscholten/?hl=en] We Discuss: How to connect with constituents in red districts by leading with values over labels. Prioritizing universal healthcare as a working-class issue. Championing anti-monopoly policies to combat corporate greed. Motivating disaffected voters by focusing on the concerns of working-class Americans, particularly the B's and the S's. Drawing inspiration from the Prairie Populist movement to address Iowa’s economic and agricultural challenges. Get full access to Dispatch: Revolution at dispatchrevolution.substack.com/subscribe [https://dispatchrevolution.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

'All voters are friends or future friends'

Iowa State Sen. Zach Wahls announced this week that he is running for U.S. Senate, taking on current GOP Sen. Joni Ernst in the 2026 Midterms. He sat down on the pod before the big announcement. Zach’s info: * Campaign: Wahls for US Senate [https://zachwahls.com/] * @ZachWahls [https://x.com/ZachWahls?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/zachwahls/?hl=en] * Senate Page [https://iowasenatedemocrats.com/senator-zach-wahls/] We Discuss: * The state of politics and the Democratic Party in the Midwest * The importance of kitchen table values * Why voters across demographics has drifted away from Democrats * How to win * Jodi Ernst’s lack of courage Get full access to Dispatch: Revolution at dispatchrevolution.substack.com/subscribe [https://dispatchrevolution.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Are we living in an authoritarian economy?

Jessica Burbank is a self-made, progressive influencer, pushing the boundaries of new media at a time when most Democrats are either too afraid or don’t know how to reach people in a digital world. Jessica’s videos on YouTube, Instagram, and Substack (where she’s amassed upwards of 400 thousand followers across platforms) take politics and economic concepts, like democratic socialism, out of academia and into people's everyday lives. We discuss: * How to reach people in the new digital world * How to push back against the right’s dominance online * Why we live in an authoritarian economy Jessica’s Projects: @KaBurbank across platforms * Jessica and John Podcast [https://jessjohnpod.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=publication_embed&utm_medium=web] (Substack Podcast) * Ka's Counterprogramming [https://kaburbank.substack.com/] (Substack) * Investigative journalist at Drop Site News [https://www.dropsitenews.com/] (Substack) * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@Kaburbank] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kaburbank] Show outline: * Intro & biography * The role of social media in activism * Taking communication out of the ivory tower * An authoritarian economy * Running independents * Do the Democrats have a youth problem? Yes. * The call for a Joe Rogan of the left * The risk of civil war and how to course correct * Who will lead the Democratic Party? And who should we be listening to? * Guest questions from Stacey. Get full access to Dispatch: Revolution at dispatchrevolution.substack.com/subscribe [https://dispatchrevolution.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]