From French Class to Congress: Erik Terwey Fights for Eastern Oklahoma

From French Class to Congress: Erik Terwey Fights for Eastern Oklahoma

From French Class to Fighting for Eastern Oklahoma with Erik Terwey He Saw a $100,000 Medical Bill and Decided to Run for Congress. He did not want to run for office. He wanted to teach French, help kids conjugate verbs, and maybe quilt on the weekends. But somewhere between a $100,000 hospital bill, an overdraft notice, and watching rural hospitals close one by one across Eastern Oklahoma, Erik Terwey made a decision that changed everything. Not out of ambition. Out of exhaustion. And out of the quiet, stubborn belief that if nobody else was going to show up and fight, he would do it himself. This episode matters because it is not really about politics. It is about what happens when the systems that are supposed to catch people stop working, and one person decides to stop waiting for someone else to fix it. Whether you live in Oklahoma or not, whether you have ever thought about running for office or not, Erik's story will hit you somewhere real. The healthcare crisis, the rural hospital closures, the weight of student debt and medical debt and the particular panic of watching your bank account go negative before the month is over. These are not abstract policy issues. They are the texture of daily life for millions of Americans who have never had a representative who actually lived it with them. Erik Terwey is a Bartlesville native, a Teach for America alumnus, a former public school French teacher, a union member, and a master's degree holder from the University of Oklahoma. He is running as a progressive Democrat in Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District, one of the reddest, most rural districts in the country, against a two-term incumbent. He refuses PAC money and corporate donations. He introduced a formal bill recognizing the Cherokee Nation's treaty right to a delegate in the U.S. House. And he is running on Medicare for All, fully funded public schools, affordable energy, and an end to the forever wars. Today he sat down with host Molly to talk about all of it, and the conversation did not disappoint. Key Takeaways Erik did not enter politics out of ambition. He entered it because he watched his students go hungry, saw his friend's small business struggle without government support, faced a $100,000 medical bill himself, and realized that nobody was coming to help. He decided to be the person who showed up. Rural hospital closures in Eastern Oklahoma are not a future threat. They are happening right now. Seventy percent of rural hospitals in the region are operating at a loss. Women in the southeastern part of the state are driving two hours out of state just to see an OB-GYN. Erik argues that a healthy community is the foundation of any version of the American dream, and that without accessible healthcare, everything else falls apart. Running without PAC money is both a values statement and a logistical challenge. Erik's campaign manager is his best friend and works without pay because she believes in the mission. He argues that a true grassroots progressive can run a shoestring campaign and still win, because the energy in the room when he speaks to real voters is something no corporate donor can manufacture. On faith and voting records, Erik does not attack Josh Brecheen's Christianity. He holds it up as a mirror. His message to faith communities in Eastern Oklahoma is simple: stop listening to what your representative says and start looking at what he does. Voting to cut food assistance and healthcare is not what Jesus would do, and Erik is not shy about saying so. On the economic transition away from oil and gas, Erik points to the Mission for America blueprint at newconsensus.com [http://newconsensus.com] as a detailed, 21-point plan for moving the economy forward without leaving pipeline workers and roughnecks behind. He argues that progressives are no longer just dreamers. They are planners and doers, and the plans are already written. "Nobody is coming to help us. And it's time for somebody to start talking about the things that we're going through that really matter to us. If no one's gonna stand up and fight for me, then I'll do it myself." - Erik Terwey "I think that voting for guys like you and helping guys like you in your campaign feels like a good place to start." - Molly Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Erik's background01:52 The moment Erik decided to run for Congress04:34 Student debt, small business struggles, and the $100,000 medical bill06:19 Why nobody is coming to help and what that means08:25 On Trump, congressional authority, and holding representatives accountable10:00 Rural hospital closures and what they mean for real families12:29 Maternity care deserts, healthcare deserts, and the compounding crisis15:15 Running without PAC money and how the campaign actually works17:43 Grassroots fundraising and the energy at campaign events21:18 The Cherokee Nation treaty delegate bill and why Erik championed it23:08 Josh Brecheen, Christian faith, and voting records that hurt the poor29:01 Eastern Oklahoma's economy, oil and gas, and the green transition33:40 What success looks like in Washington and five years from now36:05 How to get involved and support the campaign37:17 Closing thoughts and call to action Connect with Erik Terwey Website: http://www.terweyforcongress.com [http://www.terweyforcongress.com]Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terweyforcongress [https://www.facebook.com/terweyforcongress]YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@terweyforcongress [https://www.youtube.com/@terweyforcongress]Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terweyforcongress [https://www.instagram.com/terweyforcongress]TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@terweyforcongress [https://www.tiktok.com/@terweyforcongress]X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/terwey4congress [https://twitter.com/terwey4congress]Substack: https://terweyforcongress.substack.com [https://terweyforcongress.substack.com]Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/terweyforcongress.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/terweyforcongress.bsky.social] Get full access to What do we do next? at whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe [https://whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

He Broke His Arm at a Senate Hearing. The Part That Got Me Was the GoFundMe.

From Iraq to the Senate Floor with Brian McGinnisHe broke his arm at a Senate hearing and called it worth it. Brian McGinnis deployed to Iraq in 2003, ran into burning buildings as a firefighter, and in March 2026 had his arm broken by Capitol Police while protesting U.S. military action at a Senate hearing. He walked away without regrets. That moment did not create his conviction. It revealed it. This episode is for anyone who has felt the weight of watching things get worse and wondered what they are supposed to do about it. Brian's story is a reminder that ordinary people with real lives and real stakes can step into the arena and mean it. Brian McGinnis is a Marine veteran, Raleigh firefighter, father of four, and Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina. He is running without a single dollar of corporate or PAC money, and he joined host Molly Ruland on What Do We Do Next? to talk about war, conscience, community, and what it actually looks like to turn depression into action. Key Takeaways Brian's decision to run for Senate grew directly from his grief over the war in Gaza, which became personal after he fell in love with and married a Palestinian-American woman he met through the fire department. He argues that the two-party system is not broken but is working exactly as designed, serving the donors who fund it rather than the people who vote in it, and that refusing corporate money is not a weakness for the Green Party but the entire point. The Senate hearing incident in March 2026 was not the catalyst for his campaign. He had already filed with the FEC, opened a campaign bank account, and was doing the unglamorous administrative work of running for office before the protest ever happened. When donations poured in after the hearing went viral, Brian and his wife paused the GoFundMe the moment they felt they had enough, redirecting supporters to his campaign instead of leaving the fundraiser open. His message to anyone sitting on the sidelines is to get your toe in the water, find an organization that represents something you care about, and start there. You will be waist deep before you know it. Brian McGinnis said, "Democrats and Republicans don't deserve your vote. They have to earn it. And I'm right there with them." Host Molly Ruland said, "Win or lose, it matters. You're showing a lot of people that they can get involved too." Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and on-air bio00:46 Why Brian is running for Senate01:25 Growing up in Illinois and joining the Marines02:23 How foreign policy views changed after Iraq04:24 Meeting his Palestinian-American wife and the shift in perspective05:34 Transition from military to firefighting07:58 Decision to run and why the Green Party09:51 Turning depression into political action11:35 The Senate hearing, the broken arm, and zero regrets14:02 The GoFundMe pause and a moment of integrity15:47 The biggest issues facing North Carolina18:08 The two-party duopoly and the case for third-party voting22:09 Staying inspired when things keep getting worse25:21 How listeners can get involved30:36 Closing thoughts Connect with Brian McGinnis Website: brianmcginnis.org [http://brianmcginnis.org]Instagram: instagram.com/brianmcginnisncTwitter/X: x.com/brianmcginnisncThreads: threads.net/@brianmcginnisnc Get full access to What do we do next? at whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe [https://whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

"So Help Me God, Not 'Until Further Notice'" with Jeff Pixley

Here’s the thing, mis amigos: every once in a while I talk to somebody who makes you sit up a little straighter. Jeff Pixley did that to me. He’s a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel. An F-16 combat pilot. A guy with 30+ years of service who has literally spent his life in the arena. And now he’s running for Congress in Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District because, in his words, the oath he took as a kid still means something. That part hit me hard. Low key, I got chills. Jeff left the military a year early. That decision cost him about $300 a month in retirement pay for the rest of his life. Let that sink in. He gave up real money, real security, real comfort, because after the president fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the head of the Navy, and the military lawyers, he saw a flashing red warning sign. He was teaching cadets about the Constitution and the oath of office at the time, and he told me he couldn’t look them in the eye anymore if he stayed. “I promised I would support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign or domestic. That oath ends with the words ‘so help me God’ — not ‘until further notice.’” Exactly. Damn right. And then he said this, which I’m going to carry around in my bones for a while: “Firing the lawyers signaled to me that illegal orders might be coming. And being part of something I feared would not be in line with my values — that was something I couldn’t live with.” That is not a man making a cute little political statement for the cameras. That is a person telling you he made a costly decision because he still believes service means something. Because integrity means something. Because some lines are real. Jeff is not running because he got bored in retirement. He’s running because Tom Cole has been in Congress for 20 years, chairs the House Appropriations Committee, and Jeff believes our federal representatives have abdicated their responsibility to uphold the Constitution. And he’s not wrong to say this isn’t just an Oklahoma problem. “Tom Cole sits atop the House Appropriations Committee. Every day he’s in Congress, no matter where you live in this country, you are adversely affected by his inaction or his actions.” Read that again. No matter where you live. We talked about the stuff people actually live under: Oklahoma’s minimum wage still stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009, housing costs, insurance costs, tariffs hammering farmers and ranchers, the way social media throttles grassroots candidates, and how corporate money keeps warping the whole damn system. Jeff takes no corporate money. No PAC money. None. Which, honestly, should not be radical, but here we are. He also said something about the bigger problem that I think gets to the heart of all of it: “If we don’t fix the constitutional imbalance, we can’t fix affordability — because right now we have what amounts to a patronage economy.” That’s the kind of sentence that makes you want to stand on a table and yell in a diner somewhere. We talked about Citizens United. We talked about the DCCC treating so-called “unwinnable” races like they’re already dead, which Jeff called out as the self-fulfilling prophecy it is. We talked about Oklahoma’s medical marijuana vote and the governor trying to unwind the will of the people. We talked about the deep insult of pretending folks in red districts don’t deserve a real choice. Spoiler: they do. And Jeff? He actually gives me hope. Not because he’s polished. Not because he’s some perfect political product. But because he’s the real deal. He commanded all of Air Force Basic Military Training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, overseeing more than 60,000 new airmen. He helped shape Space Force basic training. He served as an Air Force One Advance Agent. He flew combat missions in Operation Southern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He earned a master’s degree from the Eisenhower School at National Defense University. He lives in Norman with his wife Andrea. This is not a lightweight candidate trying to cosplay as a patriot. This is a man who has already lived the hard part. So if you care about democracy, if you care about the balance of power in the House, if you care about what happens when decent people decide they’re done watching the system rot from the sidelines, you should listen to this one. Then share it. Especially with somebody in Oklahoma. Especially with somebody who thinks politics is over for them. Especially with somebody who needs to hear that there are still people willing to sacrifice for the rest of us. You can support Jeff at jeffpixleyforcongress.com [https://jeffpixleyforcongress.com]. Follow him on Instagram and Threads at @pixley4congress, and find Jeff Pixley for Congress on TikTok and Facebook. If you can donate directly on his website, do that — that’s the cleanest way to make sure your money actually reaches his campaign. And if you can’t donate, no shame. Share the episode. Word of mouth still matters. A lot. And if you’re not already listening to What Do We Do Next?, come on in. It’s a show for the moments when people are either stepping up or disappearing. We’re talking to candidates, advocates, and leaders who are doing the damn thing when it would be easier not to. Support the show by joining the Substack. Every dollar goes toward paid advertising that gets these conversations in front of more people — in places like Forbes, BusinessWeek, and Sports Illustrated. Till next time, don’t forget who you are out there. Integrity matters. Get full access to What do we do next? at whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe [https://whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Finally. a candidate that says what you are thinking, meet Mark Davis

I wanted to have Mark on because he is one of those people who makes you sit up a little straighter and pay attention. He is blunt, thoughtful, and completely unafraid to say the quiet part out loud — which, honestly, feels rare right now. What struck me most was how grounded he is for someone running such a bold race, and how clearly he connects the personal, the political, and the practical. I also think there is something genuinely disarming about him: he doesn’t sound like he is trying to perform “politician,” and that made me trust him faster than I usually do. A lot of political guests can feel polished to the point of distance, but Mark felt direct in a way that was almost startling. He was willing to be specific, which I always appreciate, and he kept bringing the conversation back to actual people and actual consequences instead of talking in slogans. I found myself thinking about our interview long after we wrapped, which is usually the sign that somebody said something real. Conversations like this matter because they remind us that democracy is still being shaped by people willing to show up and say something real. I also related to what he said about not wanting to lose his relationship with his parents, because my own father is not speaking to me right now, and that kind of ache makes those moments feel even more human. In this episode * Why Mark jumped in after Trump’s second term began * Why he chose to run as a No Party Affiliate instead of a Democrat * His Menards corporate background and what he saw inside boardrooms * Calling Trump’s tactics what he believes they are * The Canada/tourism economy angle and how tariffs hit Florida * Veterans’ mental health and mandatory care after deployment * The stigma around seeking help in the military, including pilots who fear losing their jobs * Waste in the defense budget * Accountability, single-payer healthcare, and lower prices * His pledge to forgo his congressional salary and healthcare * How to donate, and why small donations matter so much What stayed with me The part that really stayed with me was Mark talking about mental health in the military. There is still this devastating, deeply embedded stigma around asking for help, and that has to change. My father served, and growing up with a veteran shaped how I see these issues; it means that when Mark talks about the fear of asking for help, it is not abstract to me. The fact that a pilot can worry about losing a career for admitting they need support is not just backwards, it is dangerous. We talk so much about honoring service, but then we create a culture that punishes the very people who try to take care of themselves. And then there was the moment when he compared Trump’s tactics to historical fascism. I want to be careful with language like that, because it matters, but I also appreciated that Mark did not soften it into something more palatable. He was clear about what he sees and clear about why he believes we should say it plainly. I find that refreshing, honestly. We get so used to politicians sanding down everything until it is safe and unrecognizable, and I am tired of that. About Mark Mark Davis is running for Florida’s 16th District as a No Party Affiliate. He’s an Air Force veteran, a former corporate operations executive at Menards, and a small business owner in Parrish, Florida. He lives there with his wife Sarah and their two children, and in less than a year, he has built more than 200,000 organic followers. His campaign has grown entirely without corporate money, and he refuses corporate PAC money. He has also pledged to forgo his congressional salary and healthcare if elected. Support Mark If you want to learn more, volunteer, or donate, go to markdavisforcongress.com [https://markdavisforcongress.com]. Even small recurring donations can make a real difference. That part matters to me because campaigns like this are built one person at a time, not by giant checks and glossy consultants. If you believe we need more candidates who will say what they mean and keep their promises, this is exactly the kind of race worth supporting. Small donations really do add up here, and they help keep a genuinely grassroots campaign moving. And if you want more conversations like this, Subscribe on Substack [https://whatdowedonext.substack.com]. Sharing this episode helps more than you know. Get full access to What do we do next? at whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe [https://whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

She Went From Non-Voter to National Organizer And Built an App That Lets YOU Vote on Real Bills

What if you could vote on the same bills as your legislators — right now, for free? That’s exactly what the Digital Democracy Project has built, and this week Molly sits down with Sadie Holzmeyer, the woman helping take it national. Sadie grew up in rural Indiana as a self-described cynical non-voter. A college conversation about a local utility company sparked her interest in climate, which led her to policy, then politics, then the Sunrise Movement — and eventually to packing up her life and moving to Florida to organize on the ground for DDP. She rose from Field Director to Executive Director of the Florida Chapter, and now serves as National Organizing Director as DDP expands across the country in 2025. In this episode, Molly and Sadie break down: * What the Digital Democracy Project actually is (and how it works, step by step) * How voters get verified and cast advisory votes on 100+ pieces of pending federal legislation * Why verification matters — and why legislators can’t dismiss the data * Real bills on the platform right now: impeachment resolutions, the Save America Act, war powers, government surveillance, and more * How DDP generates scorecards comparing how legislators voted vs. how their constituents wanted them to vote * What it looks like when this scales — and why power in numbers is the whole point “It doesn’t require any permission from our government. We don’t have to wait for some law to be passed or for the next election. We can do this right now.” “We’ve embraced technology in every way except for the ways that impact our life the most. You can get a car or a pizza to show up without saying a word — but you can’t have your voice be heard. And they take your taxes real electronically.” Take Action Today: Go to digitaldemocracyproject.org → Watch the explainer video → Click the Vote tab → Enroll in the Voatz app → Get verified in ~2 minutes → Start voting on real legislation. Not registered? You can still browse every bill on the site — no account needed. Connect with Sadie & DDP: * 🌐 digitaldemocracyproject.org * 📧 sadie.holzmeyer@digitaldemocracyproject.org * 📱 @digital_democracy_project (Instagram, Threads) * 🐦 @DigitalDemoProj (X) * 🦋 @digitaldemoproject.bsky.social * ▶️ @digitaldemocracyproject (YouTube) Enjoying the show? Become a paid Substack member — every dollar goes toward paid advertising to get this podcast in front of more people. Get full access to What do we do next? at whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe [https://whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]