S6 Ep19: Good Skews – Democratic Candidates Are Dominating State and Local Elections with Joe Sudbay

 Matt sits down again with Joe Sudbay, host of State of the States on SiriusXM, to check in on what's actually happening in American politics right now — and why you have to look at the state and local level to see it clearly. Since the beginning of 2025, Democrats have flipped 30 Republican state legislative seats while Republicans haven't picked up a single Democratic one. Joe breaks down the pattern of overperformance showing up in special elections from Iowa to Florida to Georgia, why state legislative candidates are connecting with voters in ways that DC politicians can't, and how all of that local organizing and candidate recruitment is building toward something big in 2026. 

JD Vance has a new book about his journey through forty-eleven religions before he arrived at the correct one, Catholicism-Where-You-Hate-the-Pope. Then Mark and Trae talk about the president threatening war crimes in internet posts where he sarcastically converts to Islam. Then, a fun discussion with scientist, small business owner, and Congressional candidate Dr. Michaela Barnett about running for office because you’re mad as hell and no one else is doing it.Weekly Skews is brought to you by Americans United for Separation of Church and State.If you believe religious freedom is supposed to protect everybody, not be weaponized to turn away good families, visit https://www.au.org/crooked to learn more and become a member today. This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://www.zbiotics.com/SKEW  now. You'll get 15% off your first order when you use SKEW at checkoutThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10%  https://www.betterhelp.com/skews 

The White House has horny pun fun with sex-working farmers. Marco Rubio wants you to know he listens to rap music while various prediction market fiascos continue to surround the non-war with Iran. Also, Iran hacked the FBI director’s emails and we learned that he pays for porn? Yeah, Kash Patel pays for porn. Then we get into the overlords’ obsession with replacing teachers with A.I. ,which somehow led to the first lady having to hang out with a Roomba with feet.

Congressional retirements are hitting a modern record heading into the 2026 midterms, and author, political scientist, and professor Dr. Tom Schaller joins Matt to break down what it all means. More Republicans are fleeing the House than at any point in the last century — tied with Trump's own first midterm in 2018 — and historically, that's a very bad sign for the party in power. Tom and Matt dig into what the retirement wave means for Speaker Johnson's razor-thin majority, which races to watch, and why the fundamentals of 2026 look increasingly like a Democratic wave election. Plus, they get into the cracks forming inside the MAGA coalition, Trump's cratering approval numbers, and whether the dam with Trump voters is finally starting to break.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10%  https://www.betterhelp.com/skews This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://www.zbiotics.com/SKEW now. You'll get 15% off your first order when you use SKEW at checkout

We’ve got a new FEMA chief who believes he has telekinetic powers. In other DHS news, the likely new secretary has been stealing Delta Force valor but you can’t catch him on it because the truth is too classified, and Trump is sending ICE to be the new TSA. Then we get into the latest stupid war news. An aircraft carrier is out of commission because of a laundry fire and overflowing toilets and it’s not nearly the biggest waste going on.This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://www.zbiotics.com/SKEW  now. You'll get 15% off your first order when you use SKEW at checkoutThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10%  https://www.betterhelp.com/skews 

The White House July 4th UFC bash is coming together great, provided someone remembers to start building a stadium back in 2022. Cops in Ohio are suing the rapper Afroman (remember Afroman?) for negatively impacting their self-esteem. Then we get into the ridiculous verdict in an “antifa” case where part of the evidence for a terrorist conspiracy was possession of a feminist movie review. Trae’s on Spring Break so Corey and Drew are filling in for a WellRed crossover ep. This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://www.zbiotics.com/SKEW  now. You'll get 15% off your first order when you use SKEW at checkout

Our solution to the Hormuz crisis is for some guys in boat captain hats to do Pickett’s Charge. All of this is very necessary, according to an A.I. George Washington, I told to say that. We did the Vietnam Airlift to with one private jet to rescue a TikTok dogwalker. Then we get into all the unforeseeable (very foreseeable) impacts the war is having, including that we’re kinda paying Russia to help Iran.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10%  https://www.betterhelp.com/skews This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://www.zbiotics.com/SKEW  now. You'll get 15% off your first order when you use SKEW at checkout

This week, we begin with the number one political issues facing Texas: Sharia Law and lies about porn addiction and organic honey. Then we get into the beginning of our most recent non-war with Iran, news of which was broken by a couple drunk guys overhead at a seafood restaurant by TMZ, and things have only gotten dumber since then. Why’d we attack? The White House will have to get back to you on that.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10%  https://www.betterhelp.com/skews This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://www.zbiotics.com/SKEW  now. You'll get 15% off your first order when you use SKEW at checkout

The Olympics turned into the hockey team having a Take Your FBI Director to Work Day. Then we talk about the MAHA backlash against Trump trying to make all the children’s water fountains spray Roundup. Finally, A..I. CEOs keep saying insane things that reveal they want us all dead, then cry when we don’t just lay down in our graves. Weird. Join us.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10%  https://www.betterhelp.com/skews This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://www.zbiotics.com/SKEW  now. You'll get 15% off your first order when you use SKEW at checkout

Portugal has MAGA now, down to even A.I.-generated xenophobic rap videos, and we’re sorry. Then we discuss the nationwide widespread pushback against new ICE detention facilities due to an alliance of wokes and the most undefeatable of American political forces, NIMBYs. After that we bring on Corey Ryan Forrester to walk us through a hilarious mayoral scandal that’s rocked his small town.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10%  https://www.betterhelp.com/skews This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/SKEW now. You'll get 15% off your first order when you use SKEW at checkout