How to Lead with Purpose with Representative Eleni Kavros DeGraw
Release Date: 10/02/2025
How Americans Experience Politics with Gretchen Barton
An Honorable Profession
In this week’s episode, NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with Gretchen Barton, founder of Worthy Strategy Group, who uses qualitative research to uncover not just what people think but why they hold those views. Gretchen draws on images voters choose and personal stories they tell to express how they experience politics and the challenges affecting their daily lives. Barton also reflects on what Democrats can learn from the 2025 to win in 2026 and 2028, and how state and local politics can rebuild Americans’ sense of agency and hope. Tune in to learn more from this insightful...
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How Dems are Setting 2026 Priorities in the States
An Honorable Profession
In this week’s episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan welcomes Oregon House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Vin Gopal, and Kansas House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard for our 2026 state legislative preview. These NewDEAL Leaders set the stage for the year ahead and discuss their top priorities for the 2026 sessions, emphasizing their determination to pursue an agenda focused on affordability, even as they navigate the many challenges created by decisions made in Washington, D.C. Policy proposals...
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How to Take Hardship and Have Each Other's Back with Assistant Majority Leader Grant Hauschild
An Honorable Profession
In this week’s episode, NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with Grant Hauschild, the Assistant Majority Leader in the Minnesota Senate in the midst of an exceptionally challenging time in his state. They talk about the tragedies and ongoing fallout from last week’s killing of Renee Good, as well as last summer’s assassination of former Speaker Melissa Hortman and the attempted assassination of Senator John Hoffman. In addition, Hauschild talks about his experience as the last Democrat standing in rural Northeast Minnesota, along with his focus on the affordability issues his...
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How to Craft Policy with Alaskan Representative Genevieve Mina
An Honorable Profession
Happy New Year! For our first episode of 2026, co-host Ryan Coonerty speaks with Alaska State Representative Genevieve Mina. They discuss what it takes to craft policy in a state grappling with severe climate impacts and some of the nation's highest healthcare costs. Representative Mina offers an inside look at the unique challenges and opportunities shaping Alaska’s future. The conversation also unpacks what sparked her initial interest in policy and politics, and how her perspective has shifted over the years. Mina explains how the Alaskan legislature works in both structure and culture...
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: ICYMI: How to Respond to Natural Disasters with Hawaii State Senator Troy Hashimoto
An Honorable Profession
Happy New Year! While our team is off for the holiday, we want to take this opportunity to revisit our conversation with Hawaii State Senator Troy Hashimoto. Host Ryan Coonerty and Hashimoto reflect on the devastating 2023 Maui wildfires, including lessons around preparing for and building resilience against natural disasters, as well as best practices for coordinating disaster safety efforts across multiple levels of government. Senator Hashimoto also discusses his efforts to address Maui’s housing crisis and improve the local economy after tourism took a major hit from COVID and the fires....
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ICYMI: How to be a Democrat in West Virginia with Delegate Kayla Young
An Honorable Profession
Happy Holidays! While our team is off for the holiday, we want to take this opportunity to revisit our conversation with West Virginia Delegate Kayla Young. Host Ryan Coonerty and Young offer a political history lesson on how once-blue West Virginia took a sharp right turn, what the rest of the country can learn from the Mountain State, and how she approaches her work as part of the smallest legislative minority in the country. The conversation also dives into energy policy and politics, including the impact of the Biden Administration's investment in a clean energy economy, the Trump...
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How to Make Government Deliver with Delaware Lieutenant Governor Kyle Gay
An Honorable Profession
Recorded at the 15th Annual NewDEAL Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., host Ryan Coonerty’s conversation with Delaware Lieutenant Governor Kyle Gay digs into how she helped pass Delaware’s equal rights amendment, her period-equity initiative, and her efforts to expand pathways to legal services. Gay talks about her time as Deputy Attorney General, representing clients in Delaware’s business courts and practicing pro bono law for foster youth – experiences that now inform how she convenes communities, agencies, and decision-makers to change outcomes. The episode also explores how...
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How Ethical Leadership is Crucial in Troubled Times with State Rep. Alexis Simpson
An Honorable Profession
Recording from the 15th Annual NewDEAL Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., host Ryan Coonerty talks with New Hampshire State Representative and Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson about the importance of ethical leadership in these troubled times, how she approaches her legislative priorities, and how her weekends as a minister in her community informs how she does her job as a legislator. Ryan and Simpson also discuss New Hampshire’s status as a swing state and “picker of presidents,” and what all Americans need to know about how the state evaluates those who pursue our nation’s...
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How to Build Vibrant Communities with Mayor Leonardo Williams
An Honorable Profession
Recorded at the 15th Annual NewDEAL Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., host Ryan Coonerty talks with Durham, NC, Mayor Leonardo Williams. They talk about how the mayor built a career grounded in community service and leadership, and how his experiences equipped him with what he needs most to be a successful mayor. In addition, they unpack what it means to lead when there are ICE raids in your community, causing kids not to want to go to school and people not to want to go to work, and what it takes to have a vibrant community with flourishing small businesses. Tune in to learn about Mayor...
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ICYMI: How to Have Faith in the Midst of Dysfunction with Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones
An Honorable Profession
Happy Thanksgiving! While our team is off for the holiday, we want to take this opportunity to revisit our conversation with Commissioner Lesley Briones from Harris County, TX. Host Ryan Coonerty and Briones explain her role representing the third-largest county in the country with a population larger than 26 U.S. states and 34 cities. They discuss her journey as a Harvard and Yale Law School graduate who became a public school teacher and then a judge, and how her parents instilled in her the belief that she should always help others. Briones talks about navigating the chaos of the Trump...
info_outlineIn this week’s episode, host Ryan Coonerty sits down with Connecticut Representative Eleni Kavros DeGraw. They discuss her work to reduce hunger in her state, pass landmark legislation to make housing more affordable despite pushback, and advance Connecticut’s first criminal justice model for trauma-informed engagement with survivors of sexual assault. Kavros DeGraw also explains how her background as a journalist and English major has prepared her for politics and what motivates her to continue her work. Tune in to learn more from this engaging conversation and how Kavros DeGraw is shaping a people-first agenda for Connecticut.
IN THIS EPISODE:
• [02:18] Recap of the recent legislative session and what she is currently focused on.
• [03:19] Explanation of the landmark housing bill, its provisions, and the politics behind it.
• [04:24] How the bill addresses the housing crisis and her goal for the next legislative session.
• [05:48] Hear about the adaptive reuse and mixed-use development projects underway.
• [07:07] Her unexpected path into public service and what she hopes to achieve.
• [09:13] Find out how her background as an English major prepared her for politics.
• [10:34] The motivation behind her focus on housing despite its political challenges.
• [12:10] Her strategy for communication and the value of one-on-one conversations.
• [14:33] Eleni’s Purple Alert project and how she is improving sexual assault investigations.
• [18:33] Discover how being a woman informs her work and influences policy debates.
• [20:45] Explore the challenges of finding common ground and bipartisan agreements.
• [22:07] Find out how the Trump administration is impacting Connecticut and its constituents.
• [24:57] What motivates her to continue in politics, and her goals for the next session.