Ep. 59: From Cancer Survivor to Candidate: Why Rhonda Yates Isn’t Backing Down

This week on Beyond Resistance, Sarah and Jennifer come in hot — like “are-you-really-going-to-fund-Trump’s-random-war?” hot. We kick things off with a fiery breakdown of Democratic wobbliness in Congress, political “poison pill” bills, and why doing your own Googling might just save democracy (or at least your group chat). It’s the kind of cathartic political‑podcast energy that pairs perfectly with rage‑cleaning or panic‑scrolling. Then we dive into an inspiring, deeply human conversation with Rhonda Yates, a Democrat running for Michigan’s 55th State House District. Rhonda’s story hits all the notes: rural Mississippi roots, linguistics professor, oncology nurse, cancer survivor twice over, union member, and somehow still a person who volunteers at the library. Basically the political‑organizing superhero the MCU should call. Rhonda talks about what pushed her to run — including witnessing ICE detain a naturalized U.S. veteran — and why state-level politics matter more than ever. We dig into health care nightmares, safe staffing for nurses, skyrocketing medical costs, mental health access, and why real democracy requires leaving our curated bubbles and actually listening to voters (even the ones who send you nasty emails). If you’re into progressive politics, grassroots organizing, election strategy, or just want a political podcast that doesn’t make you want to crawl into a culvert and live among raccoons, this episode is for you. Bonus: You’ll also hear how thrifting, cross-stitch, and union power somehow end up in the same conversation — which honestly feels like peak Midwest political‑pod energy. To learn more about Rhonda Yates and her campaign visit: rhondayates.com To check out Beyond Resistance and their Blueprint for Building Blue Power visit: beyondresistancepod.com @RhondaYatesMI55