Pete Maysmith, LCV President, on what it really takes to win right now

Pete Maysmith has been doing this work for over 30 years — from Rocky Flats protests in fifth grade to leading one of the country’s most powerful environmental electoral organizations. As President of the League of Conservation Voters, he oversees hundreds of millions of dollars in electoral and advocacy spending across a 30-state affiliate network.In this conversation, we don’t spend much time on the doom. We spend it on the strategy.**What you’ll hear in this episode:**- Why energy affordability — not carbon policy — is the entry point for reaching persuadable voters right now- How LCV is running AI-assisted, neighbor-to-neighbor video ads in a Michigan congressional district to hold Republicans accountable for higher utility bills- Why the movement needs to think culturally, not just politically, to break through a fragmented media landscape- How public lands became a rare piece of genuine bipartisan common ground — with MAGA hats showing up at LCV rallies- What it means to defend democracy as a prerequisite for environmental progress- And why the goal after Trump can’t just be to restore what existed beforePete’s closing piece of advice, passed on to him early in his career, stayed with me: ”Everybody needs hope and heroes . . . We have to believe and we have to give people belief. And if we do that, people will show up.”This is exactly the kind of conversation The Campaign Strategist exists to have — candid, strategic, and focused on what it actually takes to build power and win.If you find these conversations useful, please share this with someone who’d benefit. It’s the best way to help the show grow.Find and subscribe:Substack and your favorite platforms.Contact: [email protected] us on LinkedIn and Bluesky