Red States Deserve Better Elected Officials. Here are Two Running in 2026

Vivek Ramaswamy, a man so unpopular Elon Musk kicked him out of DOGE, is running for Ohio Governor. While he’s flying around Ohio in his private jet and receiving $10 million donations from billionaires, Dr. Amy Acton is standing up for everyday Ohioans.Dr. Acton and Jen discussed her experience as Former Director of the Ohio State Health Department and how it’s prepared her for the role of Governor. At a time ripe with extremism and vitriol, Dr. Acton argues that we all need to reconnect with our common humanity.And, Doug Jones [23:07], former Senator from Alabama who’s now running for governor in his home state, knows a thing or two about winning tough races in red states. Doug joined Jen and Norm Eisen for today’s Coffee with the Contrarians. We talked about why Alabama deserves better elected officials and why he’s running for Governor.The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrariannews.org/subscribe