PODCAST · news
Sound Politics
by KUOW News and Information
A podcast about the candidates, policies, and perspectives shaping the Pacific Northwest. There’s a lot to wade through when it comes to Washington State politics. The drama, the facts, the money, and the movers and shakers. In Sound Politics KUOW host Libby Denkmann and politics reporter Scott Greenstone go beyond the ballot to guide you through what’s happening in local politics, why it matters, and how you can use your vote to make a difference.
Episodes
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Fact-checking election attack ads
Ballots for the November election are here – and the attack ads are hitting your screens and your mailbox. This week on Sound Politics, we get into who’s trying to sway your vote – millionaires, state employees, and... Ken Jennings? – and whether they're telling the truth. The show is joined by...
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Could the trans ban pass in WA? Polling says yes
We’re less than a month from election day. It’s the time of year people really look to polls to tell them what is going to happen... and a couple of polls have local Democrats feeling nervous. This week on Sound Politics, what do the numbers say about support for banning trans girls from playing…
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Republicans could gain ground in WA's last swing district
Democrats in D.C. may be poised to take back the House -- and possibly even the Senate. But in Washington state's only swing district, Democrats have to defend a seat from a different kind of Republican than they’ve faced for years. This week on Sound Politics, host Scott Greenstone is joined by...
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Can socialists budget better?
This week on Sound Politics, can socialists budget… better? Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is saying yes -- and that she solved the city’s budget deficit. But her proposal to add cops, cut elsewhere, and not raise taxes on businesses or the wealthy, has some saying she’s budgeting the same as her...
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Sound Politics LIVE
It's our fall fund drive; we hope you'll take a second to donate to show how much you love Sound Politics. This week, we answered your questions -- in front of you! -- at our first live taping of Sound Politics, hosted in partnership with Seattle CityClub. Initiatives, state Supreme Court races…
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Seattle’s mayor lives in a one-bedroom apartment. Can she help fellow renters afford to live here?
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has staked a lot of her political project on the fact that Seattle is majority renters: she’s trying to make life more affordable for them. She’s promised to build a lot of housing over her term, and to set Seattle up for a better-housed future. We’re going to check in…
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Voting fight update, school strike averted, Katie Wilson's pledge
This week on Sound Politics, we’re talking about breakdowns in communication. First: a Seattle public school strike averted at the 11th-hour, and one very unconventional communication might’ve averted it. Then, over at city hall, Mayor Katie Wilson is really trying to show us she is fixing...
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When WA defunded Dolly Parton
Music legend Dolly Parton died this week, and her legacy can even be felt in Washington state, through a reading program she brought to all 39 counties. But then, the state defunded it. This week on Sound Politics... what does that say about our education funding at a time when kids are heading...
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Where food meets politics: We visit South Seattle's most iconic fish fry
How much sway does one South Seattle fish fry hold on local politics? We teamed up with KUOW's Seattle Eats podcast to find out. This episode originally ran last month in the Seattle Eats feed, and we have a piping hot update at the end that you'll want to stick around for. Join Sound Politics on...
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Wilson recall, shooting fallout, primary election updates: The biggest politics stories of the week
This week on Sound Politics... we’re having leftovers, tying up last week's primary elections before heading off to Seattle City Hall, where political pressure is building on the mayor and the police department. Plus: Join Sound Politics on Wednesday, September 16 at 6:30pm at The Collective...
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Primary election results 2026: Jimothy vs. your mom
If you want to help shape our coverage for the general election, fill out our survey. On this week's episode: early results are trickling in for the August primary. How did incumbents fare against a slew of challengers? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you...
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Did Seattle's police chief just get fired? (UPDATE)
We now know that Seattle Police Department Chief Shon Barnes has resigned. It caps off a dramatic day at the city where it was unclear whether the Chief Barnes had a job. We're wading through it on this week's Sound Politics. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible.…
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Hey, big spender! Former governors rip Dems in Olympia
Two former Democratic Governors of Washington -- Christine Gregoire and Gary Locke -- have concerns about how much Democrats in Olympia are spending and whether a huge new program like the "millionaires tax" will fix the state’s budget woes. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this...
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Trump drama in MAGA Washington
Washington Republicans come in many flavors, and right now, all of them are competing to represent the center of the state in Congress. On this week’s Sound Politics, we meet the top candidates for an open seat in the 4th Congressional District, and untangle the drama behind the all-important…
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Mamdani's Seattle? Not so fast...
Across the country, progressive Democrats are ousting establishment candidates who have, in some cases, been in office for decades. Could we see the same dynamic play out in Washington? Or are establishment Democrats here too progressive to be challenged to the left? Thank you to the supporters…
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What SCOTUS' trans athletes ruling means for WA
The Supreme Court says states like Idaho can ban trans girls from sports. But what does that mean for our state and the initiative we will vote on in November? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to…
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RIP, vote-by-mail?
Voting by mail is under attack -- from the Supreme Court, from President Trump -- and big changes could be coming this year. Should you be worried about dropping your ballot in the mail? Guest: Jake Goldstein Street, reporter at The Washington State Standard Thank you to the supporters of KUOW…
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Ted Cruz + Maria Cantwell: Healing America With Sports?
College sports is chaos right now. But Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Washington's Maria Cantwell are trying to do something about that with the Protect College Sports Act. It just passed the Senate Commerce Committee and heads to the Senate floor next. What's in the bill? And what do politicians gain...
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Is Katie Wilson ready for the World Cup?
Mayor Wilson joins Sound Politics to talk about Seattle's preparedness for the World Cup, CCTV cameras, and her goal to stand up 500 shelter beds before the first match Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to...
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Did Portland solve the gerrymandering problem?
Both parties are rushing to gerrymander their Congressional districts as fast as they can. Nobody thinks this is good for Democracy. Is there a better way? The team at More Equitable Democracy thinks there is, and it is being used right across the Columbia in Portland, OR. Sound Politics is a...
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Why WA hasn't joined the gerrymandering wars....yet
As state legislatures across the country rush to redraw Congressional maps, will Washington follow their lead? Democrats in Olympia think it’s possible, but they need to win some local elections first. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out,...
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Trump admin takes on WA's transgender prison policy
Washington’s state prisons have come under the eye of the federal Department of Justice for housing a little over a dozen trans women in a women’s prison. There’s a lot of anger over this policy on the right. And lawsuits on both sides of the issue claiming peoples’ constitutional rights are…
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Is Seattle killing big biz?
The discourse has gotten really heated about progressive politics versus business growth. But is this overblown? We talk to a former tax-the-rich Democrat who now reps Seattle's business community: Joe Nguyen. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to...
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Gerrymander? Mutiny? Dems fight it out
Washington state Democrats feel hopeful, some are talking about winning a two-thirds supermajority, a real longshot this year. But first: they will look to fend off attacks from inside their own party. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out,...
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Where is Governor Bob Ferguson?
Since Governor Ferguson took office in 2025, he’s done few media availabilities or sitdowns with podcasts like the one you’re listening to. He’s also overhauled how the state government communicates with the public. What does that mean for people trying to understand what’s going on in Olympia?...
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Historic Supreme Court races: Could they sink the 'millionaires tax'?
Very few people pay attention to Supreme Court elections in the Evergreen state. In 2024, two of three judges ran unopposed. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/. Sound Politics is a...
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Mayor Wilson at 100 days: a progress report
As Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson marks her 100th day in office, we look at where she stands on key campaign promises about shelter and CCTV cameras. Here's that link we promised to a piece about Joel Connelly in MyNorthwest. https://mynorthwest.com/local/joel-connelly-seattle-p-i-dies/4228791 Thank...
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Where are your lawmakers now? We go to the woods
The legislative session in Olympia is over, and do you know where your legislator is now? Because it turns out they are probably herding bison (if you live in Moses Lake), or practicing forestry (If you're living in Centralia), or law or medicine. Washington has a part-time legislature, and most...
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Brian Heywood on taking the millionaire's tax to court
The so-called millionaires tax has been signed into law, but the fight over it is barely beginning. Now, it moves to the courts -- and potentially onto your ballot. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to...
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Sonic Politics
The Seattle SuperSonics are closer than ever to coming home. And this comeback could have surprising benefits for elected officials. Plus, we recap the political machinations behind the loss of the Sonics 18 years ago. Guest Jordan Ritter Conn, senior staff writer for The Ringer, host of "Sonic...
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Why Joe Kent quit
Since retiring from the military, combat veteran Joe Kent has been a loyal foot soldier in the MAGA army. Now, the two-time Washington congressional candidate claims President Donald Trump was manipulated into going to war with Iran, a country Kent says posed no imminent threat to the U.S. Kent…
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How weird is Washington's millionaire's tax?
We've been talking about it for what feels like forever. But it has finally happened. The Washington state legislature has passed the millionaire's tax. We're talking about the sounds, smells and substance that got this bill to the governor's desk with Sarah Mizes-Tan, KUOW's Olympia reporter....
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Listener mailbag: Iran redux
We’re coming to you with a bonus dose of Sound Politics because we got some feedback about our last episode that we want to talk about and chew over a bit. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to...
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Seattle's Iranian diaspora processes war
We spoke to a major booster of President Trump and a proponent of military intervention in Iran. He doesn’t speak for the wide spectrum of Iranian-American thinking — but he does represent a mode of thought that is very visible and very loud in the Pacific Northwest. Most of the street...
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Could conservative sheriffs get removed from office?
Democrats in Olympia are considering a bill that gives a state board the power to decertify elected sheriffs. Depending on how you see it, it's either a necessary step to modernize sheriff's offices or opens the door for an unelected state board to undermine voters. KUOW's Amy Radil will explain...
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Robin Hood: Dems in Tights
Is Governor Ferguson tax-mogging? We'll let you look up what that means, but the millionaire’s tax is taking shape as it moves through Olympia. State Senate Democrats passed their version of the proposal this week. But can it pay for everything Democrats want it to fund? Also, Seattle mayor Katie...
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Jayapal on what she saw in the Epstein files
We haven’t talked a lot about the Epstein files on this show but it’s a defining picture of a lot of the politics we talk about here – populist backlash against rich elites and distrust of government and the political establishment more generally. It is a story that has engulfed the other...
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Taxing the jocks and the nerds
We're going deep on taxes this week, even though it's only February. State Democrats have released their so-called millionaire's tax, and we talk about why one particular Dem isn't sold yet. Related Links SB 6346 - 2025-26 WA Democrats’ ‘millionaires tax’ is here, but Ferguson doesn’t support it...
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Do “general strikes” work? Seattle history has an answer
Where did the idea come from to push back against President Trump by holding a general strike? The story takes us back 100 years to shipyard workers in Seattle. We’ll hear why people think general strikes are an effective protest today and whether they work. On this week's episode, we relied on...
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How do you measure a year in Trump?
One year into President Trump's second term, we check in with Washington state’s biggest Trump supporter (or at least, the biggest one in our Congressional delegation) Rep. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane. We also talk with the biggest Trump adversary in the state, Attorney General Nick Brown, who...
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Incoming: a state income tax showdown with Ferguson onboard
Democrats think that this is the year when voters and the courts will side with them on an income tax. Axios' Melissa Santos and the Washington Observer's Paul Queary join us to talk about why. They'll also break down what they're watching during this year's state legislative session. Thank you…
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Katie Wilson: Socialist mayor running a capitalist city
Seattle's new mayor, Katie Wilson, joins us to talk about being in the media spotlight, her priorities for the coming year, and what new taxes she might get behind. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to...
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Sugar, spice and everything dais
Outgoing Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson reflects on her tenure as she leaves office. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a...
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Can taxing millionaires fix WA’s broken budget?
State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen is talking about passing a new income tax during next year's short legislative session. Plus, how the state will pay for flood damage with a tight budget. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go...
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Policing rain city
For weeks, pundits wondered whether incoming Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson would fire the city's police chief. We now know she won’t, but we still have questions about how a democratic socialist who used to support "defund" the police will run the police department. Listen to the full Soundside...
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'Tis the season to talk taxes
It’s the most of the wonderful time of the year in Olympia, the time when the Democrats figure out how to fill a giant budget hole. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes. Sound Politics is a...
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Thanksgiving side dish: A morsel of post-election politics
We're bringing you an interview with incoming Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans. Voters resoundingly supported Evans in last month's elections. How much will the incoming city attorney roll back her predecessor's policies? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If...
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The inside story of Katie Wilson's win
How her campaign team took a political newcomer and got her elected mayor of Seattle. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the...
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Shutdown drama over, and Harrell exits stage left
Today's episode is all about certainty. Seattle voters got some certainty on who will be the city’s next mayor. Federal employees can be more certain about getting paid now that the longest government shutdown in history is over. But much about the future of local and federal government remains...
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All politics is national
You heard it here first, folks. Election night in Washington state isn’t exciting. So many ballots left to count. So many potential changes in the coming days. But, a boring election night never stopped us from doing an analysis episode the next day, and we actually do have some likely winners....
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A podcast about the candidates, policies, and perspectives shaping the Pacific Northwest. There’s a lot to wade through when it comes to Washington State politics. The drama, the facts, the money, and the movers and shakers. In Sound Politics KUOW host Libby Denkmann and politics reporter Scott Greenstone go beyond the ballot to guide you through what’s happening in local politics, why it matters, and how you can use your vote to make a difference.
HOSTED BY
KUOW News and Information
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Sound Politics have?
Sound Politics currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Sound Politics about?
A podcast about the candidates, policies, and perspectives shaping the Pacific Northwest. There’s a lot to wade through when it comes to Washington State politics. The drama, the facts, the money, and the movers and shakers. In Sound Politics KUOW host Libby Denkmann and politics reporter Scott...
How often does Sound Politics release new episodes?
Sound Politics has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Sound Politics?
You can listen to Sound Politics on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Sound Politics?
Sound Politics is created and hosted by KUOW News and Information.
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