PBS NewsHour: Democratic and Republican strategists on the direction of both parties
I joined PBS NewsHour’s William Brangham, alongside Democratic strategist Joel Payne, to discuss the primary results and the direction of both parties.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: So, for more on last night’s results, we are joined now by political strategists from both sides of the aisle.
Republican Liam Donovan previously worked for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
And Democrat Joel Payne currently works for the progressive group MoveOn.
Gentlemen, thank you both so much for being here.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: I mean, Liam, as Joel is saying, Republicans clearly wanted to run against Hong because of these statements like wanting to cancel Thanksgiving and to perhaps abolish the police. So they don’t have that foil now, and now they have to run against Crowley. How do you see that unfolding?
LIAM DONOVAN, Republican Strategist: I think, number one, I mean, Francesca Hong was not a great candidate that was very, very ripe for Republicans. They were certainly rooting for it. I think, if you’re looking at the initial polling, though, Crowley is matching up similarly against Tiffany in the general election. It is still a tough matchup. And it’s going to be coming down to I think the environment and how Crowley shows me — this is a guy who not in the race a month ago, so how he shows on the campaign trail, very impressive comeback. I think, to Joel’s point, the collective action problem that Democrats managed to solve, I think they saw the race flash before their eyes with the experience in Michigan.
CNN: Previewing WIGOV Primary Night
I joined CNN‘s Pamela Brown and fellow guest Maria Cardona to preview primary night for the Wisconsin governor’s race.
NPR Weekend Edition: Inside the GOP playbook: Republican strategist Liam Donovan on reclaiming the majority
I joined NPR Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon to discuss Republican Senate strategy and the 2026 midterms.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Maine Democrats have a little more than two weeks to pick a new candidate to take on incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins. Graham Platner, who had won the June primary, withdrew from the race this week, days after Politico reported on a rape allegation from a former girlfriend, which Platner denies. There had been other red flags during Platner’s campaign – a tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol, reports of unsettling behavior from other former girlfriends and an admission that he was sexting women outside of his marriage. We are joined now by Republican strategist Liam Donovan in our studios. Thanks so much for being with us.
LIAM DONOVAN: Scott, it’s great to be here.
SIMON: Democrats had seen Senator Collins as very vulnerable this cycle, and defeating her, perhaps, their best opportunity to flip control of the Senate. Is that still the case?
DONOVAN: I think it’s still the case that they have to win Maine to have a plausible path to the Senate. The math and the map of this cycle mean it is largely going through Trump country, through battlegrounds that Republicans have won in previous presidential cycles. This is the only state where there is a Republican sitting in a state that Vice President Harris and President Biden previously won.
Make It Make Sense: Is this the Democratic tea party?
I joined James Hohmann on Make It Make Sense, The Washington Post’s flagship podcast, to talk about whether Democrats are having their own tea party moment.
Is the Democratic Party having its tea party moment? James Hohmann talks with Liam Donovan about the rise of Democratic populism, its effects on the midterms and how it compares to the rise of Trumpism.