The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi

WAMU 88.5

Join Kojo and resident analyst Tom Sherwood on Fridays at noon for our weekly review of the politics, policies and personalities in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Each week Kojo and Tom help make sense of legislation, hold elected officials accountable and provide in-depth analysis of local issues and elections. The Politics Hour is also a vital forum for Washingtonians to engage directly with their local leaders.

7hr 47min

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Virginia’s redistricting push ahead of the election".

WAMU’s Margaret Barthel and former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis previews next week’s Virginia elections. Plus, Maryland House Majority Leader David Moon talks redistricting and funding SNAP.

October 31, 202549min 16sec47.3 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on the District’s future".

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on her decision to not run again, her tenure, and who might be the city’s next police chief.

December 12, 202538min 2sec36.52 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: With Muriel Bowser bowing out, D.C. mayor’s race heats up".

Ward 4 D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George on jumping into the D.C. mayoral race and Montgomery County Council President Natali Fani-González on her journey to leading the council.

December 5, 202549min 33sec47.57 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: U.S. Rep James Walkinshaw on what’s ahead for Virginia".

The Politics Hour is live in Fairfax, Virginia at Fair Oaks Mall with U.S. Representative James Walkinshaw and former House Delegate David Ramadan.

November 21, 202550min 29sec48.47 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Sen. Tim Kaine voted to end the shutdown, drawing fire from some Democrats".

U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Chris Van Hollen were on opposite sides of the vote to end the federal shutdown. They join us to discuss. Plus, D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie discusses his political future.

November 14, 202550min 30sec72.61 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Virginia Lt. Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi on what’s next after Democrats’ big election wins".

Virginia Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi on what’s next after her historic victory and Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell on what Democrats’ “trifecta” means for redistricting.

November 7, 202550min 58sec48.93 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Federal cuts are hitting Montgomery County hard".

Montgomery County Council President Kate Stewart explains how the county is dealing with federal cuts an shutdown. Plus, Ward 1 D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau explains why she decided not to run for reelection.

October 24, 202550min 28sec48.45 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks on the local impact of the shutdown".

We talk with U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks and Clark Mercer, head of the regional leadership group known as COG, about how the federal shutdown is threatening the region’s economy.

October 17, 202550min 28sec48.45 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Why a candidate's text messages are shaking up Virginia's elections".

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine talks about the continuing federal shutdown. Plus, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson talks about D.C. police's continued cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

October 10, 202538min 18sec36.78 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: What a federal government shutdown means for the region".

U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey on the economic fallout of the federal shutdown and Loudoun County Board Chair Phyllis Randall on federal worker anxiety.

October 3, 202538min 42sec37.16 MB

The Politics Hour: Virginia’s redistricting push ahead of the election

October 31, 202549min 16sec

All eyes are on Virginia ahead of next week's statewide elections. Recent polls continue to show Democrat Abigail Spanberger leading Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, while both the Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General races are in virtual dead heats. We previewed Virginia's upcoming elections with WAMU's Northern Virginia reporter Margaret Barthel and former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA).

A split ticket remains a possibility, said Davis, meaning that members of different parties could be elected to the three statewide offices. "Divided government can work very well when you have adults at the helm," he said. "When you don't, it just makes gridlock even worse."

Plus, we discussed Virginia Democrats' push for redistricting.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore is also considering supporting plans to redraw Maryland's eight congressional districts, but some Democratic leaders are considering blocking the move. House Majority Leader David Moon (D-MD), who represents Montgomery County, joined the show to discuss why he also supports redistricting efforts.

On late Friday afternoon, a federal judge ruled the Trump administration must continue to fund SNAP benefits during the shutdown, giving the administration a deadline of Monday to respond. In the meantime, states like Maryland have been debating how to help those who could lose food assistance starting Saturday.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced Thursday he’s allocating $10 million in state funds to local food banks. But many Maryland lawmakers wanted the governor to do more, including stepping in to fully fund federal SNAP benefits. Del. Moon said leadership is considering tapping into the state’s rainy day fund.

“To get people through Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, I think that's really the question, whether we can do a little bit more to at least keep some of the benefits,” he said.

Moon said funding uninterrupted food assistance would cost Maryland $130 million per month.

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