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.

8hr 51min

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: A tightening D.C. Mayor’s race and Virginia Governor Spanberger’s vetoes".

City Cast DC’s Michael Schaffer talks a tightening mayor’s race and VA Del. Paul Krizek on why retail cannabis is stalled again in the Commonwealth. Plus, Prince George’s County Councilmember Jolene Ivey.

May 22, 202650min 29sec72.7 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Metro GM Randy Clarke talks ridership records, RFK stadium transit plans, and red line shutdowns".

Metro GM Randy Clarke on the big July 4th weekend and how the agency became cool again. Plus, UVA's Center for Politics Larry Sabato on Virginia's primary elections next month.

July 10, 202650min 27sec72.66 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Maryland's primary elections and the D.C. council reverses budget cuts".

Presumptive Democratic nominee for Montgomery County Executive Will Jawando talks about his message to voters, dark money, and data centers. Plus, Tara Jackson wins the Democratic nomination for Prince George's County State's Attorney and WAMU's Alex Koma on D.C. lawmakers greenlighting the budget.

June 26, 202650min 27sec72.67 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: A historic D.C. primary election and Montgomery County voting on new leadership".

We break down D.C. primary elections with Democratic nominee for D.C. Delegate Robert White, At-Large Councilmember-elect Elissa Silverman, and WAMU's D.C. politics reporter Alex Koma. Plus, we preview Maryland's primaries with WAMU's Maryland reporter Jenny Abamu.

June 19, 202650min 27sec72.66 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: The final countdown to the D.C. primary and Virginia lawmakers stall over the budget".

WAMU's Alex Koma and Washington Informer's Sam P.K. Collins get us ready for the D.C. primaries. Plus, Virginia Delegate Vivian Watts weighs in the data center tax breaks stalling budget negotiations.

June 12, 202648min 56sec46.99 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: D.C. budget crunch and Montgomery County schools job cuts".

Montgomery County Councilmember Kristin Mink on how MCPS is navigating cuts and what the council can do to help. Plus, D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson on the council's first budget vote next week.

June 5, 202650min 28sec72.68 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: WAMU’s D.C. Delegate Democratic primary forum".

We are live from the MLK Library in D.C. with the Democratic candidates running to be the D.C. Delegate to Congress.

May 29, 20261hr 19min114.41 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: VA Sen. Majority Leader Scott Surovell on redistricting Hail Mary".

Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell on the Democrats' last-ditch effort on redistricting and Ward 3 D.C. Councilmember Matt Frumin on why homelessness is ticking up.

May 15, 202648min 59sec47.04 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: VA Supreme Court strikes down redistricting and Montgomery County's battle over tax hikes".

VA Rep. Suhas Subramanyam reacts to the VA Supreme Court redistricting ruling, WAMU's Alex Koma breaks down the D.C. police scandal, WAMU's MD reporter Jenny Abamu previews MD-5 Congressional race, and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich on why he wants a tax hike.

May 8, 202650min 28sec72.69 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: A year later, how has drastic federal workforce cuts changed the region?".

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' Clark Mercer on the wide-ranging impact of federal job losses and Ward 5 D.C. Councilmember Zachary Parker talks youth curfews and the city's upcoming elections.

May 1, 202650min 28sec72.67 MB

The Politics Hour: A tightening D.C. Mayor’s race and Virginia Governor Spanberger’s vetoes

May 22, 202650min 29sec

The first public poll in the D.C. mayoral race is out, showing Ward 4 D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George with a slight lead over former At-Large D.C Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie. However, ranked-choice voting could play a huge role in the tightening race. The poll, from City Cast DC, is a fascinating deep dive glimpse into how age, race, geography, and even being a D.C. sports fan shape residents' political leanings. City Cast host and executive editor Michael Schaffer joins us to break down what they found and also what polling says about the D.C. Delegate race.

The Prince George's County planning board is in turmoil following the resignation of chair Darryl Barnes amid allegations of misconduct. The change comes weeks after Maryland lawmakers added language to the state budget to curtail the department's spending. Prince George's County Councilmember Jolene Ivey gets behind the mic to discuss what's going on and why the council's role is in overseeing the planning board. Plus, we talk to her about budget negotiations and a new tax on certain businesses in the county.

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger this week surprisingly vetoed legislation that would have finally established a retail marijuana market in the Commonwealth. The veto once again stalls an effort that's been years in the making. Virginia House Delegate Paul Krizek, who represents portions of Fairfax County, is a co-sponsor of the now-dead bill and has pushed for legal sales for more than five years. He joins the show to tell us what happened, why the Governor said no, and why he's hoping to get it into the still unsettled budget. We also ask why the Governor's recent vetoes have put her at odds with some in her own party.

Guest Host Kayla Hewitt

Send us questions and comments for guests: kojo@wamu.org

Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wamu885

Follow us on Bluesky: bsky.app/wamu.org