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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: U.S. Rep James Walkinshaw on what’s ahead for Virginia

November 21, 202550min 29sec

We took the Politics Hour on the road this week, broadcasting live from Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, Virginia.

U.S. Representative James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) joined Kojo and Tom first on stage.

With elections and the government shutdown in the rearview mirror, we turned to what the future holds for the commonwealth. Federal cuts continue to affect Northern Virginia's economy, but perhaps not in the way some initially feared. As Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger prepares to take office in January, many Virginia Democrats believe the party's big wins in statewide elections should translate to an aggressive legislative agenda. Statewide leaders are also moving forward with redistricting. Rep. Walkinshaw discussed what all of this means for Virginia's future, including the 2026 midterms.

Then, former member of the Virginia House of Delegates and member of Gov.-elect Spanberger's transition team Republican David Ramadan took the mic to talk about the challenges Spanberger could face as governor, why a Democrat election sweep does not mean a mandate, and the legislative debates we can expect in 2026.

Sorting political fact from fiction, and having fun while we’re at it. Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies, and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia live at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax!

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

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