Who Killed the Starter Home?

Most people talk about the American Dream; Mayor Adrian Mapp lived it.

He arrived from Barbados to join his mother, who had first come to the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant to pave the way for her children. In this episode, we discuss his journey from those roots to leading Plainfield through four terms of "transformational change."

We dive into what it actually takes to manage a city and why he believes the 12th District needs an executive who has already done the work on the ground. From housing and economic growth in NJ to immigration and restoring the U.S. reputation on the world stage, Mayor Mapp shares a vision for Washington rooted in his own lived experience.

In this episode, I spoke with Raymond Heck, who brings a blunt, municipal-focused energy to the race for Congress. He believes that Washington is disconnected from the "nuts and bolts" of local government—paving roads and fixing sewers—and that this gap is the source of our affordability crisis and infrastructure failures.

As a law enforcement officer and a small-town mayor, he brings a mix of humanity and compassion, along with a deep pride in representing the U.S. in all parts of life, whether he is in uniform or not. His leadership style prioritizes direct action and a no-nonsense approach and serves him well as a mayor of a small historic town. It even got him head the NJ League of Municipalities. Could this brand of straightforward, practical grit be exactly what is needed to break the gridlock in DC?

https://raymondheckforcongress.com/

Washington is a shark tank, says Dr. Brad Cohen, a physician and the sitting Mayor of East Brunswick.

In this episode, we discuss how taking care of patients and delivering babies as a gynecologist, protecting education as a school board member, and negotiating economic development and housing as a mayor makes him qualified to make a difference in Congress.

In all his pursuits, he’s been willing to study, learn, and work to fix problems. Can this executive mindset be useful in Washington?

https://bradcohenforcongress.com/

In this episode, I spoke with Squire Servance, an attorney and healthcare leader who plans to bring an entrepreneurial mindset to Congress. Our conversation centers on how his experience as a practicing lawyer and business owner informs his vision for the 12th District. Squire shares his perspective on healthcare and childcare reform, rethinking the path to career success for future generations, and understanding of AI and gig economy. We also discuss the need to balance government oversight with the room for innovation to grow. Ultimately, he argues for a leadership style rooted in negotiation across the aisle to get meaningful work done for the people.

 

Please note that the views expressed by the candidate are her own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this podcast. Given the nature of these long-form interviews, we cannot independently fact-check every claim made during the conversation. We encourage listeners to research the candidates and issues further as we approach the primary.

Recently, we have seen politicians attacking science, but what if scientist decide to flight back? In this episode, I spoke with a researcher who is stepping out of the lab and into the race for Congress. Sam Wang sees Washington not just as a political battlefield, but as a system with broken rules that need to be fixed with data and logic. He has spent his career studying the brain and the "science of political representation," and now he is ready to apply those findings in real life.

Our conversation dives into the vital mechanics of our democracy—how maps are drawn and how systems can be rigged. Sam argues that our current crisis is an opportunity to ensure our government processes are protected and actually work for us. The silver lining could be that it is now easy to see the cause and effect of what happens when complex systems break down, how actions far far away have direct and almost immediate impact on people’s everyday lives. Sam thinks that new leaders will emerge from this crisis and possibly our diverse district is ready to elect a scientist again.