Everybody wants to talk about how to win elections. Nobody talks about what happens when you lose.
And, as the events of January 6th made painfully clear, how we lose in a democracy is just as important as how we win.
I am a PAC director, former Congressional candidate, and speechwriter who has studied, followed, and worked on campaigns since I was a kid — all the way up to my own run for public office in 2019 and 2020. In all the candidate training programs, courses, and advice sessions that are out there, almost none of them talk about how to handle loss and disappointment on the campaign trail — a staggering omission, since each year in America, the overwhelming majority of candidates for public office lose their elections.
In How to Lose an Election, we are telling the stories of candidates and movements who have run and lost. These aren’t just stories of coming up short — they are tales of how we each process failure and grief, how we overcome public disappointment , and how we find love and hope even in the darkest of hours. I hope that this series will be instructive for past, present, and future candidates alike, as well as viewers who want a fuller picture of what campaigns are like and how we can make them better.
My first two guests were Qasim Rashid (VA-01) and Tedra Cobb (NY-21). Next week, we will welcome J.D. Scholten (IA-04). New shows drop every Wednesday morning.
I hope you’ll consider adding this show to your regular podcast rotation. You can watch full video episodes of the show on our YouTube and Facebook pages, and full audio episodes can be found on Apple Podcasts and your favorite podcasting platforms.
If you like this content, I could use your help sustaining the show as a supporter on our Patreon page, where options range from basic friend of the pod all the way up to a show sponsor.
Roger Misso is a dad, veteran, and Central New Yorker. He was a candidate for Congress in New York’s 24th Congressional District in 2020, running as a proud rural progressive and antitrust reformer. He currently serves as Executive Director of Taking the Hill, a federal PAC supporting veterans and military family members of integrity for Congress.