Texas Republicans already gerrymandered their maps half to death, but Donald Trump is pushing them to go even further. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, however, has proposed a tit-for-tat plan that would make the GOP pay a price, and we're exploring its potential on this week's episode of The Downballot podcast. Are Newsom's ideas legally feasible—and can he sell them to voters? A swing of as many as five House seats could depend on it.

Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard also go behind the scenes to discuss what it's like to actually run in a special election with Washington state Sen. Deb Krishnadasan. She tells us all about the extremely swingy district she's defending; how the August top-two primary functions as a sort of massive poll of the November general election; and how Trump's "big beautiful bill" instantly got voters up in arms.

Zohran Mamdani's stunning upset in last month's primary is still reverberating, which is why we were eager to talk with his pollster, Jane Rayburn of Workbench Strategy, on this week's episode of The Downballot podcast to understand just how he pulled it off. Rayburn pulls back the curtain to explain how her firm captured the sentiments of a radically reshaped electorate, why Mamdani wanted a two-person race, and when she knew he could actually win. Plus, the challenges of polling a ranked-choice contest!

Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard also delve into two major Republicans who announced retirements just before the Fourth of July: Thom Tillis in North Carolina and Don Bacon in Nebraska. Why are they bailing? Who has the inside track to succeed them? And what exactly is Lara Trump's job? We do our level best to answer all of these questions!

Zohran Mamdani pulled off one of the most astonishing upsets of all time on Tuesday, so we've devoted this week's entire episode of The Downballot podcast to understanding how it happened and what it all means.

Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard discuss how Mamdani drew out new voters and forged an unlikely multi-ethnic coalition through his singular emphasis on affordability—a stark contrast to Andrew Cuomo's old-school campaign (or lack thereof) and his reliance on dark money.

The Davids also look ahead to November and explain why Mamdani remains the frontrunner despite Wall Street's panic. They conclude by emphasizing the lessons Democrats should learn from the race, including the most important of all: act like a winner.