Claire Valdez

Claire Valdez, a New York Assemblywoman and labor organizer, discusses her congressional campaign, focusing on housing reforms and Medicare for All. She advocates for abolishing ICE and increasing support for social housing. Melat Kiros, a progressive candidate from Colorado, shares her experience of being fired for speaking out on Palestine. She highlights the need for affordable housing and critiques corporate influence in politics, especially regarding U.S. actions in Venezuela. Both guests emphasize the importance of grassroots movements and accountability in governance.

Claire Valdez, a New York State Assembly member, former union organizer and Democratic Socialist running for NY-7. She discusses organizing 500 clerical workers, a five-point campaign on housing, healthcare, unions, Gaza and ICE. They explore social housing models like Barcelona and Vienna, underfunded public housing, movement-driven taxation, and confronting establishment Democrats.

Civil rights activists on ICE accountability and protest tactics; Cat, a grassroots Illinois candidate organizing mutual aid and anti-authoritarian policies; Claire Valdez, a UAW organizer running for Congress on workers’ rights; Eric, a labor studies professor building mass engagement infrastructure; progressive commentators and a legal analyst. They discuss special-election momentum, Mamdani-style volunteer armies, threats to voting access, and strategies to pressure ICE and corporate collaborators.