← Andy Beshear Podcast
Andy Beshear Podcast
Kansa Democratic Governor Primary – Can We Keep Kansas Blue?
00:50:00
People have written Kansas off before. But Andy knows a little about that. This week we sit down with both Democrats running to be the next governor of Kansas – and they couldn't be more ready for this fight.
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- [00:00]
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- [00:38]
Andy Beshear
Kansas is a state that doesn't get talked about enough in Democratic circles, and two people joining us this week are working hard to change that. Cindy Holcher is a state senator, farmer's daughter, and the only Democratic legislator currently serving in a Republican district in Kansas City. She spent her career fighting for public schools, affordable health care and working families. Now she's running for governor to bring those same values to the executive branch. Ethan Corson is a lifelong Kansan, former U.S. department of Commerce official and state senator known for his bipartisan approach to kitchen table issues, from eliminating the food sales tax to cutting property taxes to fighting for Kansas public schools. He's running for governor to create opportunities for the next generation of of Kansans and to make the state the most affordable place to live in America. Both are Democrats, both are running in the Kansas gubernatorial primary, and both are making compelling cases for their party nomination. Let's hear from them directly. Please enjoy our conversation with Cindy and Ethan right now on the Andy Beshear Podcast.
- [01:48]
Podcast Host
Today on the Andy Beshear Podcast, we're here with Cindy Holscher. Am I pronouncing that correctly?
- [01:54]
Cindy Holscher
That's correct.
- [01:55]
Podcast Host
Okay. Today on the Andy Beshear Podcast, you're here with Cindy Holscher. Cindy grew up on a farm, the daughter of a union veteran, a school custodian, and became the first in her family to graduate college. These Midwestern roots have guided her public service ever since. Elected to the Kansas State House in 2016, she helped end the Brownback era tax experiment that drained billions of dollars from public schools, co founded the Woman's Baptism Caucus and fought to restore common sense to state finances. In 2020, she made history as the only Democrat elected to the state Senate from a Republican district. Since then, she has delivered real results for Kansas families, fully funding public schools, ending the food sales tax, eliminating the tax on Social Security, and expanding child care tax credits. Now running for governor, she's bringing the same political fast paced approach to the entire state. So an amazing background and wonderful accomplishments. You grew up on a farm, the daughter of a union veteran and a school custodian, and you became the first in your family to graduate from college. How did that upbringing shape those goals?
- [03:12]
Cindy Holscher
You know, a lot of it has to do, I guess, with work ethic in terms of, you know, I'm used to getting up early, doing chores before going to school, doing more chores after getting home, working two jobs every summer. And, you know, that has just been the type of lifestyle I have led. And then once I graduated college and went on to work, often when I have left a job or position, two people have been have had to be hired to replace me. So, like I said, I just bring a very, very strong work ethic with me and a sense of problem solving. I think that also comes from the farm background. You know, you kind of have to work with what you have sometimes on the farm and solve those problems. And like I said, just work with what's available. And that calls for a lot of common sense, you know, problem solving, working with others. And so, like I said, I think it's a particular skill set that's very well developed over time, and that resonates with people across the state. That background and that particular skill set. And coming from a farm, a union family and a military family, those are a lot of points of commonality that help in collaboration.
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Podcast Host
Well, as you speak about that midwestern values gets talked a lot about in politics. What does that actually mean to you in practice? You know, not so much as a talking point, but as a way of governing.
- [04:35]
Cindy Holscher
You know, it's coming together in our communities, taking care of one another when you've suffered a loss, or if you're in the farm area and then rural areas, it's coming together and building barns and helping your neighbors. So, you know, like I said, it's a collaborative approach. It's a teamwork approach. And maybe we don't always recognize it where we live, but that's what it is. And kansans do have that spirit in terms of helping one another without worrying about the politics so much. And often, you know, we see what happens is in the state legislature, people get more caught up on politics. And of course, like we've seen across the nation, there's been a lot more division and more extremism, and that is not what kansans want. And I think that's part of the reason why my campaign has been so successful. Like a lot of kansans, I'm very moderate, very much of a common sense approach, and that's what resonates with people.
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Podcast Host
The brownback tax experiment drained billions from kansas schools. You helped end it. For people who don't know that story, walk us through what happened and what the stakes were for Kansas kids and families.
- [05:43]
Cindy Holscher
Oh, yeah, this was supposed to be a shot of adrenaline to help the economy take off here, but the reality was that it was just another tax break for wealthy folks in Kansas. And what we saw happen over time was we saw that resources were drained as budgets were cut from our schools and important infrastructure. And at that time, my children were elementary school, and I was the leader of the PTA and a school volunteer. I was seeing what was happening. We were losing teachers. We didn't have supplies. We even had shower curtains for doors for some of our classrooms. And this was hitting us hard. We were hemorrhaging. And then one weekend, my daughter Sarah and I, this is a little over 10 years ago, we went into a Target on a weekend just to pick up a few supplies. Sarah was probably about 12 at the time. And we saw one of her teachers working there. She was stocking shelves. And I remember my daughter looking at me and saying, why is my teacher working here on the weekend after being at school all week working hard? And I explained to her that we were in the midst of a budget crisis, that her teacher probably wasn't making enough money to pay the bills. And I remember Sarah looked me in the eye and she said, you go fix that. That's wrong. And that's why I ended up running for office and fixing the brownback experiment. And I will tell you, it was no easy feat. You know, you had a lot of different people who had different ideas. And so I co founded the Women's Bipartisan Caucus. We started with a smaller group of people really hammering out what we needed to do to end the experiment. That made the group a little bigger, a little bigger, until we reached critical mass. And in the end, we put together the plan that ended the Brown back experiment. And as I look back, you know, I recognize how significant that was in terms of ending the experiment, getting us back on track revenue wise to help start, you know, rebuilding our schools and our infrastructure.
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Podcast Host
Well, I mean, you can feel just exactly how special education is to you with your mother working in a school. How do you feel today? And how do you respond when people continue to attack public education?
- [07:55]
Cindy Holscher
You know, I'm probably the poster child for the reason why public education is so important. I come from very modest means. Public education, along with a good union job, that was my ticket, my family's ticket up out of poverty. And that's why I fight so hard for public education, because I Want every child out there to have access to solid education. And even before entering into the legislature, when we were seeing the effects of the brownback experiment in its early stages, I joined up with a group of folks here in Johnson county and literally walked from Shawnee, Kansas to Topeka well over 60 miles to draw attention to the underfunding of our schools. And then after Covid, we had a shortage of teachers and I couldn't stand to see my friends covering two and three classes, like I said, because of the shortage. So I went out and got my sublicense. So I'm going to do whatever I can in the legislature as well as in our communities to help not just education, but I've also helped with the back snack program to help feed children over, you know, on the weekends and helped in our libraries. I'm going to do what I can to make a difference in our communities.
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Podcast Host
Well, and I think you made that walk twice, if I'm correct.
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Cindy Holscher
Yes, I did.
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Podcast Host
So on the first time you did it, when you kind of look back on the level of commitment you had to have to make that walk, how did you explain that to the people around you when you came up with this is what I'm going to do?
- [09:21]
Cindy Holscher
Well, and I will give appropriate credit here, it was not me who came up with the idea, but I joined in with a group of other parents and I will tell you, my 12 year old daughter joined with me too. And you know, like I said, it's just a commitment to our children and future generations to ensure that promise that really has been there for many years before us in ensuring that children have access to a good education. Because again, it's what brought me up out of poverty.
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Podcast Host
You're the only Democratic state senator serving in a Republican district in Kansas City. You know a thing or two about tough political territory. How did you do it?
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Cindy Holscher
Yeah, these are tough races. These are races where I've defeated incumbents who come with a whole lot of name recognition and a lot of money. So like I said, these are tough races. But I will tell you that background does seem to have an impact. I spend a lot of time in my communities listening to voters and the best ideas I get, I take with me to the legislature and bring them forward in bills and work to get those passed. And I've been the most successful Democrat in getting my bills to the finish line, like I said. But I do spend a lot of time in the communities. I've knocked thousands and thousands of doors out there and I will help anybody during COVID you know, we had some struggles with getting unemployment processed for our people. And I received calls from all across the state. I never once asked what their background was in terms of affiliation. I didn't care where they lived. They got help. And in one week, I handled more unemployment claims than the entire rest of our legislature combined. I'm going to help people and do what I can to make a difference. And I will tell you, you know, that that passion to help people, that probably, like I said, does make a big difference. And I remember in 2016, you know, there were yards that had my yard sign next to Trump signs. Not that I was comfortable with that necessarily, but, you know, people saw in me an ability to work for them and to deliver. And I think that's very. A very important component.
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Podcast Host
Well, if elected, what would be the first three things you would focus on in the state?
- [11:46]
Cindy Holscher
Yeah, certainly we have some critical issues in terms of health care. We are one of the few states that has not expanded Medicaid, and it is hurting us. It's hurting our rural hospitals, and it's hurting our people. And the advocates, the organizations that are supposed to be helping us, they've gone silent over the past few years. And we need to get them active and get them back on track with helping us expand. And I'm committed not only to winning my race, but flipping a few of those house seats to ensure we can move forward in that area. So, again, healthcare is a very, very big issue. Rural as well as urban areas gotta ensure that education is funded. This legislature has hurt us pretty hard here. We have been adequately funding general education, but not special education. In fact, this group has been taking us backwards, and that has to be put on the forefront. That has to change and will change with me as governor. Additionally, affordable housing is a very big deal here. Again, all across the state, there's some nuances to it in terms of what the differences are. Rural areas, we have housing that's very old, that hasn't been kept up. But in some of our urban areas, we have issues in terms of potentially predominantly with renting. We have some landlords that own a whole lot of property and they charge exorbitant fees on late fees, which causes a spiral, often in terms of people getting evicted and then leading to homelessness. And undoubtedly, you know, kind of what that all encapsulates to me is delivering for working people and families, not billionaires.
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Podcast Host
Well, working families right now are talking about inflation housing and now the price of gas. So if elected, when we start to talk about inflation, how would you go about moving the state forward and making it more livable for those families?
- [13:34]
Cindy Holscher
Yeah, you know, again, you know, those areas that are so important, access to affordable housing, healthcare and childcare, those are important. But, you know, Kansas is one of those areas that hasn't raised the minimum wage many, many years. We're at seven and a quarter an hour while the surrounding states have already raised the minimum wage. And some of them a couple times I brought forward a bill this session to raise minimum wage to $16 an hour. And you know what? That got the conversation moving and we have to, because, you know, while some of the critics have said, oh, but if you raise minimum wage, then you're just going to raise the cost of living. Well, guess what? Cost of living has been going up and we haven't raised minimum wage here. It is past time for us to do that.
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Podcast Host
What do you want Kansans and Americans to know about you? They might not learn from the campaign ads or the news stories already.
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Cindy Holscher
Yeah, you know, I'm a leader who listens. I'm a leader who's actually going to take those ideas and work with them and make things happen. I've been able, like I said, to get bills to the finish line. And that's what's important. You know, you got to have a person who can win the race. That's undoubtedly important. But then you've got to have a person who can deliver on those results. And like I said, then, you know, the other thing is going to show up. You know, whether it's during COVID and people needed help again with unemployment, I'm going to show up for that. You know, whatever the issue is with school funding, I'm going to show up. I'm going to listen to the people and the people's interest, not the special interest groups and certainly not the billionaire class.
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Podcast Host
Wonderful. Well, thank you so much for being here on the podcast with us. Can you tell everybody who needs to get in touch with the campaign how they can see and keep up with what's going on?
- [15:24]
Cindy Holscher
Absolutely. Of course. I have a website, cindyforkansas.com lots of information there. We'll be happy to hear from you.
- [15:31]
Podcast Host
Thank you. We appreciate you.
- [15:32]
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John Rabinowitz
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- [16:33]
Podcast Host
Thank you.
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Cindy Holscher
Thank you so much. Appreciate.
- [16:42]
John Rabinowitz
This is John Rabinowitz and we're excited to have Senator Ethan Corson on the podcast today. As a lifelong Kansan, Ethan Corson was raised on a simple set of values. Work hard, give back whenever you can, and always keep your word. Now Ethan is running for governor of Kansas to create more opportunities for the next generation of Kansans and to ensure the next generation can build a great life and stay in Kansas. Ethan is focused on bringing people together across party lines to make Kansas schools the very best in the country, to lower costs for working families, to cut taxes and to help new businesses thrive. Ethan currently serves in the Kansas State Senate representing the community where he grew up and he's been a leading voice on kitchen table issues like strengthening public education, lowering taxes for working in middle class Kansans, and aggressively recruiting new businesses to Kansas. Known for his common sense, bipartisan approach to leadership, we're glad to have him here with us today. Ethan, welcome to the Andy Beshear podcast.
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Ethan Corson
Hey, thanks so much for having me. Really appreciate it. Thank you.
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John Rabinowitz
So for people across the country and here in Kentucky who may not know you yet, tell us a little bit about Ethan and the journey that brought you here today.
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Ethan Corson
Yeah, look, I mean, I ask myself all the time how did I go from being a baseball obsessed kid to a, to a dad running for governor. But you know, for me, I think it all starts. I was, I grew up in Kansas and you know, my real passion as I mentioned, was baseball and that was, my mom likes to joke that that was about all I thought about the first 21 years of my life. But I had two great parents. I mean, I always said I won the lottery when it came to parents, had two Incredible parents who really did a great job raising me and my brothers and went to Kansas public schools from my first day pre kindergarten all the way on and love playing baseball. For me, it was really in high school when I met a person really other than my parents, was the most positive role model in my life. And that was my high school baseball coach, Bill McDonald, who is the winningest high school baseball coach in Kansas history. And Coach McDonald really taught me lessons about teamwork, discipline and commitment that I still carry with me to this day. But he also encouraged me to really apply myself, not just in baseball, but in the classroom as well. And ultimately he encouraged me to follow my passion for baseball. And I went to Garden City Community College, which for those who don't know, is in southwest Kansas, in a very rural area. The state is six and a half hours away from where I grew up. I grew up in the Kansas City suburbs and represent a state senate district from then there now. But that experience really shaped my life, helped me understand just the diversity and the possibilities in the promise of Kansas. From there I went to law school, finished college, went to law school, was in public Service at the US Department of Commerce in Washington D.C. but really wanted to come back home and serve my home state. And after our first son was born in 2019, I ran for the state Senate, became the first Democrat ever elected from my state Senate district, and really ran to bring a real voice of young families to the Kansas Senate. Our son Isaac was born in 2019. And I remember looking around and seeing that the average age in the Kansas senate was almost 70. And they were totally focused on these culture war issues that really affect so few Kansans. And so I ran to bring a real focus on these issues affecting young families. You know, as a dad of two kids, you know, my wife and I get these issues, you know, firsthand. I mean, we understand what it means to have childcare that is more than the cost of in state tuition. My wife and I both work full time. Very common experience for many Kansas families. We are both still repaying our student loans. We have so many challenges around housing. And you know, my wife and I weren't able to buy our first house till I was in my mid-30s. So we understand that experience. We've got, our oldest is in public school in Kansas. We have another one coming up right behind him. So we really get things firsthand. And. And that was what really motivated me to, to run for office, having never run anything before in my life, to run for the State Senate in 2020. Reelected in 2024. And now I put together a great coalition of support from Governor Kelly, our previous Democratic governor, Governor Kathleen Sebelius. I'm the only candidate endorsed by Planned Parenthood, been endorsed by 18 labor unions. And we're just excited to be in this governor's race.
- [21:43]
John Rabinowitz
So tell me, I've always wondered, what's the conversation go when you sit down with the family and you say, hey, guys, I think I'm running for governor?
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Ethan Corson
Yeah, it was a trip. It was something, though, that we had thought about peripherally at some point. But, you know, I just have such admiration for Governor Laura Kelly, who has just been a tremendous governor for our state, really brought our state back from we near total collapse under Governor Brownback and Governor Collier. We had that famous tax experiment that devastated our public schools, devastated our roads, lowered our credit rating, caused us to have our slowest population growth in 100 years. And Governor Kelly had really rebuilt the state to where we are now, which is a tremendously strong position. And, you know, when somebody like Governor Kelly comes to you and says, I think you were the right person, both to put together the coalition that you need in a state like Kansas to win of Democrats, unaffiliated and moderate Republicans, and that you have the skill set, background and temperament to be a governor and to do that really effectively. I think it's something that my wife and I decided that we needed to take a serious look at, and we were doing that. We kept coming back to a couple different things, really. Number one was a conversation that Jen and I have all the time about our two boys who are almost seven and two and a half. And what we say is, look, we want them to be able to accomplish whatever it is that they want to accomplish. But the second part of that is we don't want them to feel like they have to leave Kansas to do that. And right now, we are losing too many young people in our state. Jen and I were both motivated to get into this race to create a Kansas where young people, our boys and kids all across Kansas, would really see for themselves a future here and as a place that they want to make the same decision that Jen and I did to build their lives here as well. And I came across as I was thinking about whether to do this, and Jen and I had several conversations about it. I came across a statistic that
- [24:14]
John Rabinowitz
said
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Ethan Corson
that this is the first generation of young people in our country that believe that they will do worse than their parents. And when you survey their parents, the parents also largely agree that their kids will do worse than they did. And when you think about the story of our country, the story of America, we're going to be 250 years old. The story of Kansas, which proudly came into the Union in 1861 as a free state. It is a story about continued progress, that through hard work, education, community, that each generation is able to do a little bit better than the one that came before it. And so it really just kind of hit me like a two by four when I saw that. And I thought, you know, if somebody who I admire, like Governor Kelly, feels like I have the ability to make positive change for our state, that's something that I want to step up and do.
- [25:15]
John Rabinowitz
So as you're traveling the state, you know, often, often in this podcast, we're interviewing candidates in the number one issue is affordability. Like without question, it doesn't matter what state it is. We often hear struggles and it could be anything from housing to pre K. I mean, it's just in grocery prices and gas. Affordability is a major issue. But as you're traveling the state, what are some other kitchen table issues that you're hearing from your constituents?
- [25:46]
Ethan Corson
One of the things in addition to affordability that we are hearing increasingly is healthcare. That issue was something that we heard a little bit about when we were on the trail in 2025. It feels like when the calendar hit 2026, health care has really become an issue that folks are really focused on. And I think there's a couple reasons for that. Unfortunately, Kansas is a state that has been hit harder than most by the failures of the federal government. The failure to extend the ACA tax credits has resulted in thousands of Kansans becoming uninsured. The looming medical cuts that are going to take effect in 2027 are a real, real challenge for our rural health care system, our rural hospitals, which were already close to a breaking point. And we are still one of only 10 states that have failed to expand Medicaid. You know, I have such admiration for what Kentucky was able to do in 2014 under, under Governor Stevenshear to get Medicaid expanded, to be one of the first southern states to do that. And we are really hurting in Kansas because of our failure to expand Medicaid, which is a moral and economic imperative and something I'm determined to get done as governor. But those three things converging on our state have really focused the conversation around health care.
- [27:24]
John Rabinowitz
You know, when I read articles about you, it's really, really interesting to hear and to read about how you reach across the aisle to get things done. And you're at a state similar to ours where our governor has a super majority he deals with. How do you get things done? How do you, if elected governor, how do you plan on getting your agenda taken care of?
- [27:47]
Ethan Corson
Yeah, you know, I mean, you're right. I'm really focused on delivering results for Kansas, for Kansas families. And when I got to the Senate, I realized quickly that if I was going to be an effective senator for my district, I needed to be able to work across the aisle because I'm in the minority party. And so no matter how good I think an idea might be, if the only people that I can convince to support it, our other Democrats, I'm never going to be able to get things done for my district. So I worked really hard on developing relationships with colleagues in both parties and really tried to take the approach that we can have honest, good faith disagreements about issues without demonizing each other, without making personal attacks on each other. I try to take the view that I'm privileged to be one of 40 state senators and that I work with 39 other people who genuinely believe that they are trying to do what is in the best interest of Kansas. But we may very wildly, and we do disagree as wildly on what is in the best interest of Kansas. But I always try to think that they are genuinely approaching it from that perspective. And I'll give you one example. I worked for a number of years with one of the very most conservative state senators, gentleman from southeast Kansas. And you know, there, there not that many issues that he and I would agree on, but we're both on the tax committee. And we realized through the questions that we were asking on the committee that we had a shared passion for our Kansas veterans and didn't feel like we were doing enough for them. So he and I worked together over a number of years and we finally got this signed into law in 2025 and it'll become effective in 2027. But we eliminated state sales tax for our 100% disabled veterans as a way of thanking them for their service to our state and to our country. And that's something that you can only do if you are willing to work across the aisle. And as governor, I want to continue to work across the aisle and take the great relationships that I developed with my colleagues to the governor's office. One thing I was really proud of is last summer there was a profile done in a publication here in Kansas and I talked about my work across the aisle and my friendships with colleagues in both parties and a Reporter said, you know, it's great that you think that, but I want to call some of the Republicans you work with and see what they would say about you. And I'm really proud. He called one of my Republican colleagues from southwest Kansas, from rural Kansas where I went to community college, and he said, you know what, Ethan is a uniquely good listener. And he called another one of my colleagues and he said, look, we don't always agree with Ethan, but he's honest, he's straightforward, we know where he stands. He's always somebody that we can sit down and work with. And that meant a lot to me to hear that from my Republican colleagues. Because as you know, today's world, that's not always how we talk about people across the aisle in the other party. So I think I'll be an incredibly effective governor because of those genuine friendships with members of both parties.
- [31:11]
John Rabinowitz
I want to circle back to affordability as a father of three daughters who's going to can use all the advice he can to, to try to convince them to stay in state. What's your sell to your sons to stay in Kansas?
- [31:26]
Ethan Corson
Well, right now we're lucky that they both love me and my wife. And so I think part of that pull, you know, I mean, I'm jealous of my parents because my parents live 15 minutes away. And my only goal really at this point in my life is I someday want to be on grandparent duty where I don't have to get on a plane and I don't have to take a long car ride. I want to be able to pick up my grandkids someday, take them for ice cream, get them all sugared up and then drop them back off with one of my boys. But no, I mean, I think we have a lot of work to do as a state. We want to continue to bring in more jobs and more businesses in good paying, innovative career tracks that are going to be really attractive to folks. One of the things I'm really focused on is making sure that there are pathways to the middle class in Kansas for everybody whether or not you go to a four year college. And that's why as a product of our community colleges, I'm really passionate about the work that they can do to work with businesses in those communities to make sure that they're graduating folks with the skills where folks can go into high pay careers. We have an incredible technical colleges in Kansas that I want to bolster
- [32:41]
John McConnell
and
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Ethan Corson
we also have a great set of private and independent colleges that are really meeting a lot of young people where they're at and doing a great job there. So I think it's these pathways through education in different ways, expanding apprenticeship programs, but it's also continuing the work that we've done under Governor Kelly, bringing more jobs and businesses in high paying careers into our state.
- [33:05]
John Rabinowitz
So tell me, circling back a little bit, what is one thing people would be surprised to learn about Ethan Courson they maybe can't get from reading all these articles?
- [33:15]
Ethan Corson
You know, I think it's probably what a softie I am as a dad and my wife giving me a hard time. Is this because I sort of on one hand think of myself as a very disciplined, former college athlete, community college baseball player. And I always play for coaches who were, I would say, on the gruff end of things, and coaches who we always talk about when I see my old buddies and we talk about like, I don't know if coach today could get away with those things. So I sort of think of myself in one sense of these hard nose, you know, kind of gritty. A kid who came to public school, I got into law school off the wait list, you know, worked incredibly hard to get where I've been. But around my boys I just end up being such a softy that, you know, there's often times they'll go talk to my wife and they'll. And my wife will tell them no. And then, you know, they'll say, well, I'm just going to go talk to dad. So I think people be surprised what a softy I am.
- [34:15]
John Rabinowitz
What about Kansas? We of course in Kentucky know how the Jayhawks come in here every once in a while and crush one of our basketball teams. What's one thing about Kansas that people outside of, of in Kentucky and outside of Kentucky would be surprised to learn?
- [34:33]
Ethan Corson
You know, I think it's just the people in Kansas are incredible and there's just the sense of community that we have all around the state. The way that people look after one another, the way that people take care of each other. You know, my, my in laws are not from Kansas and they love to tell this story about the first time that one of the first times that they came to visit, they were at a coffee shop and the person next to them had put an Apple computer and put their cell phone and they were working at this table at the coffee shop and they didn't know my in laws at all, never said a word to them. They were there just having a cup of coffee and the person gets up and walks over them and says, hey, I gotta run to the restroom. Do you mind watching all my stuff? And they were just struck that you would just ask a total stranger to just like watch your stuff while you leave and go to the bathroom. But if you're from Kansas, that all makes sense. Yeah, it's just that the communities and the way Kansans try to do right by one another is just incredibly inspiring.
- [35:48]
John Rabinowitz
So tell me, if people want to learn more about you or get involved in the campaign, how do they find you?
- [35:54]
Ethan Corson
So our website is ethanforkansas.com Ethan F O R kansas.com we are on social, we're on X at Ethan Corson and we're on Instagram and Facebook at ethan4kansas. We would love folks to follow along with the campaign. We're out on the trail to brag. We've done over 20,000 miles across the state which is the equivalent of 4:45 east to west round trips across the state. So far we've been to over 50 cities in over 40 counties and so follow along with us on this journey as we're talking to Kansans in every corner of the state.
- [36:34]
John Rabinowitz
Well Ethan, best of luck to you. Thank you for joining the podcast and good luck these last few weeks.
- [36:40]
Ethan Corson
Hey, thank you so much for having me on John. Really appreciate it. Great to be with.
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- [37:52]
John Rabinowitz
This is John Rabinowitz and John McConnell, the Johns. While Andy's out being the governor for the day, we have the pleasure to talk to people behind the scenes that make us look good every day. There's a team that no one knows about that makes John's bloopers gone. They're the ones who know when the lighting goes off, they fix it. When the audio needs one more pass, they fix it. And today, we're taking you behind the scenes so that you can learn who the most important people of the podcast are.
- [38:28]
Podcast Host
You know, the first time you walked in, you saw Andy with us there reeling the same thing. I mean, the first time John and Andy saw this thing was the day we filmed the first episode as we all walked in. So when you look at what you've seen on him through all the races and so forth, and you all had in your head kind of who he was, and how does that feeling change now that you've got to know him?
- [38:52]
John McConnell
You want to take that?
- [38:54]
Yeah. Well, for me, I feel like everyone calls him Uncle Andy.
- [39:00]
Okay.
- [39:00]
So I feel like I get that vibe from him. Like, he's been a great person. He listens to us. He's open to different ideas, which he was. He was just kind of saying, but, yeah, I like him as a person. So the stuff that I see, I really. It, like, goes in one in and out the other ear because I see firsthand how he is, and I feel like I can relate to him. I feel like other people can relate to him if they are, like, positive people that want change. And that's just what I get from.
- [39:38]
John Rabinowitz
You can tell he's a genuine human.
- [39:40]
John McConnell
Yeah, for sure.
- [39:42]
Yeah. I would just echo that. I mean, I've learned a lot, like, about him. Learned a lot from him. It's been a really cool experience because, you know, I think people don't really, really realize how much this, like, position had that position. He has, how much energy and time and how much it's. It's all in. Right. I think that to be able to, like, at any moment, be willing to, like, help out or say or give yourself. Give a moment to just take a photo or just give someone a high five or a hug or any. Anything, those things, those moments matter. And I feel like for him, like, that's what makes him so unique, is that he does listen to. Take the time out for anybody, just hear what they have to say. And I think that's what sets him apart from everybody else that I know of that are in that kind of level as him if there were one
- [40:27]
John Rabinowitz
or two things you would want the listeners to get out of the podcast, what would those things be?
- [40:34]
John McConnell
Yeah, I mean, I think the first thing is that at the end of the day, we all just want to be human, right? And I think that no matter what who you are, white, black, rich, poor, whatever, like, we all share similar interests. And I think that's one of the things that like this podcast and just the conversations we have is that at the end of the day, it's like, no matter who you are, the things that happen nationally and beyond this, that are beyond us, it impacts everybody, I think anyone, whether you're entrepreneur, you're a worker, you're from Kentucky, you're from New York, like, you feel the impact of what's happening nationally. And I feel like this podcast, what we talk about and just the conversations that are had are just said in a really good way that I think that, like, really just reminds us, like, at the end of the day, we are. We're all human beings and we just want to be there for our families and just enjoy the time that we have on this earth and make it easier for our next generation.
- [41:26]
I like that I would say something similar. I feel like every conversation that is on the podcast, everyone can relate to in some way. We just, like, it's not a politics, it's not a political type of podcast, in my opinion. I feel like we hit different topics. And like I said, he's just been open to new ideas and, like, Gen Z lingo and things of that nature, trying to reach more generations than just the regular, like, black and white type of things or typical political, like, podcasts.
- [42:09]
John Rabinowitz
I'll tell you, once you taught us clock it, I now hear all the time, even heard my daughter saying, clock it. I'm like, I know what that means. So that was great. What about of the guests we had in the segments that you guys have helped produce, is there one that stands
- [42:26]
John McConnell
out who you got shot?
- [42:30]
For me, I always say Steve Zion, that was my biggest, like, whoa. Like, that moment, because I would watch him from, like, younger until like, now in different shows. So that was pretty cool to me. But all of them have been amazing. Even people I may have seen, like, on television. And I'm like, wow, you're right here. Or social media, like, it's crazy.
- [42:55]
Yeah. I mean, I'll have to say, like, Mark Cuban was pretty cool. I mean, like, it was just nice to just kind of, like, even like, direct him a little bit. Moments of his camera and just to see that Big championship trophy on the back. You know, just. It was really cool. And I think that's, like, the cool thing about this podcast and what we do is that, like, it's just so many interactions that are just genuine. And I feel like that's just something that it's not many people can say, right? Like, they had a conversation quickly or just met Mark Cuban or like, you know, or just. Or met Steve Zahn or, you know, or like, you know, Steve Kerr, like, and this. It's just. It's. And just to have those moments of genuine. Just to see you all just engage in genuine conversations with these people has been really cool. I mean, it's been empowering. So.
- [43:43]
John Rabinowitz
Yeah, well, you know, you come in with a perception that. That you hear maybe from the press about somebody, but when you get to know them and you talk to them, it may be a complete 180.
- [43:52]
John McConnell
Exactly.
- [43:53]
John Rabinowitz
And we've been blessed to have incredible conversations with incredible guests.
- [43:57]
John McConnell
Yeah.
- [43:57]
Podcast Host
And blessed to have you guys here with us. And I would be remiss if I did not say that Ellen Topher does a wonderful job.
- [44:03]
John Rabinowitz
Yes. She is the real boss and in line.
- [44:07]
Podcast Host
So.
- [44:08]
Ella (Podcast Editor)
Hi, my name's Ella and I'm the editor of the podcast. I'm currently here in Chicago where I edit the podcast remotely. I've been working on the TNF for a year, where I started off editing reels and segments, and now I'm editing the full episodes. What I love most about working on the podcast is I love the post production process, putting together all the pieces, adding audio, music, you name it, to really elevate the story. But I will say my favorite thing has been working with all these amazing guests. It's so surreal seeing the name of the guest each week and knowing that I'm a part of making these stories happen. I'll never forget on my first day when I came in knowing we're gonna film and I had no idea who, within the hour, I was shaking hands with the governor, and we were talking about editing. It was so surreal seeing someone I supported for years seen on my TV and to know that now we are collaborating together. It really has been such an amazing experience, getting to feel heard as not only a person, but also as an editor.
- [44:58]
John Rabinowitz
We were lucky enough to get Breland's much better half to come tell us a little bit about her journey with us. And we were talking off camera a little bit about the first time you met Governor Beshear and how surreal it is now that you're producing the podcast.
- [45:19]
Breland's Partner
So it's been such a cool experience because we helped campaign for Governor Beshear. We went to fundraisers, and we'd gone to a fundraiser a few years ago and gotten this long line, so we were able to talk to him and take a picture. And I have it on my phone. I just thought it was such a cool experience. And then a year or so later, we get the call. John comes and tours the studio, and it was just so full circle. To see someone that we believe in and we agree with his politics and the way he's moving our state, and to help him with that and to kind of share his message has just been. It's been incredible.
- [45:54]
Podcast Host
So do you have a specific? Because you get to see the editing on the other side. What guests kind of touched you or group that we had on that kind of struck that nerve.
- [46:03]
Breland's Partner
I'm a big fan of Dean Withers. I watch his content all the time. I didn't get to be here the day that we recorded his segment, but I really appreciate his banter and his quick wit. And so when I heard he was going to be on, I was very excited.
- [46:16]
John Rabinowitz
So the real question that we all want to know is, what is it like working with your spouse?
- [46:21]
Breland's Partner
It has its, like, give and takes.
- [46:23]
John Rabinowitz
Right.
- [46:24]
Breland's Partner
It can be stressful to work with your partner, But I like to say that we have the same stress. So instead of me coming home with a client or a problem and then him coming home with his own problem, we at least are stressing about the same problem. And so it's been great. It's been a journey.
- [46:38]
Podcast Host
I think Breland just does whatever she tells him to do. I don't think there's that much stress for her.
- [46:43]
John Rabinowitz
It's pretty much consistent with what we do as well.
- [46:46]
Podcast Host
You're correct. Yes, you're correct.
- [46:47]
John Rabinowitz
Well, thank you for telling us your story.
- [46:49]
Breland's Partner
Yeah, thanks for having me on.
- [46:57]
Andy Beshear
Next on the Andy Beshear podcast, a segment we call Ask Andy. This is when we've had different folks ask questions. They've ranged from Breland, our producer, director, my wife Brittany, the Johns. And now I might make the biggest mistake yet. My son Will is going to interrogate me.
- [47:18]
Breland's Partner
Ooh.
- [47:20]
Will Beshear
So, dad.
- [47:21]
Andy Beshear
Yes, Will?
- [47:22]
Will Beshear
I want to start off with kind of an easy one. What does a normal day look like for you?
- [47:28]
Andy Beshear
You know, there is no such thing as a normal day anymore. You go to work with a plan. I go with a very full schedule, and then the world happens. Now, sadly, that's been too often a natural disaster or a new challenge that pops up. And so you've got to be really organized. You've got to have good leaders around you, but you also have to be really flexible, and you got to be able to do multiple things at once. So I typically think I know where in the world or country or state I'm going to be on any given day, but it can change really quickly.
- [48:05]
Will Beshear
Yeah, 100%. What is one perk of being governor that turned out to be way less glamorous than you expected?
- [48:13]
Andy Beshear
Ooh, one perk of being governor that is less glamorous. So I remember when my dad, your granddad, had won. I think it was the primary in 2007, before you were born. And it was kind of a big upset, but we had just reached a 40% mark to avoid a runoff in a really big field. And we were as pumped up as we could be. And I remember we were in a hotel, and we went down the elevator. They took us through the back, and we were about to pop out on that stage, and the guy, the incumbent Republican who won his primary, started talking, and they stopped us. He talked for about 40 minutes. After about five, I started smelling something, and I looked around. We were in the laundry room. And so I'm always reminded that these moments that you see on TV aren't all that real, because the moment before we popped out and there are ribbons and balloons and confetti and all this energy, we stood for 40 minutes in the laundry room.
- [49:22]
Will Beshear
Yeah. There's so much stuff behind the scenes that you could never know about as a know regular person, just watching.
- [49:29]
Andy Beshear
Well, and you've been through this. A lot of what you feel on those nights where you win isn't exhilaration, it's relief.
- [49:37]
Will Beshear
Yes.
- [49:38]
Andy Beshear
Because a lot of people have. Have helped. I mean, you only run a campaign with thousands of volunteers, thousands of donors, thousands of people giving their time and their effort for you, and you just really want to deliver.
- [49:51]
Will Beshear
It's a lot bigger than yourself, is what I've realized from all of your races. And lastly, we would be remissive if we did not mention Winnie. Would you think that in our household, would Winnie get more votes than you on, like, an argument or just being governor?
- [50:10]
Andy Beshear
Absolutely. Winnie would get more votes than me, but I think she'd get more votes than anybody. During the last campaign in 2023, we had a merch store, and anytime we had merch, some people would buy it. Anytime we put Winnie on it, it would sell out. We even made one dog collar that just said Bashir, which I guess was me. And One that had a picture of Winnie. Nobody bought mine, and everybody bought hers. We had to remake them twice. So many people wanted them.
- [50:39]
Will Beshear
I mean, we all know Winnie's the star of the family.
- [50:42]
Andy Beshear
All right, well, ask me your roast question.
- [50:45]
Will Beshear
Okay. What is something that we roast you for that is not publicly known?
- [50:53]
Andy Beshear
So I now get roasted for being the second tallest member of my family. It pains me to say so, but I've now seen enough visual evidence to know that Will, in platform shoes, is slightly taller than I am.
- [51:09]
Will Beshear
That's not true. Let's stand back to back with just socks on, and we can see.
- [51:14]
Andy Beshear
I tell you what, if we gain 1000 YouTube followers at Andy Beshear Podcast, we will put out the picture of us standing back to back, and the public can weigh in on whether my son is finally taller than I am.
- [51:30]
Will Beshear
I know the public will deliver on that one. So you might have just set yourself up for failure.
- [51:34]
Andy Beshear
Thousand more followers at Andy Beshear Podcast. Thanks, Will.
- [51:39]
Will Beshear
Thank you, dad.
- [51:40]
Andy Beshear
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you follow us on social media and go over to our YouTube channel at Andy Beshear Podcast. Leave in the comments if you'd like to see more shows like this. In the end, this podcast is about communicating with Americans. It's about making sure you understand the things that are going on in this country and trying to make a little sense out of the chaos that is our current faculty, Federal administration. We want to hear from you. We want you to be a part of this podcast family. So encourage your friends, encourage your family. Let's get more followers for the Andy Beshear Podcast. Boom. Clock it.
- [52:31]
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Another pina colada.
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Fantastic.
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