Andy Beshear Podcast

Episode: Rep. Cyndi Munson, Sam Bregman and Democracy Forward CEO Skye Perryman Take on Trump
Date: February 26, 2026
Host: Andy Beshear

Episode Overview

In this thought-provoking episode, host Andy Beshear welcomes three influential guests for candid conversations about the state of democracy, governance, and public service in America. The episode features:

• Rep. Cyndi Munson: Democratic candidate for Oklahoma governor, sharing her journey as a leader in a deeply conservative state.
• Sam Bregman: Prosecutor and candidate for New Mexico governor, discussing public safety and community investment.
• Sky Perryman: CEO of Democracy Forward, detailing legal fights to defend constitutional rights against Trump administration policies.

The discussions traverse personal stories, policy battles, and urgent warnings about threats to democracy, united by a thread of hope, resilience, and the need for principled leadership.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cyndi Munson: Running Blue in a Red State (00:38–30:09)

Oklahoma’s Political Landscape & Electability

• Munson challenges the narrative that Oklahoma is a “red state,” arguing it is “a gerrymandered state” (05:05). She recalls a more bipartisan Oklahoma before two decades of GOP control led to declines in public education and health care.
• Quote:

  "Oklahoma is not a red state. It is a gerrymandered state."
  — Cyndi Munson (05:05)

Personal Background and Policy Priorities

• Raised by a single father—Vietnam vet and South Korean immigrant—in Lawton, Munson shares a lived experience of financial insecurity, moving 10 times in her childhood:

  “...making hard decisions for their families in a place where, quite frankly, those who have held the most power in our state haven't made those decisions easy.”
  — Cyndi Munson (06:55)

• Education is her top issue: connecting affordability, jobs, and investment in public schools as central to Oklahoma’s revival (08:58–10:40).
• She champions raising the minimum wage and expanding opportunity for working families:

  “Our minimum wage is still stuck at $7.25 an hour...affordability is really that we are not making enough wages. Our wages are not high enough, paychecks aren't being stretched.”
  — Cyndi Munson (09:45)

Journey from Nonprofit Work to Public Service

• Munson’s early work with Girl Scouts and juvenile justice informed her drive:

  “If we can't take care of young women that are in our juvenile system...then we really are failing the entire state.” (11:42)

• Her moment of decision: witnessing generational incarceration and meeting an 11-year-old pregnant girl in juvenile detention (13:30).

Why Run for Governor Now?

• Munson feels urgent momentum against extremism and for balanced leadership:

  “People are waking up...They’re realizing they can’t sit on the sideline.” (14:52)

• She enumerates Oklahoma’s unacceptable rankings: 50th in public education, 47th in health care, and rising rural hospital closures (15:00–18:28).
• Stresses need for a governor who puts state above party, regardless of the President, especially to confront federal policy harms (17:43–21:13).

Day One Agenda & Governance Across the Aisle

• Immediate priorities: repeal private school subsidies, redirect funds to public education, raise teacher pay, invest in health care (21:13–23:16).
• References Beshear as a bipartisan model:

  “What you do is you find common ground...”
  — Cyndi Munson (21:54)

Humanizing the Candidate

• Favorite NBA team and local pride: “Go Thunder, of course, OKC.” (23:28)
• Love for Mexican food at local Lawton favorite: “Give me chips, queso, salsa, a Dr. Pepper.” (24:09)
• Days off spent outdoors and hiking (24:43); lifts Oklahoma’s rich geography and wildlife as hidden gems (25:09).
• Jokes about required Texas-bashing for Okies (25:47).
• Secret superpower: “I can make tableside guacamole like nobody’s business ... it teaches you a lot about paying attention and doing what's best.” (26:27)

Call to National Attention

• Munson urges outsiders not to write off Oklahoma:

  “If we can turn Oklahoma...we can do this everywhere and anywhere. Do not give up on us.” (28:13)

• Campaign info: cindymunson.com; social handles @CyndiMunsonOK (29:27)

2. Sam Bregman: Justice & Safety in New Mexico (31:45–48:18)

Bio & Motivation

• Bregman, a seasoned prosecutor and former Albuquerque City Councilor, now runs for New Mexico governor. He highlights achievements combatting gang violence, youth gun crime, and advocating for survivors.
• Quote:

  “No one should be above the law. Everybody must obey the law, and what we're seeing is unconstitutional. ...If you violate someone's constitutional rights...we’re going to hold everybody accountable under the law, including ICE agents if necessary.”
  — Sam Bregman (33:19)

ICE Tactics and State Values

• Expresses alarm over ICE’s aggressive approaches, noting ex-law enforcement recruits rejecting ICE’s disregard for constitutional policing (34:28–35:50).

The "Why" of Running

• Focused on crime, education, health care, and economic opportunity—“the very same issues that people talk about every day at their breakfast table or their dinner table.” (35:59)
• Stresses that NM’s wealth can improve affordability, especially homeownership and access to affordable energy (37:20–39:13).

On Economic Development and Data Centers

• Bregman supports economic growth but not at the cost of residents’ electric bills:

  “...we want to make sure that first and foremost that the existing citizens of New Mexico don't have electric rates that are going through the roof. ...I think we can do both these things and I think we can do them well.” (39:38)

Family and Personal Pride

• Shares baseball parenting stories, proud of son Alex Bregman’s MLB career:

  “...being more nervous about a single at bat that he might be facing...than I would ever be in a courtroom." (41:10)

• “My superpower is really my family...they give me the strength every morning to get up and try and change this wonderful state.” (46:00)
• Campaign info: bregmanfornm.com (46:41)

On New Mexico's Unique Potential

• Highlights New Mexico’s blend of natural and human resources, energy production, and scientific institutions.
• Calls for vigilance against “the chaos that’s coming out of Washington” and defends the rule of law (42:58; 46:41).

3. Sky Perryman: Democracy Forward & Litigation for Democracy (49:55–59:52)

Organization’s Mission

• Democracy Forward provides legal representation pro bono to defend constitutional rights, especially against unlawful federal executive action (“we have been quite busy because this federal government, led by Vice President Vance, have been violating people's rights every day.”) (51:01)

Litigation Against Trump Administration

• Describes the successful SNAP case:

  “Donald Trump became the first president to ever refuse to fund food assistance for people...The President played politics with people's livelihoods...” (52:07)

• Succeeded in court to restore funding, with Trump appealing to the First Circuit to block relief.

Legal Fights Over ICE Abuses

• Democracy Forward has fought in court to restore legal access, keep families united, and block ICE from excluding Congress from facilities:

  “This is not an agenda about immigration enforcement at all. It is about cruelty and terror, and it’s about the president trying to consolidate power.” (53:42)

• Won orders protecting houses of worship from ICE and collaborated with church coalitions on SNAP protection.

  “We have achieved court orders ... keeping ICE out of these sacred spaces.” (54:59)

Election Integrity & Government Accountability

• Details worrisome efforts by the Trump administration to subvert elections—seizing data, lying in court, and militarizing polling places:

  "...the president's schemes likely go far beyond even what the mainstream media is reporting right now." (56:18)

• Clear about possible martial law scenarios and vows to litigate aggressively to protect voting rights (56:18–57:48).

The Power of Public Mobilization

• Beshear and Perryman stress the need for civic engagement, recalling historic mass mobilization against Trump’s threats:

  “The American people showed up in the largest single mobilization...after those threats.” — Sky Perryman (58:12)

Getting Involved

• Info: democracyforward.org; social: @democracy4forward (59:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Cyndi Munson:

  "I could have gone all different places, but it was because of my public school, it was because of my church, it was because of adults that surrounded me...and put me on a positive path." (12:56)

• Andy Beshear on bipartisanship:

  "To have a governor that will stand up for their state. No Matter what, that they'll put the state first, regardless of their party..." (17:43)

• Sam Bregman, on ICE:

  "This isn't the country that I grew up in. This is outrageous in so many different ways." (34:28)

• Sky Perryman:

  "Our commitment to the American people is that we will go to court and make sure that their rights are protected when ICE or armed federal agents come, you know, harm them in unlawful ways." (54:44)

• On Trump administration’s anti-democratic actions:

  "We believe that the president's schemes likely go far beyond even what the mainstream media is reporting right now. ... We're going to demand that our votes be counted." (56:18, 59:03)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:38] Intro: Episode overview, guests introduced
• [04:41]–[30:09] Interview: Rep. Cyndi Munson (Oklahoma governance, lived experience, campaign priorities, rapid fire questions)
• [31:45]–[48:18] Interview: Sam Bregman (New Mexico safety, economy, ICE tactics, personal stories)
• [49:55]–[59:52] Interview: Sky Perryman (Democracy Forward, SNAP litigation, ICE abuses, defending democracy)
• [59:58] Beshear monologue: Supreme Court & Tariffs (on rule of law)

Tone & Presentation

The conversations are candid, warm, and unscripted—marked by empathy, humor, and moral conviction. Beshear’s style is patient and supportive, focused on listening, substantive exploration, and drawing out the personal “why” behind each guest. The tone is hopeful but urgent, defending democratic values and uplifting public service.

How to Get Involved

• Cyndi Munson (OK Gov. race):
  Website: cindymunson.com
  Social: @CyndiMunsonOK
• Sam Bregman (NM Gov. race):
  Website: bregmanfornm.com
• Democracy Forward:
  Newsletter, action steps, and volunteer information at: democracyforward.org
  Social: @democracy4forward

Conclusion

This episode spotlights courageous, solutions-oriented leadership in the face of division and democratic backsliding. Listeners come away with actionable hope, informed by stories of personal resilience, practical policy, and determined legal resistance.