The Al Franken Podcast: David Hogg on Electing Young Progressive Dems

Episode Date: October 12, 2025

Overview:

Al Franken welcomes David Hogg, prominent activist and co-founder of March for Our Lives, to discuss the progress in gun violence prevention, the evolution of youth-led political activism, his PAC ("Leaders We Deserve"), and strategies to elect young, progressive Democrats—sometimes against entrenched party incumbents. The episode explores the challenges of energizing young voters, Democratic Party dynamics, anti-corruption efforts, and key electoral strategies going into the 2026 midterms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. David Hogg’s Origins: March for Our Lives

• Background: Survived the 2018 Parkland, FL shooting; helped organize massive protests demanding gun reform.
  • "At the time, I think it was either the second or third largest protest in American history... 800,000 in D.C. and 800 marches around the world, on every continent, except the one with penguins." (David Hogg, 05:44)
• Organization's Focus:
  • Professionalized over time; supports survivors and rapid response after shootings.
  • Impact: Passage of red flag laws in Florida, helping save lives.
  • "We professionalized the organization, hired full time staff and stuff. And, some of those students have now come back..." (07:00)
  • "That law has since been used over 20,000 times since the shooting in Parkland, predominantly by Republican sheriffs." (13:09)

2. Legislative Progress on Gun Reform

• Post-Uvalde Legislation:
  • The Safer Communities Act led to the two largest single-year reductions in gun homicides in U.S. history.
  • Quote: "We've had about a 25% reduction in gun homicides around the country since Uvalde, which is great. It's obviously nowhere near enough though." (David Hogg, 10:26)
• Massachusetts Model:
  • Hogg suggests federalizing MA's gun laws due to its remarkably low gun death rate.
  • "I think that we should do the same thing with Massachusetts state gun laws... they have a gun death rate 70% lower than the national average." (11:12)

3. Launching "Leaders We Deserve" PAC

• Inspiration & Structure:
  • Created after helping Maxwell Frost win his Congressional seat.
  • Intention: Support young progressives, invest significant resources (hundreds of thousands to over a million per campaign), and not just symbolic support.
  • "What we wanted to do was find the best of the best of our generation and get them elected by spending several hundred thousand dollars to a million plus dollars on their races..." (19:01)
• Challenging Incumbents:
  • Willing to primary Democrats in deep blue (safe) districts if they are "asleep at the wheel" or corrupt, but avoids swing/purple districts to protect the chance of holding or gaining seats.
  • "We only challenge incumbents who are in blue areas... Seats that went to Kamala Harris by roughly 9% or more that are almost certainly going to remain Democratic." (24:47)
  • "We're also working... to defeat Republicans... supporting young people running in competitive seats..." (26:06)

4. Conflict with the DNC and Role of Party Structures

• Vice Chair Controversy:
  • Hogg elected DNC vice-chair but pressured to resign due to PAC activities.
  • Precedent existed with others (Duckworth, Whitmer) running PACs while serving as vice-chairs.
  • "I was given the choice of... this voluntary, unpaid position that is largely ceremonial... or keep your job at Leaders We Deserve." (23:42)
  • Chose PAC to focus on actual change and recruiting new voices into the party.
• On Party Messaging and Renewal:
  • Need to show voters that Democrats deliver, not just that Republicans are worse.
  • "We are good at our jobs and we hold ourselves to a higher standard than they do." (24:16)

5. 2026 Midterm Strategy and Democratic Messaging

• Redistricting:
  • Both parties gain districts; hopes for a detente.
• Democratic Party Weaknesses:
  • "What I worry about is a situation where we gain back the House and we don't really show how we're using that power to hold Republicans accountable." (30:24)
• Policy Priorities:
  • Emphasize anti-corruption (stock trading ban, campaign finance reform).
  • Focus on specifics, not abstractions.
  • "The American people want specifics... What is your plan to lower those costs?" (33:26)
  • Lean on healthcare as the top issue where Democrats hold an advantage.
  • "The only thing... in the top five... that we are trusted as a party most on was healthcare." (42:13)

6. Energizing Young Voters and the Messaging Challenge

• Problems:
  • Young people feel abandoned—"10ft underwater" and not interested in incremental change.
  • Disconnection on issues like student debt—those with under 30 weren't helped by forgiveness aimed at older borrowers.
  • "What young people feel like right now is that they are effectively 10ft underwater, and they're hearing from Democrats...what if you were nine feet underwater? And then Republicans want to put you at 11ft underwater. And it's like, I don't want to be underwater at all." (34:14)
• Model Example: Zoran’s NYC campaign
  • Massive turnout among young people, clear communication of direct benefits, specifics (e.g., free buses, childcare).
  • Hogg's PAC was a major financial backer: "We were his largest financial supporter...$300,000..." (36:29)
  • "We need to decide: do we want young sycophants or do we actually want young people?" (36:53)

7. Using New Media, Listening, and Expanding the Electorate

• Campaign Tools:
  • Harnessing TikTok/social media.
  • Expanding the electorate, especially among those young people who don’t usually vote in Democratic primaries.
  • "A good message... you don't need to pay to advertise it because people will naturally want to advertise it for you." (39:46)
• Formula for Purple Areas:
  • Prioritize listening, ask constituents what they want, and deliver a clear, actionable platform.

8. On Running Against Autocracy and Trumpism

• Hogg: Running against autocracy is essential, but most important is demonstrating government’s ability to deliver for people.
• Young people less mobilized now; Trump normalized among newer voters.
• "Rights are like a muscle. You have to practice them to make sure that you keep them and use them when they're under threat." (44:08)
• "We have to figure out how to get more younger candidates out there that represent young people and their values and show how we're fighting back." (46:06)

9. Immigration and Social Justice

• Immigration System:
  • Critique: Current system incentivizes exploitation and privatized detention.
  • Hogg underscores need for reform that is both humane and functional.
  • "Our immigration system... is working the exact way that it ended up being incentivized and designed to, where if you can take a group of people, millions...in constant fear of deportation, you can pay them extremely low wages..." (46:54)
  • Shared sympathy: Most Americans personally know someone undocumented (48:18).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On youth-led change in gun policy:

  "If our government doesn't change its gun laws, we'll just change who's in government by taking those young people who've survived school shootings, who've survived instances of gun violence, and bring them into power."
  — David Hogg (08:41)

• On Democratic underperformance post-Sandy Hook:

  "I was in the Senate after Sandy Hook and we got nothing, absolutely nothing out of that... We had even Democrats voting against... trying to ban semi-automatic weapons and that didn't happen."
  — Al Franken (09:02)

• On the need for clear messaging:

  "What the American people want is specifics. What is your plan to lower those costs?"
  — David Hogg (33:26)

• On energizing young voters:

  "What young people feel like right now is that they are effectively 10ft underwater, and they're hearing from Democrats... what if you were nine feet underwater? And then what they're hearing is like... Republicans want to put you at 11ft underwater. And it's like, I don't want to be underwater at all. I want to be at the surface."
  — David Hogg (34:14)

• On party renewal:

  "Do we want young sycophants or do we actually want young people?"
  — David Hogg (36:53)

Key Timestamps

• March for Our Lives history & organizational growth: 05:28 – 08:36
• Florida red flag law & legislative wins: 12:04 – 13:38
• Formation and mission of Leaders We Deserve: 15:45 – 21:00
• DNC vice chair controversy: 21:22 – 24:02
• Challenging party incumbents; how targets are chosen: 24:26 – 26:06
• 2026 midterm outlook & strategy: 29:19 – 33:09
• Young voter disillusionment & messaging gaps: 33:12 – 37:38
• Social media strategy & campaign innovation: 39:41 – 40:52
• Healthcare as core issue for Democrats: 41:26 – 42:33
• Countering autocratic trends: 44:02 – 46:06
• Immigration system critique: 46:47 – 49:08

Final Thoughts

This episode paints a portrait of a new generation of progressive organizers seeking systemic change within and against the Democratic Party itself. David Hogg highlights the shortcomings and opportunities in Democratic messaging and organization, especially regarding young voters. The explicit strategy of challenging "asleep at the wheel" incumbents only in safe blue seats, the emphasis on real anti-corruption and healthcare policies, and the insistence on candidate authenticity and constituent listening are central takeaways. Hogg's remarks and the Zoran NYC example illustrate that when young people are respected, listened to, and offered clarity and action—not just platitudes—they show up and can change outcomes.

For listeners curious about youth activism, Democratic Party direction, and the urgent issues for 2026, this episode offers practical insight, candor, and a surgically clear call for generational renewal.

For more on Hogg’s work: leaderswedeserve.com