Podcast Summary: "And, This Is Former DNC Chair Jamie Harrison On Fighting For What's Right"

Podcast: This is Gavin Newsom
Host: Gavin Newsom
Guest: Jaime Harrison (Former DNC Chair)
Date: August 27, 2025
Episode Theme:
This episode is a candid, wide-ranging conversation between Governor Gavin Newsom and Jaime Harrison, the former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair. They dissect the present and future of the Democratic Party, the importance and challenges of party infrastructure, branding, messaging, and the lessons learned from recent political cycles. The conversation is rich in personal reflection, political strategy, and debate about how the Democratic Party can meet the needs of the moment and regain lost ground.

Main Theme & Purpose

Gavin Newsom and Jaime Harrison go deep on what it means to "fight for what's right" within the Democratic Party. The episode explores the personal journey of Jaime Harrison—from his upbringing in South Carolina to the top of the DNC—the evolution of the party's strategy, its shortcomings, and the path forward. Both leaders reflect on mistakes, celebrate successes, and discuss what it means to build a party that genuinely serves and inspires Americans.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Personal Roots and Upbringing

• [02:49]–[06:07] Jamie Harrison grounds the conversation in his upbringing by his grandparents in South Carolina, emphasizing the centrality of family, values, hard work, and giving back. Harrison highlights how the kitchen table was a place for real, consequential conversations and credits his "sit your ass down award" as derived from his grandfather's wisdom and humility.
  • Quote: “If you ever came to the house, you left with a plate wrapped in tinfoil...They would give their very last in order to do so.” — Jamie Harrison [06:07]
• Harrison shares how mentors like Earl Middleton, a Tuskegee Airman and trailblazing businessman, and Rep. Jim Clyburn helped him leap obstacles—literally giving him the means to attend Yale when his family couldn’t afford the final costs.

2. The Formation of a Political Identity

• [11:54]–[15:31] Harrison’s early political spark was watching Jesse Jackson’s 1988 DNC speech. He recalls the impact of seeing a Black leader on a national stage and how subsequent campaigns (Clinton in 1992, Clyburn's election) inspired him.
  • Quote: "I saw politics as the avenue to help people like my grandparents." — Jamie Harrison [12:19]
• Newsom reminisces about the same inspirational moments, emphasizing how shared generational experiences shape political leaders.

3. The 2020 Senate Campaign: Lessons and Impact

• [17:06]–[25:41] Conversation shifts to Harrison’s 2020 Senate campaign against Lindsey Graham, which became the most expensive Senate race in U.S. history ($132 million raised).
  • Jamie critiques campaign finance: “It is actually sinful that, you know, you need that amount of money to run for office.” [17:24]
• Harrison’s motivation was to fight for neglected South Carolinians—particularly in “the Corridor of Shame” (majority-Black, underserved counties).
• Despite losing, Harrison sees the campaign as having cracked the wall: “We ended up getting 1.1 million people to turn out and vote for a Democrat. That has never happened in the history of South Carolina.” [23:20]
• Personal sacrifice: After years dedicated to the cause, Jamie highlights the importance of family and being present for his two sons.

4. Role, Structure, and Challenges of the DNC

• [31:42]–[40:53] Harrison recounts how, after losing his Senate race, Biden called him personally to bring him into the Democratic leadership.
• Harrison explains the often-misunderstood structure of the DNC and the role of DNC Chair—how authority and responsibility fluctuate drastically depending on whether the party holds the White House.
  • Quote: "When you have the White House, the President is the head of the party...You are the DNC, the extension of the White House." — Jamie Harrison [34:54]

5. Party Branding, Messaging, and Engagement

• Harrison diagnoses the fractured Democratic Party brand and the struggle to control the narrative, especially on social media.
  • He expresses frustration with D.C. insiders blocking initiatives that would modernize the party and better communicate successes and values—like a proposed Democratic TV YouTube channel, and attempts to rebrand using insights from outside political circles: “I was told, no, we’re not going to spend time on that.” [38:25]
• Administering the "slice of the pie": The DNC is one entity among many (DCCC, DSCC, DGA, etc.) and often lacks the power or autonomy to fix larger branding issues.

6. Historical Strategies: 50-State Strategy and Investing in the Base

• [49:14]–[54:00] Harrison is a self-described "Dean Acolyte," advocating for the 50-state strategy to rebuild party infrastructure everywhere.
• He contrasts the successes of Dean and Perez—DNC chairs without the White House, able to invest in state parties—with struggles during the Obama years when DNC functions were sidelined in favor of OFA.
  • "Part of the reason why we were able to beat back the red wave was because we did something that traditionally does not happen when you have the White House." — Jamie Harrison [52:28]
• Details on investments in voter protection and registration, particularly in battleground states, leading to overperformance in the 2022 midterms.

7. Party Positions vs. Party Messaging

• [55:42]–[58:00] Newsom brings up notable ballot victories for Democratic-aligned issues (e.g., abortion rights and minimum wage) in deep red states like Missouri, pondering whether it’s messaging, not policy, that’s failing.
• Harrison argues the party’s actual values remain popular but party leaders have failed to associate those values and victories with the “Democratic” label, especially among men of color and younger voters.
  • Quote: "They see us as soft. They see us as weak. They see us as not standing up." — Jamie Harrison [58:44]
  • People don’t vote on policy papers, Harrison says: “People vote with heart and gut.” [60:08]

8. Rebuilding, Optimism, and Future Advice

• [67:02]–[71:28] Harrison offers advice to new DNC Chair Ken Martin: double down on state party investments, recruit everywhere, and frame 2026 as a mirror to the Democratic wave of 2006 after 2004’s losses.
  • Quote: "If there is a blue wave to be built, you can’t win a big wave if you don’t have somebody to ride it." — Jamie Harrison [69:33]
• Complete the slate, even in tough districts, and cultivate fighters as candidates.

9. Challenging the Party: Culture, Coalitions, and Critique

• Both Newsom and Harrison agree the party must genuinely listen, engage, and adapt to concerns—especially among groups straying toward Republicans or sitting out elections.
• Newsom forcefully addresses the need to face cultural and "tough" issues, like immigration and fairness for trans athletes, directly without ceding ground to conservatives—but not by being afraid to admit where the party and electorate diverge.
• On the party coalition: “If we continue down that road [of being offended any time someone isn’t 100% with us], we won’t be a party.” — Jamie Harrison [77:13]
• Harrison is adamant: unity doesn’t mean lack of critique, but constant self-denigration only weakens the party.
  • Quote: “When we talk about brick walls, we are the only brick wall holding back chaos...We can't afford to be taking away bricks ourselves.” — Jamie Harrison [79:17]

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Inspiration:
  "The Rev [Jesse Jackson] was talking that night...specifically talking to young people about hope and making the world be what it want, what you wanted it to be. And I really felt like he was talking to me." — Jamie Harrison [12:19]

• On the 'Sit Your Ass Down' Award:
  “At the end of every episode, everybody gets to present who they would present their sit your ass down award to. And it’s been funny.” — Jamie Harrison [03:26]

• On Structural Party Change:
  “When you have the White House, the President is the head of the party... You are the DNC, the extension of the White House.” — Jamie Harrison [34:54]

• On Weakness and Strength:
  "They see us as soft. They see us as weak. They see us as not standing up. And they, even though they disagree with Donald Trump on the issues, they see him as strong..." — Jamie Harrison [58:44]

  • Newsom echoes: "Given the choice, the American people always support strong and wrong versus weak and right." [61:20]

• On Party Critique:
  “It’s like having a shiny brand new car and every day you throw mud on your car... I sort of feel like that’s what happens to the Democratic Party. People throw shit on the car all the time and then they wonder why the brand’s so bad.” — Jamie Harrison [79:17]

• Harrison’s Rallying Cry:
  “We are the brick wall that is holding back the flames of chaos. We are the brick wall that is saving American democracy as we know it. If we falter, the whole damn thing goes.” — Jamie Harrison [79:17]

Notable Segments & Timestamps

• [02:49] Family values, upbringing, and foundational influences
• [12:19] First steps toward politics, inspired by Jesse Jackson
• [17:06] Senate campaign, motivations, and “sinful” campaign finance
• [22:19] Lessons learned from the Senate race
• [31:42] Becoming DNC Chair: personal outreach from Joe Biden
• [34:54] DNC structure and the question: Who leads the Democratic Party?
• [38:25] Branding problems and inside-the-Beltway obstacles
• [49:14] 50-State Strategy successes and failures across cycles
• [52:28] Midterms overperformance: building ground operations
• [55:42] Policy vs. messaging and ballot wins in red states
• [58:44] Weakness perception among voters, especially men of color
• [67:02] Advice for the new DNC chair and blueprint for 2026
• [74:16] Culture war issues and direct engagement
• [77:13] The importance of coalition and authentic conversation
• [79:17] Critiquing the party vs. weakening it, call for unity in action

Tone and Language

The tone throughout is frank and personal, reflecting both the gravity of recent losses and the camaraderie of trusted colleagues. Harrison is unfiltered now that he’s no longer bound by party leadership, and Newsom is similarly candid. There’s genuine humor, at times frustration, but also optimism and faith in the party’s values and future.

Summary Takeaway

This episode delivers an insider’s account of the challenges and possibilities facing the Democratic Party post-2024. Harrison and Newsom agree that a winning Democratic coalition must embrace its roots, fight unapologetically for mainstream values, invest everywhere, and strengthen its infrastructure. Critique is welcome—but must build, not erode, the foundation needed to protect and advance democracy.