Shows / Breaking The Meta
Breaking The Meta
Welcome to Breaking The Meta, where we dive headfirst into the heart of difficult conversations. In a world filled with noise and division, we refuse to shy away from the tough topics. Whether it's politics, religion, or social issues, we confront the complexities with open minds and dialogue. Hosted by Mike Winson, each episode brings together diverse perspectives, fostering an environment where authenticity and empathy reign supreme. So grab a seat at the table, buckle up, and prepare to…
Episodes
- Breaking The Meta
Matt Robinson vs The Establishment | Breaking the Meta
Matt Robinson is running for Iowa House District 72 in the 2026 election, representing Dubuque, Iowa. In this Breaking the Meta interview, the union carpenter…
- Breaking The Meta
First Primary Challenge in CT-01 Since 1998: Ruth Fortune Speaks
Ruth Fortune is running for US Congress in Connecticut's 1st District (CT-01) — the first Democratic primary challenger to Rep. John Larson in 28 years. In…
- Breaking The Meta
NC House District 75: Jen Wiles on Schools, Medicaid & Flipping the Seat
NC House District 75 candidate Jen Wiles sits down with Breaking the Meta to talk schools, Medicaid expansion, and taking on a 12-year incumbent. Jen Wiles is…
- Breaking The Meta
Steve Merrill Wants to Put Utah's Working Class First
Steve Merrill is running for Congress in Utah's 3rd District — a district bigger than 19 states — on a platform of uniting working communities and restoring…
- Breaking The Meta
Marine Veteran Takes On Texas's Most Extreme Senator
Marine Corps veteran Keenen Colbert is running for Texas State Senate District 2 — and he's taking on one of the most extreme Republicans in the state…
- Breaking The Meta
Joseph Perez-Caputo "Don't Trust Me. Make Me Earn It."
Joseph Perez-Caputo is running for Congress in Connecticut's 4th District — and his pitch is the one politicians never make: "Don't trust me. Make me earn it."…
- Breaking The Meta
Case Norton: Working Class Runs for Congress in GA-7
Case Norton is a husband, father of two, and 20-year below-the-line film industry union worker running for U.S. House in Georgia's 7th Congressional District…
- Breaking The Meta
TikTok Tried To Silence Her Senate Campaign — Jasmine Thomas (D-OK)
Oklahoma US Senate candidate Jasmine Thomas's official TikTok was restricted for being "political" — while the White House account keeps posting. Here's what…
- Breaking The Meta
Lauren Jewett: The Teacher Running to Oust Steve Scalise
#LaurenJewett #Scalise #LA01 Lauren Jewett is a 17-year special education teacher running to unseat House Majority Leader Steve Scalise in Louisiana's 1st…
- Breaking The Meta
She Fought a Book Ban. Now She's Running for Indiana's House. | Candace Greer HD-64
Candace "Candy" Greer is running as a Democrat for Indiana House District 64 — a seat that had no opposition on the ballot. She's talking minimum wage, bodily…
- Breaking The Meta
Autism Mom Runs for Congress After Indiana Cuts ABA Therapy | Tabitha Zeigler
Autism advocate mom of three kids with autism, Tabitha Zeigler is running for Congress in Indiana's 8th district and she's done waiting for someone else to do…
- Breaking The Meta
Tortured by State Police, Now Running for Senate | Dakarai Larriett
He was apprehended, tortured, and had drugs planted in his vehicle by state police. Instead of going quiet — he's running for U.S. Senate in Alabama. 🎙️ Mike…
- Breaking The Meta
She Wrote Her First Law at a Dining Room Table | OR-04
Oregon's 4th Congressional District is massive — coastal towns, college cities, farmland, forests — and it's being left behind. Dr. Melissa Bird is a social…
- Breaking The Meta
She Helps Grassroots Candidates Win Without PAC Money
What does it actually take to run for Congress without corporate PAC money and win? Jen Johannsen left dentistry to help 80+ grassroots candidates across the…
- Breaking The Meta
Social Worker vs. The System | Indiana SD-21
She works on the front lines of a broken system and now she wants to fix it from the inside. Kirsten Root is a licensed social worker running for Indiana State…
- Breaking The Meta
She Won In Texas, Now She's Fighting to Keep It | Chelsey Hockett TX-05
Chelsey Hockett won her TX-05 Democratic primary but Texas runoff rules mean the fight isn't over. She's back on Breaking the Meta ahead of her May 26 runoff…
- Breaking The Meta
Who's Running for Nancy Mace's Seat? | Matt Fulmer | SC-01
42% of American cancer patients go broke within 2 years. Matt Fulmer is running for Congress in SC-01 to fix that — and he's a bartender. Matt is running in…
- Breaking The Meta
"2% of Congress Is Working Class" — Jessica Salas Is Changing That | Oregon's 3rd District
Jessica Salas is running for Oregon's 3rd Congressional District — a massive district stretching from East Portland all the way to Hood River County and Mount…
- Breaking The Meta
Georgia 10th District: Flipping a MAGA Seat | Lexy Doherty
Georgia's 10th Congressional District has a shot at flipping — and Lexy Doherty is the candidate running to make it happen. In this episode of Breaking the…
- Breaking The Meta
Air Force Vet Runs for Missouri State House to Fight for Healthcare & Affordability | Jewel Kelly
Breaking the Meta sits down with Jewel Kelly, a 10-year Air Force veteran, real estate professional, and mental health advocate running for Missouri State…
- Breaking The Meta
She Reported a Colonel at 20 and Paid For It. Now She's Running for Congress. | Maura Keller
Army veteran and nuclear medicine technologist Maura Keller joins Breaking the Meta to talk about her run for Georgia's 3rd Congressional District and why she…
- Breaking The Meta
She Hunted Terrorists & Traffickers. Now She's Running for Senate in Montana. | Alani Bankhead
Alani Bankhead is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, counterintelligence agent, and supervisory special agent who spent her career hunting terrorists…
- Breaking The Meta
Army Combat Medic Running Against Victoria Spartz Wants to Fix the "Wealth Care System" | IN-5
Jackson Franklin is an Army combat medic, National Guardsman, and paramedic running in Indiana's 5th Congressional District and taking on incumbent Victoria…
- Breaking The Meta
East Texas Deserves Better: A Dairy Farm Kid Challenges Congress | Dax Alexander for TX-01
Dax Alexander grew up on a dairy farm in Martins Mill, TX. One of the reddest corners of one of the reddest states in America. No name recognition, no PAC…
- Breaking The Meta
She's a Public Defender Running Against Indiana's Rigged System | Victoria Martz
Victoria Martz is a criminal defense attorney and public defender running for Indiana State House District 55 a rural stretch of southeastern Indiana where the…
- Breaking The Meta
ICE Took His Neighbors. Now He's Running for Congress. | Justin Douglas PA-10
ICE took Justin Douglas's neighbors — Bhutanese Nepali refugees who survived ethnic cleansing and spent two decades in camps before America welcomed them in…
- Breaking The Meta
She Googled How to Run for Congress, Then Moved Her Family to the Front Lines | Esther Kim-Varet
After the 2024 elections, Esther Kim-Varet did something almost nobody does: she Googled how to run for Congress, convinced her husband, pulled her kids out of…
- Breaking The Meta
He Exposed His Own Mayor's Corruption — Now He's Running for Congress | William Compton
William Compton is running for Congress in Kentucky's 2nd District in 2026, a rural Kentucky Democrat who exposed government corruption and got his own mayor…
- Breaking The Meta
Her Congressman Said Talking to Voters Loses Him Votes. She's Taking His Seat | Victoria Broderick
Victoria Broderick is a working-class mom, tech support worker, TikTok creator, and two-time congressional candidate running to flip Tennessee's 4th…
- Breaking The Meta
Indiana Teacher Fed Up With MAGA Politician Decides to Run Against Him | Cindi Clayton
A teacher, HR professional, and children's advocate walks into a town hall — and walks out a candidate for the Indiana State Senate. That's essentially the…
- Breaking The Meta
Ex-CIA Officer Running for Congress: 'I Had to Flip the Table' | Adam Dunigan VA-8"
Former CIA Officer Runs for Congress to Restore American Institutions | Adam Dunigan VA-8 Adam Dunigan spent 17 years in federal service — five years in the…
- Breaking The Meta
"Gun Owner. Deer Hunter. Democrat." — Indiana Candidate Nate Stout Is Breaking the Mold
Nate Stout spent his career at Callaway Golf and Johnson Outdoors traveling America and coming home to Indiana — until he started noticing the institutions…
- Breaking The Meta
No Money, No Party, No BS: Independent Candidate Christopher Ajluni on Fixing a Broken System
What does it look like to run for Congress with ZERO corporate donations — and mean it? Christopher Ajluni is running as an independent in Arizona's…
- Breaking The Meta
Coast Guard Captain, White House National Security Staff — Now Running for Congress | James Martin
James Martin is a fourth-generation Treasure Coast native, Coast Guard veteran, and former national security staffer in the Vice President's office, and he's…
- Breaking The Meta
Demi Palecek: National Guard Member Defying Orders to Protect Her Community | Illinois Rep Candidate
National Guard member Demi Palecek is running for Illinois State Representative District 13. Learn why this working-class veteran is defying orders, speaking…
- Breaking The Meta
Jordan Herrera: Veteran Fighting for Missouri's 4th District | Full Interview
Join Breaking The Meta for an in-depth conversation with Jordan Herrera, Democratic candidate for Missouri's 4th Congressional District. Jordan is a 16-year…
- Breaking The Meta
South Atlanta’s Future: Jonathan Bonner for State House
Jonathan Bonner is running for Georgia State House District 68, and in this interview we discuss the future of Georgia politics, grassroots campaigns…
- Breaking The Meta
The Man Challenging Speaker Mike Johnson | Interview w/Matt Gromlich
What happens when someone decides to challenge one of the most powerful figures in Washington? In this episode of Breaking the Meta, we sit down with Matt…
- Breaking The Meta
Nurse Running for Congress in Iowa Speaks Out | Stephanie Steiner Interview
In this episode of Breaking the Meta, we sit down with Stephanie Steiner, a retired women's health nurse and mother of seven who is running for Congress in…
- Breaking The Meta
“Something Has to Change” – Andrew Rice Running for Congress (CT-03)
In this episode of Breaking the Meta, host Mike Winson sits down with Andrew Rice, a scientist turned congressional candidate running in Connecticut’s 3rd…
- Breaking The Meta
A New Generation Running for Congress | Kiana Bierria-Anderson Interview
In this episode of Breaking the Meta, host Mike Winson sits down with Kiana Bierria-Anderson, a progressive candidate running for Congress in New York’s 4th…
- Breaking The Meta
Evan Turnage: Fixing Mississippi’s Broken System
Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District has been the poorest district in the poorest state in America for over 30 years. In this episode of Breaking the Meta…
- Breaking The Meta
The Nurse Running for U.S. Senate in Oklahoma | Jasmine Thomas
A grassroots U.S. Senate candidate is challenging the political establishment in Oklahoma. In this episode of Breaking the Meta, we sit down with Jasmine…
- Breaking The Meta
Young Progressive Takes on Ohio Republicans | 2026 Statehouse Race
Ohio politics is heating up ahead of the 2026 midterms, and District 56 could be one of the most important races in the state. In this episode of Breaking the…
- Breaking The Meta
U.S. Senate Candidate Julian Beaudion Explains His Vision for South Dakota
Julian Beaudion is running for U.S. Senate in South Dakota, and his campaign is built around a simple idea: people come before politics. In this interview on…
- Breaking The Meta
Erin Petrey on Campaign Finance Reform and Kentucky’s Future
Erin Petrey, Democratic candidate for Congress in Kentucky’s 6th District, joins Breaking the Meta to talk affordability, healthcare access, campaign finance…
- Breaking The Meta
Ruwa Romman on Running for Georgia Governor | Housing, Wages, Data Centers & ICE
Georgia governor candidate Ruwa Romman joins Breaking the Meta for a deep conversation about affordability, housing, healthcare, and why she introduced a…
- Breaking The Meta
Can Christianity Be Compassionate Again? This Queer Pastor Think So!
In this episode of Breaking the Meta, Mike Winson sits down with Presbyterian pastor Emily Knoth to talk about faith, justice, LGBTQ inclusion, and the role of…
- Breaking The Meta
Why This Congressional Candidate Says Both Parties Failed Working Americans
In this episode of Breaking the Meta, we sit down with Dylan Blaha, a pro-peace veteran and former cancer research scientist running for Congress in Illinois’s…
- Breaking The Meta
Rural Healthcare, Affording Life & Democracy | Ashley Bell Interview
In this episode of Breaking the Meta, Mike Winson sits down with Ashley Bell, a physician associate, educator, and congressional candidate running for North…
- Breaking The Meta
Corporate Money, Healthcare & Accountability | Interview with Matt Conroy
In this episode of Breaking the Meta, Mike Winson sits down with Illinois 5th District congressional candidate Matt Conroy to discuss why he’s running, what…
- Breaking The Meta
The Working-Class Agenda: Wages, Healthcare & Accountability | Interview w/Karishma Manzur
In this episode of Breaking the Meta, Mike Winson sits down with New Hampshire U.S. Senate candidate Karishma Manzur to discuss healthcare reform, the housing…
- Breaking The Meta
Resistance Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All, BUT the Odds Are Ever In Our Favor
In this episode of Breaking the Meta, Meg Tomasic joins the conversation to explore what unity, resistance, and community look like in a deeply divided…
- Breaking The Meta
Virginia 1st District Candidate Tim Cywinski on Big Money, Healthcare & Democracy Reform
Virginia’s 1st District congressional candidate Tim Cywinski joins Breaking the Meta to discuss healthcare costs, corporate money in politics, democracy…
- Breaking The Meta
Can a Progressive Win in Texas? Zeeshan Hafeez Makes His Case
Texas 33rd District candidate Zeeshan Hafeez joins Mike Winson on Breaking the Meta to discuss immigration reform, ICE, progressive politics in Texas, Gaza…
- Breaking The Meta
A Progressive Republican Running for Congress in NC? | Kate Barr Interview
Kate Barr is running for U.S. House in North Carolina’s 14th District in the Republican primary with policies that challenge the political status quo. In this…
- Breaking The Meta
Cole Carter on Poverty, Medicare Cuts, and Accountability in Congress
Cole Carter is running for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 3rd District, covering most of Philadelphia, and his campaign centers on poverty, crime prevention…
- Breaking The Meta
She was arrested at Her Green Card Interview | What ICE Did Next
ICE detained a woman during her green card interview in San Diego. In this exclusive interview, Mila Araya shares what happened when ICE agents arrested her at…
- Breaking The Meta
This Texas Candidate Wants to Break Corporate Control of Government
Progressive candidate Anthony Bridges joins Breaking the Meta to explain why he’s running for Congress in Texas’s 32nd District. In this in-depth political…
- Breaking The Meta
From Special Forces to Congress | A Conversation with Kyle Gauck
Army veteran and Special Forces soldier Kyle Gauck joins Breaking the Meta to talk about why he’s running for Congress in Connecticut’s 2nd District. In this…