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SPEAKER 2
Back in the summer, when Kamala Harris was riding high in the polls, filling out stadiums, talking about joy, there was talk of Democrats flipping Republican-leaning swing states like North Carolina that hadn't gone blue for almost two decades. But, of course, that didn't happen. No, instead, North Carolina, like every other swing state, went for Trump,
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even saw their young voters shift to the right. And yet, despite what people might expect from a southern Trump-voting state, Democrats in North Carolina actually did amazingly well at the state level, winning the races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state, as well as winning enough seats to finally end the Republican supermajority in the
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state legislature. So what happened in the Tar Heel state and what lessons are there for Democrats nationally as they do their post-Harris post-mortem? Who better to unpack it all with than the state's own Democratic Party chair, Anderson Clayton, who was elected to that role last year at the age of just 25 and is currently the

Democrats ‘Need to Run Young People’: Youngest-Ever State Party Chair on Where the Election Went Wrong

Rising star Anderson Clayton on how Dems did so well in North Carolina, despite voters there picking Trump for president. Plus: What role did Gaza play with young voters?

Meet rising Democratic Party star Anderson Clayton. At just 26 years old, she is the youngest-ever state party chair, representing the Democrats in the red state of North Carolina. But despite electing Donald Trump in the 2024 election, North Carolina’s red days may be soon behind it.

Democrats secured the races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state in this election. They even won enough seats to end the Republican supermajority in the state legislature.

So why did voters elect both Donald Trump and Democrats, at the same time, in November’s elections?

“I don’t think that a political party defines how somebody is going to vote on the ballot. I think that they are looking for a person right now, and that’s why it matters the types of candidates that we run,” Clayton tells Mehdi in this wide-ranging interview.

While Democrats are playing the blame game on how Kamala Harris lost the election, Clayton says, “I don’t think anybody’s a lost cause. I actually think after this election cycle, we should be looking at every single person as somebody we're talking to.”

But it’s not just talking to voters that’s key for Democrats moving forward. “We need to run young people,” Clayton explains. She continues, “They're 60% more likely to vote for a young person on the ballot regardless of what political party that they're affiliated with. And I think that we have to look at young people as a voting bloc that wants to see themselves represented.”

Many young voters aligned themselves with the Uncommitted movement this election given the genocide in Gaza. While some Democrats blame these voters for the election loss, Clayton believes that Democrats can learn something from it: “It was them using political power in the right way because it's something where it's not discouraging people from the political process. It's saying, ‘No, let's use it to have our voices heard.”’

She adds, “That's something where Democrats should be taking it and embracing it … because right now people do not want to build up the Democratic Party. It seems like people are more interested in going around it.”

Watch the full interview to hear about political messaging in rural communities, the North Carolina GOP’s attempt to curb the incoming governor’s powers, and whether she’ll throw her hat in the ring for DNC chair. Clayton also reacts to Bernie Sanders’ criticism of the Democrats.

We are making this fascinating interview free for all subscribers to watch, but please do consider becoming a paid subscriber if you’re not already!

Discussion about this video

User's avatar
Naima  (NM)'s avatar

Thanks, Mehdi. Anderson is right on as usual. Great to see her voice getting out there more. I am old but love seeing this youthful, smart energy in upcoming leaders~

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Nandini's avatar

Yes

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Wizarat Rizvi's avatar

Yes Mehdi, We do need the intelligent younger generation of leaders in both parties.

With Mamdani in New York and Clayton in North Carolina, the future looks promising,

Keep bringing the next generation on the show, Mehdi.

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Patricia Jaeger's avatar

"“We need to run young people,” Clayton explains." I absolutely agree. I'm 72 and there comes a time when those at the top need to move aside and let others learn how to be leaders. It's difficult, but necessary if you want a relatively smooth transition. You also need to see a more active mentoring of younger and newly elected Democrats by the "old guard". Strategic planning includes succession if you truly believe that it's about the country, not the person.

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Kim D's avatar

Wow! I'm so glad Anderson Clayton is getting the recognition she deserves! Thanks Mehdi for giving her the opportunity to amplify her message. She is an amazing, determined young women and a powerful speaker. NC and democracy are very lucky to have her.

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Pat McCann's avatar

She is one of the brightest stars in Democratic politics. There are more like her and our job should be to find them and hire them, ASAP! Great interview!

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GDK's avatar

There is young talent there, we just need to keep demanding if not forcing the beltway barnacle encrusted, oligarch enriched folks to step out of the way for them.

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Ami Ghazala's avatar

Is anyone talking about the elephant-in-the-room? The lobbies that control both parties! That's another reason that the Dems lost. They aligned themselves with war-mongering lobbies.

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Greg Vinson's avatar

I think you're absolutely right. In fact I don't hear anyone framing the loss the way I think is right: we have come to the point where the oligarchs have become emboldened enough that they simply pooled their money and purchased the presidency for themselves. They then showed the new level of brazen corruption they are now comfortable with; simply having the orange sack of excrement appoint the oligarchs themselves to run the government they bought; they always used mainly proxies before, but see no need to hide now that they've put a fascist dictatorship in place.

The Dems will keep losing and becoming more irrelevant as long as they keep suppressing their base in their attempt to complete with the Republicans for the dark money and corporate money, a competition the Republicans will win every time. By embracing corruption the greedy individuals of the democratic party have created the conditions to destroy their own party, sacrificed on the alter of their endless greed that can only be dated by selling more influence to corporate wrongdoers.

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Deb Sullivan's avatar

Anderson Clayton, what a breath of fresh air. Thank you for your service. Step aside old people! Step aside. (I am 63 and I am old, too.) Listen to this woman: she is smart. All politics is local right now. Forget the federal government for the next 4 years, turn local local local.

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Murad A.'s avatar

Only the ideas are old, not the people! As Anderson said, everyone in the political leadership spectrum (regardless of age) needs to evaluate how they are contributing towards change and betterment of their constituency. That should be the litmus test on who should stay and who should step aside.

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Sharon Hom's avatar

Impressive. Anderson is clear-eyed, articulate about complex challenges, and grounded about her own priorities and capabilities. Drop the mike moment—while acknowledging need for institutional memory share, she asks why are you here.

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Oakey's avatar

Who to blame is exactly right. Harris and Biden pretended there wasn’t a problem. Corporations and billionaires are to blame. Corruption is to blame. At some point, democrats have to actually stand on their principles. Instead they constantly bent to right wing propaganda and tried to outflank republicans from the right.

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Richard Hansen's avatar

"What do Democrats need in order to win in the future?" More people like this elected to office, and more people like Chuck Schumer ousted from office. Period

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Nancy's avatar

I have heard her before. She should be everywhere! She can speak for the young people and yet she does have vision for the future. I am impressed.

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Michael Ann Ochs's avatar

I am 71 and I so agree that the Dems need to loosen their grip on power and support the next generation of young Dems who understand this media environment and hopefully have a fresh approach.

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Marcus's avatar

Wow, I'm over three times Anderson's age, and I still haven't attained her wisdom.

Maybe there is still hope for America,

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Paul Bourdon's avatar

For me (I'm 67) the overriding moral issue was the genocide! The Genocide that we are full partners in… and even though Harris gave me nothing on it, …..I still voted for her. Ugh!

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Lynn's avatar

An impressive young leader with wisdom and practical community organizing skills. As an older woman devastated by the current state of our country, I am encouraged by young politicians like Anderson who are dedicated to working for a better future. . Thank you, Mehdi, for giving her a wider platform.

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LC's avatar

Yes. I'm not young and I say "Hell, yasss!" We've been oppressed by Boomers and Silent Gen for long enough. They ALL should be on the sidelines playing golf and looking after their grandchildren, or volunteering at the library to help kids read, or sitting in a corner rocker reflecting on their selfishness and the destruction they've wrought. If they're not, then we should shame them for neglecting their responsibilities to society. But politics and public policies? Get the fuck out of the way.

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David Roberts's avatar

I want to vote for someone QUALIFIED, not young, not old, not female, not male, etc...

The most important criterion is ARE THEY QUALIFIED?

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Murad A.'s avatar

100% agree! Stop age, gender, ... discrimination, just the right qualified candidates.

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Keyzer Suze's avatar

Clean out the old guard - yes they have experience and yes they can help. but letting geriatrics run the party. They are the problem , they have lost twice . sure they are getting paid / bribed / donated to well

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Neemah's avatar

Curious she didn't use the word working class in her answer to the question about Bernie's statement. Seemed intentional but unsure why

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Erin Mitchell's avatar

She’s a bright star! What a leader! Thanks you both for your leadership.

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Lisa's avatar

I see someone like Anderson, and I want to believe in the future.

But we have a self-harming compulsion to oversimplify & to stereotype. Let’s try not to wrap ourselves in the comforting hope that a younger generation will fix everything. Let's not forget that there are also young nazis, young confederates & young zionists.

Snap-judgments — like young=good / old=bad (or any of the OTHER prejudgments we indulge in) — don’t serve us well (even if we often don’t realize it, because we’ve busily plowed on with our lives, without gathering enough information to realize our snap-judgments were wrong).

When it comes to our elected representatives, can we just get into the habit of interrogating the priorities of each individual who runs for office, and researching whether their history shows that there is any integrity to their claims?

It’s too easy to conflate youth with integrity. We really need to guard against our laziest impulses. Especially those of us who want to sit on our asses and hope that young people save us all.

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JP Connolly's avatar

As an older person in New York state, I don't have senators to vote for: both Schumer and Gillibrand voted for more arms for Israel recently. More young people is what's needed at every level.

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GDK's avatar
Dec 3Edited

So what if Cooper never sees the bill? He can't leave the state, but what if he travels around the state randomly, and just never gets around to it, letting the clock run out until the next legislature is sworn in or the bill dies? What's the limit on how many days he has to veto a bill?

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state legislature. So what happened in the Tar Heel state and what lessons are there for Democrats nationally as they do their post-Harris post-mortem? Who better to unpack it all with than the state's own Democratic Party chair, Anderson Clayton, who was elected to that role last year at the age of just 25 and is currently the