Keepers of Our Republic
Keepers of the Republic is a new podcast from Keep Our Republic that takes listeners inside the institutions at the heart of American democracy. Through thoughtful conversations with election officials, county clerks, legal experts, and retired federal judges, we explore how elections are really run, separate fact from fiction, and highlight why an independent judiciary is essential to a strong republic.
At a time of uncertainty and misinformation, Keepers of the Republic provides trusted, nonpartisan insights into how our democracy works—and how, together, we can keep it strong.
Episodes
46 episodes
“It Takes All of Us” How Asheville's Elections Director Weathered Helene
What happens when a major disaster strikes just weeks before an election? In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host Tate Fall sits down with Corinne Duncan, Election Services Director for Buncombe County, North Car...
“We Don’t Just Turn It On and Hope for the Best”: Election Security & Trust in Union County, NC
In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host Tate Fall sits down with Philip Hinson, Deputy Director of Elections for Union County, North Carolina, for a behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to run a secure election.From...
Should Judges Be Elected? A Conversation with Former Texas Chief Justice Phillips
Most Americans are familiar with the U.S. Supreme Court—but far fewer understand how state courts operate or why many states elect their judges.This week, attorney Brooke Bergen sits down with Tom Phillips, retired Chief Justice of the ...
How America's Largest Election Offices Build Trust
What does it take to administer elections for more than 858,000 registered voters?This week, host Tate Fall sits down with Olivia McCall, Director of Elections for Wake County, North Carolina, to discuss the logistics, leadership, and t...
How The Real-Life Mayberry Runs Bipartisan Elections
In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host and former election official Tate Fall sits down with Sydney Romine, Director of Elections for Surry County, North Carolina, to explore how bipartisan election administration works on the ground....
"You Have to Care": Building the Next Generation of Election Officials
Where will the next generation of election officials come from? And what does it take to build a career running America's elections? In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host and former Georgia elections official Tate Fall s...
Hawaiʻi's Former Chief Justice on Defending the Rule of Law
This week on Keepers of Our Republic, host Brooke Bergen sits down with former Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald for a wide-ranging conversation about judicial independence, accountability, and the unique role of state cou...
Running an Election Is Like Planning the Super Bowl: Highs & Lows of Elections in GA
What does it actually take to run an election? And what happens when election officials are asked to do more without the time, staff, or funding to do it?In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host and former Georgia elections offi...
America's 250th Birthday: Hope, Democracy & What Comes Next
America turns 250 this week, but what does that milestone mean at a moment of deep political division?In this special Independence Day episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host Brooke Bergen shares a collection of reflections from retire...
The Election Director Who Loves Proving Conspiracy Theories Wrong
This week on Keepers of Our Republic, host Tate Fall sits down with Brook Schreiner, Elections Director for Chatham County, Georgia, to discuss what it takes to administer elections in one of the state's largest and most diverse counties.
"Judges Can't Defend Themselves." Why the Legal Profession Must Step Up
In this episode, we sit down with Judge Robert Henry, former judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, former Oklahoma Attorney General, and Jurist in Residence for Rule of Law at the University of Washington School of Law.<...
Georgia's Election Rules Keep Changing, Are Rural Counties Paying the Price?
In this episode, host Tate Fall sits down with Tonnie Adams, Elections Supervisor for Heard County, Georgia, and one of the state's most experienced election administrators.Tonnie shares how he went from a Georgia Tech engineering gradu...
This Georgia Election Office Calls Itself the Chick-fil-A of Voting
In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, former Georgia election official Tate Fall sits down with Rebecca Anglin, Director of Elections in Greene County, Georgia, to talk about what it really takes to run elections at the local level, and w...
Can Civics Education Save Democracy? Judges & Educators React
This week on Keepers of Our Republic, host Brooke Bergen speaks with civic educators, legal scholars, and former judges at the University of Washington School of Law. They chat about the growing civics education gap in the United States, and wh...
“The House Is on Fire”: Former Federal Judges Sound the Alarm
In this special episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host Brooke Bergen travels to the University of Washington School of Law for a judicial conference featuring some of the nation’s leading former federal judges, legal scholars, and attorneys.<...
Local Elections Matter: Lessons from a Georgia Elections Leader
In this episode, host Tate Fall sits down with Deidre Holden, longtime elections director in Paulding County, Georgia, for a conversation grounded in service, experience, and a deep commitment to voters.With nearly three decades in elec...
"Boring Elections" Are the Goal: A Conversation with Augusta, Georgia's 31-Year Elections Veteran
Cut through the partisan noise and find out how elections really work in your community, and around the country, straight from the election workers themselves. In this episode, host Tate Fall sits down with Travis Doss, Executive Di...
Married to Elections: Meet the Couple Keeping GA Elections Free & Fair
In this episode, our new elections expert co-host Tate Fall sits down with Akyn and Noah Beck, a married couple serving as election directors in neighboring Georgia counties, to talk about what it really takes to run free and fair elections.
Chaos At DOJ: The Role of U.S. Attorneys and Integrity on Trial
In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host Brooke sits down with former U.S. District Judge John Martin, who also served as U.S. Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the most influential prose...
Judges in the Community: Law, Social Justice, and Civic Responsibility
From East Baltimore to the federal bench, Judge Andre Davis built a career rooted in one idea: the law is a tool for public service.In this episode of Keepers of the Republic, Brooke sits down with the former Fourth Circuit judge to tal...
Inside Michigan Elections: Early Voting, Absentee Ballots & Election Security Explained
What's really happening in Michigan elections, and what's changed in recent years? In this episode of Keepers of the Republic, hosts Ari Mittleman and Kamryn Hoadley sit down with Lynn Henry, Deputy Clerk and Elections Director for Grand Blanc ...
Disability Rights and Voting Access: What Election Officials Need to Know
Voting is a fundamental right — but for many Americans with disabilities, accessing the ballot can still present real challenges. This week, Brooke sits down with former Cobb County, Georgia Elections Director Tate Fall to explore how accessibi...
Meagan Wolfe Knows Wisconsin Elections Are Built Different
Wisconsin is one of the nation’s leaders in voter turnout — but how do its elections actually work? This week, Ari sits down with Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe to discuss how the state administers elections through n...
SCOTUS strikes down Trump's Tariffs: Federal Judges Explain What this Ruling Means
The Supreme Court has issued a major ruling in the Trump tariffs case — but what does it actually mean? This week, Brooke sits down with former federal judges Philip Pro and Liam O’Grady to break down Learning Resources v. Trump in nonpartisan ...
Good Troublemakers Make Elections Work in Shorewood, Wisconsin
Shorewood, Wisconsin is bucking the trends: 90% of registered voters show up to vote in elections, and Village Clerk Toya Harrell has more volunteers than she knows what to do with. What's the secret to Shorewood's civic engagement? This week B...