How a ‘flaming liberal’ podcast host won a US House seat in conservative Missouri

Fred Wellman, host of the progressive podcast On Democracy, defeated longtime incumbent Republican Ann Wagner Fred Wellman’s victory in Missouri’s second congressional district on Tuesday was such a surprise that NBC News’s star data analyst Steve Kornacki didn’t even have a graphic prepared, he told supporters on election night. Longtime Republican incumbent Ann Wagner, who had been widely expected to hold her seat, was swept aside as part of a broader wave of Democratic victories across the country. Continue reading...

Jeremy Barr in Washington · Fri, Nov 6, 2026, 3:00 AM
US news | The Guardian

How a ‘flaming liberal’ podcast host won a US House seat in conservative Missouri

Fred Wellman, host of the progressive podcast On Democracy, defeated longtime incumbent Republican Ann Wagner

Fred Wellman’s victory in Missouri’s second congressional district on Tuesday was such a surprise that NBC News’s star data analyst Steve Kornacki didn’t even have a graphic prepared, he told supporters on election night.

Longtime Republican incumbent Ann Wagner, who had been widely expected to hold her seat, was swept aside as part of a broader wave of Democratic victories across the country.

This page shows an excerpt; reporting belongs to the original publisher. Some images or embeds may be omitted compared with the live article.