# DO 283 - Kevin Ryan's Grassroots Run for Illinois

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/doomer-optimism-4308274/do-283-kevin-ryan-s-grassroots-run-for-illinois
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/doomer-optimism-4308274/do-283-kevin-ryan-s-grassroots-run-for-illinois.md
Podcast: [Doomer Optimism](https://stenobird.com/podcast/doomer-optimism-4308274)
Published: 2025-10-07T15:24:13+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/doomer-optimism/episodes/DO-283---Kevin-Ryans-Grassroots-Run-for-Illinois-e39790n
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/68308b7c/podcast/play/109339095/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-9-7%2Ff5f95181-9a89-f9d9-2913-b892bd1f615d.m4a
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/doomer-optimism-4308274/episodes/do-283-kevin-ryan-s-grassroots-run-for-illinois
Duration seconds: 3435

## Resource

Ashley talks with Kevin Ryan, a Marine Corps veteran and public school teacher running for U.S. Senate in Illinois without corporate donors, consultants, or ad buys. Kevin describes his campaign from a converted school bus as he travels to all 102 counties, gathering signatures by hand and talking directly with voters about what they want from their government. The two discuss money in politics, disillusionment with both parties, and how cynicism erodes civic life. It’s a grounded look at whether a government of the people, by the people, for the people can still function and what it takes to test that idea in real time.

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## Transcript

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