LITA 16: Colorado Primaries Heat Up with City Cast Denver's Paul Karolyi
Ana and Deep welcome Paul Karolyi, senior executive producer at City Cast Denver, into the attic for a wide-ranging conversation about Colorado's 2026 primary landscape, and end up disagreeing with each other more than once. Paul shares how studying the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a protest march in Nazareth pulled him toward journalism instead of activism. They recap the YIMBY and Greater Denver Transit gubernatorial forum with Phil Weiser and Michael Bennet, where Weiser came with specifics and Bennet came with goals. From there, the trio dig into the Bennet and Hickenlooper political history and both senators' votes for Trump cabinet nominees. They close on the high-stakes CD8 race: the hypocrisy of Gabe Evans's grandfather story and the case against Shannon Bird as a general-election liability. (Episode was filmed in 2/25/26)
City Cast Denver's list of businesses that joined the anti-ICE protests: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUHOfodgWZu/?img_index=3&igsh=MTJoMXhvamR6dWc0Ng%3D%3D
Westword: Wanna Give ICE a Middle Finger From Denver? Here's How: . https://www.westword.com/news/denver-protests-strikes-business-responses-against-ice-40836696/
Paul Karolyi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-karolyi-391a8051
00:00 Spicy Cold Open
00:23 Meet Paul Karolyi
01:18 Arabic Language Proficiency
03:30 Language Backgrounds
05:22 Paul Origin Story
08:16 Observer Not Activist
09:56 Governor Forum Setup
11:51 Forum Moderation Critique
14:09 Booing and Paddles
17:45 Spin Room Reactions
20:27 Bennett Strategy Debate
21:58 Bennett Vote Backlash
23:16 Strategy Or Transparency
24:01 Hickenlooper Reelection Setup
25:45 Bennett Hickenlooper Origin
29:37 Ego Theory Vs Reality
32:45 Challengers And Polling
34:51 CD8 Stakes And Map
36:57 Gabe Evans Immigration Hypocrisy
39:30 Democratic Field Breakdown
41:07 Shannon Bird Liability Debate
45:18 Community Call To Action
46:32 Wrap Up And Subscribe
Meet Your Hosts
Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action.
Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.
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