LITA 26: Rayna Kingston on DAWG, Gatekeeping, and Why She Walked Away From A Winning Campaign
Ana and Deep welcome Rayna Kingston, Denver community organizer, content creator, and founder of Denver Activist Women's Group (DAWG), for a conversation about building political power outside electoral politics. Rayna walks through her arc: from a Christian conservative kid in Littleton, to a food-tour content creator during COVID, to a first-time candidate for Colorado House District 5, to the decision to step away from a race she was probably going to win. She founded DAWG after the 2024 election with a single Instagram Story that reached 500 women instead of the 30 she expected, and the group has now grown to a reach of 11,000+. Then she gets into what she learned running for office and the moment she realized she'd have to lie to voters about how much a junior state rep can actually change.
Denver Activist Women's Group (DAWG): denveractivistwomensgroup.com
DAWG on Instagram: @denveractivistwomensgroup
Rayna Kingston on Instagram: @raynakingdenver
00:00 Cold Open Banter
00:17 Show Intro And Guest
00:43 Matcha, Celsius, And Almost Dying
02:08 Coffee And The Celsius Scare
04:00 Meet Rayna Kingston
04:51 From Federal Boulevard To Full-Time Influencer
07:45 From Content Creator To DAWG Founder
11:02 500 Women Showed Up
14:02 What DAWG Actually Does
15:56 Why Run For Office
19:30 Running Without Permission
19:54 "Who Are You?" Democratic Gatekeeping
22:49 The "Delete It" Story
25:39 The Launch Party And The Momentum
26:28 Why She Walked Away From Winning
29:44 The Democratic Party Is 20 People
34:09 How To Hold Electeds Accountable
38:30 The Revolution Is Low-Hanging Fruit
40:24 Fall Ballot Preview And Wrap
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.
Links:
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TikTok: @leftintheattic
Email: LeftInTheAtticPod@gmail.com
Voicemail: (303) 416-2846
