Official Introduction: Zach Hunter

Hey everybody,

I want to introduce you to someone you’re going to be hearing from more from here on. You’ve already seen him on our videos.

Coming into 2026, I’ve been thinking hard about how to make this Substack better: more useful, more interesting, and more valuable for the people who take the time to read and engage. I want it to be a place – not just a place, a community – where we really help make sense of what’s happening and why it matters.

That’s where Zach Hunter comes in.

Zach and I have worked closely together for a long time both on Capitol Hill and at the Country First movement. He’s a top-tier campaign and Capitol Hill operative who has been deep inside the machinery of American politics. He knows how campaigns are run, how parties really work, and how incentives shape political and legislative outcomes. He’s also someone who brings a strong moral compass and a seriousness about democracy that I respect and know you will too.

The truth is: having my background as a former member of Congress and Zach’s background as an operative give us unique angles on the how and why of politics. Together, we cover more ground and I think that combination can give you a much clearer picture of what’s actually going on beneath the headlines.

Zach is joining to help elevate what we’re building here: enhancing community, contributing analysis, and co-hosting conversations with me that are more candid, more informed, and frankly more fun. He’ll also be writing here himself. Be sure to check out Zach’s note below on his new role here.

And if you can, drop us a note in the comments to tell us what you’d like to see changed or added to make this Substack an even better community to be a part of.

I’m excited about where this is going, and I think you will be too.

Adam

Note From Zach

Hey folks,

It’s terrific to “meet” everyone. I’m really grateful Adam is bringing me into this community, and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself directly.

For most of my career, I’ve worked behind the scenes in politics as a campaign operative and Capitol Hill communications pro. I’ve seen how campaigns are built (and broken), how party incentives warp decision-making, and how much of what the public hears is disconnected from the reality inside the system. Like Adam, I started my journey as a typical Republican but found myself driven away from the party that has become unrecognizable to me.

What excites me about joining Adam here is the chance to pull back the curtain a bit and give an honest look behind the headlines. My goal is to help explain why things unfold the way they do: why certain messages work, why parties behave irrationally, why seemingly good people sometimes make bad political decisions, and what all of that means for the future of our democracy. I will also be giving race by race analysis of the top campaigns heading into the midterms.

Look, I know it’s dark out there right now. And while the firehose of news each day warrants serious discussion and analysis, we are still going to find ways to have some fun here.

In practical terms, you’ll see me contributing my takes, co-hosting conversations with Adam, and helping behind the scenes to build new ways for this community to engage with the news and with each other.

I’m excited to get to work.

— Zach