In this episode, Lauren Harper Pope is in conversation with Shannon Bird, who’s running for Congress in Colorado’s 8th congressional district against Republican Gabe Evans.

Shannon is part of Welcome’s Win the Middle slate for the 2026 cycle

Shannon served in the Colorado State House for seven years and has been a pragmatic voice and leader for Democrats in the state. As a results-oriented legislator with an independent streak, Shannon has built a record of challenging the status quo to deliver tangible outcomes for her constituents.

In the state legislature, Shannon focused on issues that resonate across party lines: protecting Colorado jobs, improving public safety, and expanding economic opportunity. She has consistently shown a willingness to take politically difficult votes when they align with the needs of her district, reinforcing her credibility with moderate and unaffiliated voters.

Colorado’s 8th congressional district is the near definition of a swing seat and is likely to play a decisive role in determining the control of the U.S. House in 2026.

Located just north of Denver, the district includes many of the region’s northern suburbs. CO-08 has a Cook PVI of even and is currently rated as a toss-up, and Trump won the district by 2 points in 2024.

The district is on the DCCC’s Districts in Play list, a possible precursor to being added to its prized Red to Blue list.

On the Winner, Winner podcast, we speak with the Democratic Party candidates who prove they can win the middle, beat Republicans on Trump turf, and recalibrate the party to the median voter. Here at Welcome, we work to strengthen the centrist faction that wins and governs responsibly. We support centrist Democrats running in Trump districts through WelcomePAC.

Lauren Harper Pope hosts the Winner, Winner podcast by Welcome, where we speak with the Democratic Party candidates who prove they can win the middle, beat Republicans on Trump turf, and recalibrate the Party to the median voter. Here at Welcome, we work to strengthen a centrist faction that wins and governs responsibly. We support centrist Democrats running in Trump districts through WelcomePAC.

In today's episode, Lauren is in conversation with Bobby Pulido, a native South Texan and Grammy award-winning Tejano music artist running for Congress in Texas' 15th congressional district. Bobby's hits and star status have helped define modern Tejano music and solidified his reputation as a cultural ambassador for the region.

TX-15 is one of the newly-drawn congressional districts that the Texas GOP is betting will result in a Republican hold. It has a PVI of R+7, and Trump won the district in 2024 by 18 points. But Hispanic voters in South Texas have shown significant volatility in recent cycles, and recent polling has shown meaningful movement away from Donald Trump among Hispanic voters, creating a real opening in this district that may not be as red as recent results suggest. The district was also recently added to DCCC’s district and playlist, a possible precursor to Red to Blue. Bobby is part of Welcome's Win the Middle slate of candidates for the 2026 cycle.