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Left Out Loud is a progressive political podcast breaking down the biggest stories shaping our democracy. From up-to-the-minute political news and midterm election coverage to in-depth interviews with grassroots Democratic candidates, the show spotlights the voices and movements fighting for real change. Smart, informed, and unapologetically loud, Left Out Loud pairs sharp analysis with humor and plain-spoken commentary, cutting through the noise to focus on what actually matters. If you care about elections, organizing, and the future of the Democratic Party—and you like your politics with a little personality—this is the podcast for you.
Seth: Hey, Allie.
Ally: Hey, Seth.
Seth: Hey, so we got another
great candidate running
for Congress in Tennessee.
It's Victoria Broderick, she's
out of District four, and she's
another great millennial candidate,
progressive candidate, and I
can't wait to talk to her today.
Ally: I can't wait either.
It's our first female candidate.
You made this arrangement, you arranged
this interview and I feel like it
was a very special gift to me, so
I can't wait to get to talk to her.
Seth: Yeah.
Yeah.
We met.
Ally: See on the other side.
Seth: All right, sounds good.
Let's get it.
Ally: We have another congressional
candidate today, and I'm
going to just bear with me.
It is.
Victoria Broadway.
Okay.
I had to use the Oprah Voice.
I had to use the Oprah voice
because this is the first female
congressional candidate that
we have had on the show so far.
One of more to come.
Let's, that's the caveat.
Um, but I'm insanely excited to finally
have a gal pal to talk to on the show.
So, Victoria, are you there?
Victoria Broderick: I am.
Hi.
Ally: Hey, welcome, welcome.
So, Victoria, you are running for congress
in Tennessee's fourth district, correct?
Victoria Broderick: I'm,
Ally: and I did some research on you and.
I saw that there was something
specific that triggered you to run
for political office, and I'm using
the word trigger intentionally.
Um, and that specific thing is personal
to me as a woman, personal to me as a
woman with two daughters and personal
to so many women across our country.
So if you wouldn't mind, um, talk
to us a little bit about your
background and what prompted you
to run for Congress in Tennessee.
Victoria Broderick: Yeah.
So, um, my hard launch was in 2024.
That is when I decided to
run against my opponent.
And, um, basically I was on a district
wide call because I was a one of,
uh, a county chair of one of the, at
the time, 93 counties in Tennessee.
Found out he was gonna run an oppose and
I sent over my dead body and picked up a
petition over a weekend and some liquid
courage, and I was off to the races.
Um, but my journey really started in 2022.
Um, a year prior.
In 2021, I suffered an IUD fail,
um, and found out I was pregnant.
Um, and was navigating a very,
like, what, what could be a
very complicated pregnancy.
Um, unfortunately I miscarried and
you know, then again, you know, you're
dealing with the medical system, you're
dealing with all the issues that come
up with that you're dealing with just
not learning everything on the fly.
Right?
Well, a month later I found out
I was pregnant again and again.
Not a healthy start for a pregnancy
right after a miscarriage.
Um, you know, shocking the doctor
shocking the system, shocking the family.
Having to navigate the medical
system again and again, a
more complicated pregnancy.
Um, because just the, the way it
started, luckily for me, I gave birth
to a beautiful baby nine months later.
Seth: Congratulations.
Victoria Broderick: Yes, we, we adore him.
Even though I don't quite trust him
'cause he is not supposed to be here.
And that is a joke for, I've been
a lot, I get pushback on that joke.
But no, we adore him.
He was.
It was wanted and loved and you
know, it's a happy surprise.
Well, while I was on maternity
leave ro overturned and I
just could not stand that.
I could not stand the idea that now,
a year later, almost to the day.
Of what I was experiencing now
would've been more complicated.
Mm-hmm.
My doctor's arms being one arm being
tied behind their back, I wouldn't be
getting the same medical care, et cetera.
Tennessee's trigger ban was going to go
in effect, so I did the logical thing.
I started a TikTok account and became the
friendly neighborhood liberal and started
doing voter education and why you should
show up in local and state elections.
I was already pretty plugged in with
the party at that point, um, because.
I didn't realize that it's not normal
to be a five-year-old watching the West
Wing, but like that was me as a kid.
And then, um, you know, I
worked on a campaign in 2019.
That was my first work, but I've
been always a little bit political.
Um, started the friendly neighborhood,
literal, uh, liberal on TikTok,
which was kind of a joke because, you
know, people considered me radical
at the time, but I wanted it to
be fun and friendly and inviting.
And then I also became a county
chair a month later because I was
like, okay, I'm gonna change it on
the ground and be involved in the
party, uh, and change the party from
within while also educating voters.
And then fast forward to 2024.
You know, I lost my election,
but for those you don't know,
I was a first time candidate.
I had no name recognition.
I ran my campaign as a
mom of two tiny humans.
At the time for fur babies, I
foster with a local humane society.
I worked full time, I ran a campaign
in five months, and I raised
over $120,000 as a first time.
Ally: Incredible.
Victoria Broderick: And I mean, this is,
this is what being told three days into
me picking up a petition and being on
the ballot, that I would be lucky if I
raised $50,000 and I got no party support.
So like this is a phenomenal race
and we felt it on the ground.
We felt it in 2024, where it just felt
different and people were showing up
even with everything else going on.
Mm-hmm.
And about 15 seconds after I lost, I
decided I was gonna run again up, because
I was like, let's keep the momentum
going, let's keep the work going.
Let's keep moving the needle because
you know, that's the goal is to move
the needle, make the change, and
the numbers reflected that work.
We learned that between 2022 and
2024, I grew the district and that
is what we felt on the ground.
And now here I am running my
second congressional race and
I've been running consistently,
consistently since May of 2024.
I have not stopped working.
I still work full time.
I work in the tech industry.
I work in support.
Um, Seth and I actually met
over my logistics experience.
Um, we were up on a TikTok live debating,
and I talked about international
domestic logistics when it comes to
tariffs and yeah, that's just a little
bit about me and how I got here.
I mean, it, it feels wild telling
the story, but this is what we need.
We need change.
Ally: I am exhausted Just hearing
all of that, but also so impressed.
Um, I love that your response to losing
that race in 2024 was like, okay, well
we're just gonna keep it going then.
Seth: Mm-hmm.
Victoria Broderick: Yeah.
Ally: We're just gonna, we're we're
gonna, we're gonna win it next time,
but we're not gonna lose that momentum.
Incredible.
Victoria Broderick: Yeah.
'cause most candidates burn.
They don't do it again.
Yeah.
They, they, they get, and
I'm like, I'm an athlete.
You know, you don't, you don't.
Fall down on the field and because
you missed the goal, you get
back's up and you go catch it.
Oh, you're not ex soccer player.
You know those jokes that your coaches
make if you're younger and they're
telling you like, all these things
will pay off in your life later on.
It literally does.
Like it does.
I thought that my coach was dumb and
now I'm over here like, no, I'm making,
Ally: yeah.
Yeah.
Love that.
Seth, I know you have a ton of questions,
so I don't wanna Bogart your time.
Go ahead.
Seth: Yeah, exactly Allie and I
mean, don't, don't get me started
on this sports stuff 'cause this
interview will go all the way left.
Don't go, don't get me going.
It's already March Madness.
All right.
But uh, again, Victoria, it
was so impressive to see you
grow the district in that way.
I mean, $120,000 and that is unbelievable.
As a guy who does sales
for my own sports teams.
I'm lucky if I can get 20, so I
need to talk to you about that.
But anyway, uh, as we go, as we
go into, uh, the primaries and the
midterms, you know, I mean, obviously
you have the momentum from last
time, but also, you know, just a
few months ago we saw Afton Bain.
Really come in, in your, in your home
state of Tennessee, and I mean, come
within single digits of a victory.
And so with your own momentum and
then seeing Afton do what she did,
what, what kind of encouragement
does that give you heading into
your primaries in the midterms?
Victoria Broderick: I mean,
that one I love Afton.
I actually love that I got, I
met her on the campaign trail.
We have become not close
friends, but we're friends.
Like I get to text her and talk about
things and I loved supporting her race.
I don't, I don't know if you gotta
see, but I literally was on the
ground canvassing for her, making
sure that we were outreach, like
reaching out to all my creator content.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, contacts to try and like
get more momentum around it.
I mean, that's what we saw.
So like Afton went up in a primary
against men and she was the most
progressive candidate on the ballot.
But here's the thing, Afton
Iss an activist at heart.
She won her seat because
she started as an activist.
There is this famous picture of her
getting arrested at the State House
because she was literally speaking
out for ch like for children's rights,
I believe is like what the story is.
Um, and so like.
In this fear, this is her work.
Her her game, her field game was so strong
and just everything that she offered was
different for voters because voters around
here listening progressivism isn't scary.
If you like eight hour work
days, that's progressivism.
If you like your weekends,
that's progressivism.
It is progress with purpose.
We're not out here offering
anything other than I want working
class people better represented.
I want your life to be easier.
And Akin represented that she's
a working person who is real and
sings Dolly Parton nine to five.
When she gets, when she gets
going, and then, you know, I
happened to have a conversation
with her when she was considering.
She mentioned to me that people had
reached out and asked her to run for
office, and I said, girl, do it like.
Go for the special election.
Let's do this.
Let's flip this seat.
And what we saw was a growth in that
district and a voter turnout and
excitement and, and, and a single
digit margin in a 22 plus district.
Unreal.
Seth: And
Victoria Broderick: what's ironic that is
my district is a 22 plus district, and one
of the counties in my district, Rutherford
County, is on the map, the national map.
For flippable counties.
And what does that mean for me, that
means I flip my seat because that's
where the majority of my votes, I
think it's like 55,000 of my votes
came out of Rutherford County.
And what did I offer in 2024 that wasn't
already in, I was working class mom.
I'm offering progressivism.
I'm not, I don't shy away
from the hard topics.
I don't abandon marginalized communities.
And it's fought me respect.
It's fought me.
Republican ticket, like Republican
votes who, 'cause they come to my,
my, um, protest and, um, forums and
they're just like, you sound moderate.
Which is literally my favorite thing to
hear in a world district in Tennessee.
Tennessee, because for those
of you all know, district
four, it doesn't touch Memphis.
It doesn't touch Nashville,
it doesn't touch Chattanooga.
I am literally in the middle.
Of this very Red Sea, but
it wasn't always that way.
It's been gerrymandered that way.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
What, what we learned in
2024 is my messaging works,
my work speaks for itself.
And the great thing is the
field director who did all that
field work for Afin on my team.
Oh, that's, so
Seth: let's go.
Cool.
Let's go.
Well, I, I, I'm, I'm super
jacked to hear about that.
I mean, as a, as a guy who
grew up in the South, seeing.
Democrats gained momentum right
away where, around where I live.
I told you my, my, my father
was raised in Nashville.
My, my grandpa lived
and died in Nashville.
Uh, and so to see that change.
It's so encouraging.
It's so cool.
Uh, I wanna talk to you about
the super majority in Tennessee
and we talked about that.
Um, you know, Mississippi just
got done breaking their own
super majority over there.
And again, that's just proof of the
momentum that we have in the south.
Talk about the super majority
in, in Tennessee and, and the
work that you wanna do there.
Victoria Broderick: Yeah, so I
mean like a lot of people don't
realize Tennessee is a unique state.
We are a super majority in our
state legislature, but we also have
a majority of our federal seats
are held by Republicans, as well
as we have a Republican governor.
We also have the added bonus of most
right wing medias now housed in the
state of Tennessee, in Nashville.
So this is a very, very calculated
move by the right year testing round.
Now, what does that mean
for a super majority?
Well, Tennessee wasn't always red.
We used to be purple.
We used to have, my district itself
was blue up until 2008, and people
wonder how it flipped and why
we've always felt like a red state.
And I tell people all the time, it's
because there was a down ballot initiative
in the 2008 to 2012 range, which lit,
literally, they flooded the market and it
allowed for school boards to be flipped.
Red and then the people work
their way up through the system.
And it is when my opponent, Scott
Derale, became the now 16 year
incumbent, um, and was elected in
office and has stayed here ever since.
And we haven't been able to touch him.
And that is because Tennessee is
not, while we are, if you go in
our election office, you see every
like voting booth that will say
number one in voter integrity.
We're 51st in voter turnout.
We are 40, 48th in voter turnout in 2024.
That's not first in voter, like in
voter safety or voter, you know?
But what it is is voter suppression.
It's gerrymandered and voter
suppression because I think it's
like something like 2000, 200,000
voter, if they showed up to vote on
Democrat, we would flip every seat,
and
Victoria Broderick: it's a small,
it's like such a small number.
So what we need is people
to stop being apathetic.
I'm not, I'm not afraid
of losing my election.
I'm afraid of voter apathy in 2026.
Seth: Absolutely.
I wanna talk to you about, uh, a, a,
an issue that's close to your heart.
And I think, uh, uh, right, it rings, uh,
uh, loud and true with progressives like
myself and Allie, uh, universal pre-K
you know, as a, as a mom, as a parent.
I think that's something that.
A lot of parents are looking for in
this world where increasingly one
income is not going to pay the bills
for middle class households in America.
And so as a working mom, as a parent,
I know that that's something close
to your heart and I wanna know what,
just, I want you to dig into that a
little bit deeper for our audience.
Victoria Broderick: Yeah, no, I, it is
on, it is something that's on my platform.
You can go to Victoria, the number
four tennessee.org or.com and you
can see that I want Universal pre-K
and that it's not just because, you
know, I want an outlet for working
class families who are like myself.
Both parents are working
and we need a good place.
We know that pre-K education, that
starting early, we catch things earlier.
They get a more equitable
start in life and.
It's social bonding, it's learning
how, and if we take the pressure off
of parents to pay that additional
amount of money, you know, et cetera,
we can save, it saves money in the long
run because you're, if parents don't
have to worry about, you know, where
their kids are going to school, they
have, they have that pre-K option.
They can go straight from daycare.
Maybe they're only paying now two years.
Childcare for a, for a young child
instead of paying from now, like one to
all the way up to almost five years old.
Um, just depending on
the area of we live in.
So again, these are all things that
can be done and it it, people are
like, how are you gonna pay for it?
Seth: Course
Victoria Broderick: taxes.
Ally: Yeah.
Victoria Broderick: Making
corporations pay their fair share.
Ally: Exactly, and corporations should
be incentivized for a program like that.
You're going to have
increased productivity.
You're going to have parents that are
basically more available because they
can afford to have their children in,
in, you know, in daycare services.
So it seems like a win-win to
me, but you know, they never
quite look at it that way.
Victoria Broderick: They
never look at it that way.
They, they think, we think short term,
they don't think long-term outcomes.
And it's not a one size fits all because
like it's not just universal pre-K,
it's making sure education system is
up to par with the rest of the world.
You know, the average child is going to
the school at like what, five years old.
Whereas in other countries, they're
starting as early as three years old.
That is a huge amount of time to lose
in a very young developmental life.
I mean, I'm in the thick of it.
I have a three major and a 5-year-old,
and I said teenager specifically
because like he is a whole personality
that that IU DFA miscarriage and an
immediate pregnancy baby who would've
thought it, but he's so smart and
that's because we had something unique.
That others like that other parents
and generations didn't have before.
And that is, I had two pandemic babies, so
you know, there was more free time in some
ways to just really hone in those skills.
He also has an older brother
who it was a full pandemic baby.
Ally: Yeah.
Victoria Broderick: And he, you
know, I had so much more time
with him and so did my husband.
It shows, it just shows in how
advanced they are, um, just overall.
And we know that that works.
The science is there and the, the
parents need it at the end of the day.
So, I mean, it's a win, win-win for
everyone, you know, if we're quoting
the office, it's definitely a win win.
Ally: Can we really quickly
go back to the incumbent.
Um, your opposition, Scott, I believe you
said his name was, what's his full name?
Victoria Broderick: Scott Derale.
Ally: And how is that working
out for your community?
How, like what are, how is he, obviously
you must feel that he's falling short in
terms of servicing, um, his constituents.
So what's he like?
How's that going?
Victoria Broderick: I mean, he's potatoes.
That's not a better way to describe him.
So a lot of people don't know
about Scott Dejero, and that's not
because he's, it's because, I mean,
he's been in office for 16 years.
I mean, he is no different
than Marjorie Taylor Greene.
However, he's not loud and proud
like some of his counterparts.
So, Scott Derale was
elected in 2011, 12 2012.
He is a 16 year incumbent, but he is
most famously known because after he
was elected, it came out in divorced
proceedings that he had pulled a gun
on his wife and dry fired through the
door to force her to get an abortion.
Ally: What,
Victoria Broderick: wait, there's more.
Just go on and hold the beer there
'cause this is gonna get worse.
Uh,
Ally: okay.
Victoria Broderick: Forced two other
partners to get abortions, one of
which he had to drive out of state and.
The reason he had to force these two
other partners to get abortions is
because he was a medical doctor trading
medicine for relations with his patients.
He is no longer that because he, uh,
had to step away for obvious reasons.
Now, he is a Tea Party member.
He is a mago Republican.
He has been voted by a conservative
magazine, one of the worst Republican
representatives in the house.
And has been quoted in closed door
sessions that if he speaks with,
uh, constituents, he loses votes.
Ally: I, I can't close my jaw right now.
I'm having problems shutting my jaw.
Victoria Broderick: He is, he is a potato.
He has been in office,
but like I said before,
Ally: how did all of those scandals
not drive him out of those all
came out while he was in office?
Victoria Broderick: Came
out while he was in office.
Ally: This is, this is so typical
of the Republican party, you know,
Democrats, um, and progressives.
We hold ourselves to
such a higher standard.
We have a very low bar, a very low
threshold in terms of tolerating
the, any kind of action that would
seem untoward, right, or that
might negatively affect the party.
And now you've got this guy.
Doing this stuff and he was
not like, chased out of town
with pitchforks and tiki.
How,
Victoria Broderick: I mean, he
doesn't come back to the district.
He doesn't come back unless
he, it's a friendly event.
And I mean, he doesn't have to, I
mean, he's a, he's sitting on $500,000
right now in his campaign fund.
I a working class mom.
I don't have $500,000 or I
wouldn't be working right now.
I would be campaign full time.
I mean, this is what we're up against.
You know that, that $120,000, the great
part about that is that as all small
dollar donations, 95% of it is small
dollar donations, so $200 or less.
Scott, he is 99% corporate hack money.
Corporate money and APAC money, this man
doesn't have to lift a finger and only
1% comes from small dollar donations.
Does he, is he beholden to
constituents and District four?
Absolutely not.
That's why.
Ally: And that,
Victoria Broderick: that's
Ally: what I was going to ask
you, like obviously your fellow
community members in your district
must be completely frustrated and.
Over this guy.
I would imagine.
Victoria Broderick: You would
hope so, but unfortunately, no.
Most voters, they vote party
lines, they don't really care.
Voter turnout is crap and
voter suppression is not good.
Here is like really not
good here, you know?
So what has happened?
It, you have, it's a twofer because
we've got this Republican incumbent
in a, a super majority state where
most of our seats are Republican.
Then you have a Democratic party
that is trying to figure out how
to function in this new modern
post-Obama, you know, Republican party,
Ally: right?
Victoria Broderick: This
is a long-term thing.
This didn't start in 2008.
It didn't start in 2002.
This goes, I mean, if you wanna
go all the way back, it goes
back to the Civil War, but.
The Republican party really pushed
forward in 2000, in the early two
thousands and how they narrative really
the eighties is part of that as well.
So that happened.
And then you have the Democratic party
that's trying going by Obama era ideology,
the moderate will get the vote, et cetera,
and putting forward moderate voters who
are supposed to grab the swing vote.
But swing voters don't vote on moderates.
Yeah, they vote on the economy.
So what do you, what do you, what is
the swing voter gonna do when you know
Democrats are out here getting lost
in the sauce with Republican talking
points and Republicans are over here
like, I'm gonna lower your taxes.
I'm gonna make gas cheaper.
I'm gonna do all the thing.
So it's, it's a catch 22.
So that is why I, myself, and not
only working within the party because
I wanna see progressive change.
And I wanna see better representation,
but I'm also a candidate offering
something different in District four.
And what we learned in 2024 is it worked.
Ally: Amazing.
All right.
I need, I need to process all of that.
So Go ahead.
S
Seth: Yeah.
So I'm
Ally: gonna', that's insane story.
Insane.
Seth: It's wild.
It's wild man.
Truly.
I mean, there, there, there
really is like no standards.
For maga, I mean, it's, uh, it's unreal.
Uh, yeah.
So I'm gonna, I'm gonna go with my,
my basic millennial question now, uh,
as, as a fellow millennial, I mean,
you got, you and, uh, other people
that we have interviewed here on
this show, you guys represent a, a
completely new, fresh wave of leadership.
And I just wanna know, as a, as
a millennial and as part of that
movement, what does that mean to you?
And, and, and, and how do you want.
To see our generation kind of take
up the mantle and start to take our
country back, uh, to where we were.
Victoria Broderick: Yeah.
Um, I always joking to
say I'm millennial trash.
Um, but, uh, I can't quote, I can't take
credit for that, you know, just a little.
Um, but as a millennial, I think we offer
something like a unique perspective.
We remember the nineties.
Most of us remember the
eighties and the nineties.
I mean, I have, I was born in
the nineties, but I have like
80 eighties nostalgia, you
know, raised on Star Wars and.
Indiana Jones and like the West Wing
and the American president, like these
are our foundational, like awareness.
We had Nickelodeon and like all of that.
Yeah.
And so like as a millennial
running for office, I never
saw myself in this position.
I literally, it was never
my dream to be president.
I was always political, but it
was never like this political
side of myself really didn't take
hold until watching my country.
Really just be the beginnings of,
you know, the Trump administration
and watching how he just swooped
in and took over an entire party.
And, you know, as a millennial,
I was like, no, no, no.
Like, we've all seen this movie.
Like we've all seen it.
We've seen what, what?
This is it.
Why isn't anyone saying
no, no, we've seen it.
We're good.
You know, the Jurassic Park
quote where Jeff Goldblum says.
Everyone was too busy with like,
can we, they never asked, should we?
And you know, this is where I'm at
as a millennial, as I'm watching
all these things take precedent.
And I'm like, no, no, we've gotta
bring back some of that nostalgia.
But like with getting rid
of the systematic oppression
that is plaguing our country.
And I, I, I think, you know, I'm doing
that and also as a candidate, I look
different and I think that we're,
we're groundbreaking in that way.
Candidates no longer can be
a 2D two, two sided person.
We have to be 3D and you know,
we have to be a triple threat.
We have to be able to be personable.
Understand the, like the nostalgia and
understand, you know, culture while also
being able to speak correctly and sound
good and make videos and then be policy
makers and understand the legislation.
So I think we do offer
something that's different.
You know, it reminds me of old school
Hollywood, where the triple threat is
dancing and act like it's the same thing.
Ally: Yeah, I can, I
can definitely see that.
And I think, you know, also millennials,
um, you know, Seth, you've talked
about before, living through like the
recession of 2008 and the collapse of
the housing market and, you know, a lot
of you coming into the workplace, into
the workforce during that time I think
has been really, um, really sort of.
Pivotal in, in informing your worldview.
Victoria Broderick: Mm-hmm.
I mean, that's a great point too, because
like my work career looks different.
Mm-hmm.
You know, I went to university,
I went to Austin p let's go
pee in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Um, and, you know, I graduated in 2015.
I literally graduated as we're rolling
into an election year and rolling
into, um, like seeing all these things.
Progress in our country.
You know, I, I knew that Trump was
going to be a problem in 2015, um,
but I went into a workforce with a
degree thinking I was gonna get a
decent job and it just wasn't that.
So I wor have been working
in customer service.
I mean, I've been working since
I had baby teeth, but like.
You know, as I go into a, you know,
you got the degree, I did it in four
years, did it in one year, less than
the average, the national average.
All these things to be proud of.
And I walk into a workforce that isn't
prepared for me, that had spent four
years telling me to get a real job.
As I'm working at a, as a barista, my
full-time going to school full-time, this
is probably where the crazy schedule.
Things were learned,
Ally: right?
And
Victoria Broderick: what we doing,
it was learn and getting told every
day, get a real job, get a real
job, and then I go out to get a
real job and it's not there and you
know it, and then I get a real job.
In 2016, I moved into
international domestic logistics.
You know, it was outside of my scope.
I, you know, I had always
grown up in the tile industry.
My, my dad worked in tile, so.
He utilized that knowledge.
And I went in and I started working and
I started learning about the process.
Trump had been elected, but I
was like, oh, we'll be okay.
And then the tariffs hit in 2018 and my
international domestic logistics job was
now facing, um, some real consequences.
We were a small, a small company,
a small business that, uh, helped
source for bigger companies that
people would recognize the names for.
And over overnight I had $3.5 million
worth of freight on an ocean liner
that all the contracts were paid out
for, and we were trying to figure out
how we're gonna pay the additional
'cause I think it went up to 30%.
Don't quote me on that for the,
like, you know, keyboard warriors
who might be watching this.
I, I don't remember exactly the
tariff amount, but I remember it
was enough of a jump for the owners.
To literally say, well, I guess
we're gonna go out of business.
Ally: Ugh.
Victoria Broderick: And they didn't go
out of business, but some of us lost
our jobs and I was one of those people.
My job was outsourced to China.
I had went from being a sourcing
coordinator, coordinator who could
tell you how long it was gonna take,
put in special orders, et cetera.
Literally learned all the things
about freight and tile, et cetera.
Um, you know, importing from
China, Italy, Spain, and India.
To having to figure it out again.
And you know, I worked temporarily at
another job and then found another job.
We decided to move back to Tennessee
'cause we were living at tech in
Texas at the time and moved back to
Tennessee, get a domestic logistics job.
Learning all about domestic,
like the domestics, more of the
domestic side that I had had before.
And then the pandemic hits.
Ally: Mm-hmm.
Victoria Broderick: And Trump
handles it the way Trump handles
everything, which is, um, not good.
And I witnessed an industry, truckers
and, you know, freight go from
what would've been $900 to $5,000.
And again, I lost my job and
I lost it for two reasons.
The pandemic, and also I was a new mom.
There were no prote protections for
new moms, and I was forced to come
back, ma, from maternity leave before
I was ready, and I lost my job.
Four days after returning from
maternity leave, I was written
up for poor work performance.
Ally: Wow.
Victoria Broderick: So, I mean, these
are your core to my, you know, to
my existence, to why I am running
for office is I'd witnessed it at,
at the front end of what happens.
But I've also, you know, I was lucky.
I found another job.
I'd worked a campaign and the, the guy
who was running for office just happened
to be like, Hey, I would love to rework
for my team, even though he lost his
election and I got a job and started in.
Um, the tech industry where
I became, um, tech support.
I tell old people when I go out
and I'm trying to explain my job.
I'm, I'm the person who asks
you to turn it off and on.
Again, that's me.
Um,
mm-hmm.
SAS Pro.
So project management, you know, um,
online learning, all the ins and outs.
I, I'm the one, the first
troubleshooter on this.
It's been an interesting industry to
work in, um, taking all those skills
that I've learned pre previously and then
putting it into tech and learning tech.
Um, but now I get to also witness
what happens, you know, in the tech
industry because not only did I get
to experience what was a positive,
you know, post, post having baby
experience with my second child.
I also witnessed what happens with
those lack of protections in a job
because your brain's just not ready
to come back for work, you know?
Yeah.
It's just too much to ask a person who
has literally grown a whole human for
almost an entire year, gives birth to it,
and then is in the thick of motherhood
and parenthood to come back to work and
pretend like she can answer an email.
Yeah.
It's a big ask.
And then I also got to witness how
the tech industry handles waves of the
economy and how it it can negatively
affect, and now we're seeing ai.
So I think I'm uniquely positioned to
understand what this administration
is doing when it comes to tariffs,
as well as understanding what we're
not doing when it comes to AI and
our industry and corporations when
we just don't put any guardrails.
Around protecting consumers and mm-hmm.
Yeah, I'm going to Congress to change
these things because I've not only
witnessed it firsthand, I know that
a spec specifically when it comes
to ai, we are in a dangerous spot.
Um, absolutely guardrails
for consumers and workers.
Seth: And I just, I relate a little
too well to that, not the pregnancy
part, but I swear to God, like,
Ally: thanks for
Seth: clarifying
Ally: that Seth.
We were
Seth: very
Ally: confused
Seth: a
Ally: publicly,
Seth: so graduating out of the recession,
you know, thinking that I'm gonna
have a job in tv, news, newspapers,
whatever, coming out outta the recession.
All the newspaper staffs are cut in half.
The news station staffs are cut in half.
You're having to work part-time.
I mean, you're getting into the gig
economy, but what is the gig economy?
I thought I was gonna get a full-time job.
Nope.
Uh, and so it, it is just, it having to
reinvent yourself over and over again
and learn new skills for the gig economy.
It's just, it's, it's wild.
So, yeah, like I think our.
Our generation has this, has this
trauma where we entered the adult
world in that was turned upside
down from what we were told our
entire lives it was gonna be like.
So I'm just glad that you're in the
position that you're in, you're running,
and you know, I'm so glad that we got
to talk to you today to kind of round
things out because I think a lot of
people don't understand the struggle.
Ally: For sure, and I think
you're just remarkable.
Thank you.
Um, I, I don't, I, I'm, like I said
earlier, I'm exhausted just listening
to this journey, but somehow, um, you
seem so well, well equipped for it.
And I mean.
Victoria Broderick: I'm
just fun, size and feral.
That's it.
Yeah.
Ally: I love that.
Sure.
Victoria Broderick: If we can get
at, you know, if you go to, there
is a link you can buy that shirt.
It, it says fun sized and feral.
Um, and then, you know, Victoria
for Congress on the back.
And that was because I, I've
said it for a while now.
Put.
I was at a cre.
I was at the remove the regime in DC and
remember your oath in DC and I said it to
a couple of co bigger content creators.
I like, please put that on their shirt.
And I was like, I need
to trademark this today.
Ally: That is so cool.
I love that.
I've always, I've often called myself
fun size 'cause I'm a, I'm a short girly.
Seth: I'm
Ally: I'm,
Seth: and a half and a half does count.
Ally: Yes, that's right.
Oh, we, we count every half.
Victoria Broderick: Oh.
And I think people, all the time they
meet me and they think that I'm taller.
Like I can't tell you
how many people I've met.
And they're like, I just
thought you'd be taller.
And I was like, it's 'cause I'm unhinged.
Ally: It's the personality that makes.
The stature.
Right.
I get that.
Why I totally get that.
Um, well this has been amazing.
Yeah.
Before we get into how to help you
and your campaign, I have to ask
you a question that I ask every
candidate just for confirmation.
You do not, will not accept
corporate PAC money or foreign
interest money for your campaign.
Is that correct?
Victoria Broderick: I do not.
I was actually unique In 2024, I was
the only federal candidate to sign a
pro peace pack where I said I would
not take APAC money and that I openly
supported the Palestinian people.
Um, so I am uniquely positioned.
I do not take corporate PAC money.
I do not take APAC money.
I am a small dollar donation
girly, and I am proud of it.
Ally: I, and I'm proud of you for that.
I love that.
Yeah.
So, um, okay.
Tell us how to support you.
What do you need right now?
Is it donations?
Is it volunteers?
Is it everything?
And how can people find you?
Victoria Broderick: Donations.
Donations are key.
I am trying to do this full time.
You know, we saw a lull in 2025.
That's normal for election cycles, but
a lot of people forget that money outta
politics doesn't include candidates.
And quite often we are put to the task
to raise all this money as well as.
People see that money as value.
I, I got the question a couple days ago of
like, why am I talking about the $120,000?
I was like, because not only does it
winnow for endorsements and you know,
more, more donations like from bigger
people who can put out the, you know,
max out to $3,300 here in Tennessee.
Um, it also wins over voters.
And quite often voters really go on that.
They go on that social commodity.
So how can you support me?
Donate become a, become a recurring donor.
$5, $10, $25. You won't regret
it because not only do you get to
donate to my campaign, you also get a
handwritten thank you note of my donors.
Every single one in 2024 got a handwritten
thank you card from your truly, I even
got people and call like call outs.
Um, there is a resistor Vic.
He is big on TikTok.
I did not know he had
donated to my campaign.
Had no idea.
And I wrote him a thank you note and
then he made a video and all of his
followers wanted to do that as well.
Like we're just shocked.
I have people literally send
me pictures of them, put it up
so you get a thank you note.
You get multiple if
you continue donations.
I do send out several because I love
my donors, especially if I know you.
You get a little, a special note.
Um, but.
How you can help me.
If you can't donate share,
go to my social media page.
Share it out with 10, 15 twin friends.
Encourage people to vote.
You can go to my website
where I edit everything.
You can see my actual work as well as
you can see all where my PA platform is.
I am running on safety, affordability,
freedom, and equity in 2026.
What does that mean for you?
It's a safety net to protect you.
It is a making sure that corporations
are paying their fair share so that
you don't feel that at the gas pump.
It is making sure that your healthcare
is affordable and accessible to you.
Mental health, dental, et cetera is
a fair, you know, when we talk about
affordability, people think about the
economy, but they think about the gas
pump, they think about the grocery
store, making them pay their fair share.
Is the point, making sure that your
corporate, but your corporate job is
paying you fair wages is the point.
Making sure that you have universal
healthcare because that not only
helps your company, it helps you.
These are all things, and I mean freedom.
At the end of the day, I want you
to be able to love who you love,
get the gender affirming care that
you need, because I don't know your
body, and as a governing person, I
should not be telling you what to do.
Your medical doctor and yourself can
guide that messaging all the way, however
you decide to do that, I support that.
And also, what good is the American dream
Ally: if you can't afford it?
Victoria Broderick: So all the things
I've been saying, freedom is there.
And you know, for the
two Ps, I am a gun owner.
I am not here to take your ground,
but I am here to address an issue.
And then lastly, but not least, equity.
We deserve equity in our, in our small
businesses so that you have a same chance
of being successful as a big business,
you know, so that you as an individual
don't have to worry that you're gonna be
priced out of the market by a corporation.
So that you're not having to worry
about, you know, what your, if you're
black, brown, and indigenous or a
marginalized community, you don't have
to worry that you're not gonna get a fair
shot at life because of those things.
So in 2026, we're running on safety,
affordability, freedom, and equity.
You can find me a Victoria,
the number four, tennessee.com.
Dot org.
You can see all of my policy.
You can seize the safety afford.
Affordability, freedom and equity.
As well as you can sign up to volunteer.
You can find all my social medias 'cause
these campaigns run on people like you.
And like I said, I'm
not afraid of voter app.
I'm not afraid of losing.
I am afraid of voter apathy in 2026.
I need your support because we
can flip this seat and we're
gonna flip the house in 2026.
Ally: Love it.
I, hell, I, I'm, I'm a fan forever now.
Um, you're an absolute delight, Seth.
Thank you for, um, thank you for
coordinating this with Victoria.
I like to think absolutely.
This was a gift to me.
This was a, this was a gift for me
because it's our first VML guest,
Victoria Broderick: and I al I had a
joke, but it felt a little inappropriate,
and I don't know if you'll keep this in.
I was like, oh, I get to pop your cherry.
Ally: Yeah, we're keeping that in.
Seth: Yes.
Here we're, we're on Substack.
Ally: We're allowed to say all the things.
Victoria Broderick: I just got
three notes because I said that.
Ally: I actually believe that.
That's very true.
Victoria Broderick: No,
was like, no, no, no.
She's super school.
Ally: Well, Victoria, thank
you so much for joining us.
And Seth, thank you for,
uh, making this happen.
Victoria Broderick: Yeah, we were
Seth: of course.
Yeah.
This, this was a treat.
Victoria, thank you so much for the time.
Victoria Broderick: Of course,
Seth always has me on TikTok.
That's how we met.
So I'm super thankful you that Seth.
I'm super.
Thankful for all of you, for Allie having
me on agreeing, working with my schedule.
'cause you know it's wild over here.
Ally: Yes.
Victoria Broderick: So just
making the time, like everything
worked out, like that's my thing.
It's like everything's just
gonna work out in my favor 'cause
I'm willingness into existence.
We're flipping this seat and I'm gonna
get a book deal at the end of it.
Ally: All right.
Let's go.
I love that's manifest it.
Absolutely.
Alright, Victoria, we'll stay in touch.
Big things to come for you.
Victoria Broderick: Thank you.
Ally: Well, that was delightful.
Seth: Oh
Ally: man, I love her.
Seth: What?
And, and I, what an absolute treat.
I mean, she, she is sharp as a t.
She is.
I mean, how many place does
she have spinning Allie?
I mean,
Ally: I,
Seth: Victoria really does it all.
Ally: I mean, I, you know, I, my
kids are grown, but I remember my
working mom days and there's just
no way I would be able to manage.
Everything that she's managing
with such young kids and with such
positivity and grace and energy
and like, this is what we need.
This is what we're looking for.
She's so bright, um, so engaging.
Really interesting.
Great storytelling.
Very insane story by the way, y'all,
that, that story about, about Scott
is, I I'm never getting over that.
Seth: Hey, it's, it's
unbelievable and I mean.
You know, it's a great opportunity for
somebody like Victoria to completely
change the landscape there in Tennessee,
that guy he is so GOP, so maga, so you
know, basic bitch, if I may say so.
Myself and Victoria represents
a complete change in leadership.
In priorities.
And she's just so sharp, man.
I mean, talking about, you
know, she's, she's in tech.
She runs her own website.
She's a mom.
She's a, she's an, she's an animal mom.
She volunteers, I mean, we didn't
get into it, but she she's an
Ally: activist.
Yeah.
Seth: And, and she's, and she also hosts,
um, a foreign exchange student on top of
that, folks, I mean, I know I'm exhausted.
She's unbelievable.
I mean, folks, you are not ready.
For the millennial wave of leadership,
there's a lot of AOCs out there
and they look just like Victoria.
And so, you know, if you are in the
great state of Tennessee, even if you're
not out in Tennessee, you gotta we,
you gotta back people like Victoria.
She represents a complete change in
the face of not only our politics,
but the Democratic party as well.
She's uncompromising,
she's not taking money.
From Big pacs.
She's not taking money from
Israel or other foreign entities.
Um, and so I I, I'm just so pleased
that we could get her on this program
and, uh, and, and talk with her.
'cause I mean, wow, what
a great, great time.
Was, had
Ally: absolutely great time talking to her
and we'll stay in touch with her for sure.
'cause you know her, we've
seen her on sub lives.
She's around.
And she'll always make time to talk about
this, you know, the passion that she
has to change her district in Tennessee.
So we'll definitely be hearing more
from Victoria, but that was a great
guest, our first female guest.
Mm-hmm.
Many more to come and, uh.
Just a great, great day.
Thank you Seth, for making that happen.
Seth: You got it.
Ally: See you soon.
Seth: Alright.