Who's coming to Crooked Con?

Introducing the 2026 lineup.

The bigger the tent, the closer to God. Because the answer to right-wing authoritarianism is a pro-democracy movement strong enough to defeat it. So we invited these elected officials, potential presidential candidates, campaign strategists, pollsters, organizers, journalists, creators, and even lowly podcast hosts to participate in a day of conversations about what we've learned, and where we go from here.

Addisu Demissie

Democratic Strategist

Alex Wagner

Pod Save America contributor & Runaway Country host,
Crooked Media

Alyssa Mastromonaco

Hysteria host emerita,
Crooked Media

Amanda Carpenter

Writer & Editor,
Protect Democracy

Amrutha Jindal

Executive Director,
Lone Star Defenders Office

Anderson Clayton

Chair,
North Carolina Democratic Party

Ben Rhodes

Pod Save the World host,
Crooked Media

Rep.-elect Brad Lander

U.S. Representative-elect,
NY–10

Brian Tyler Cohen

Progressive YouTuber

Bronwyn Newport

Fashion Archivist & Television Personality

Carlos Eduardo Espina

Community Activist, Nonprofit Director & Influencer

Carlos Odio

Co-founder,
Equis

Carter Sherman

Co-host,
Stateside with Kai and Carter

Charles Blow

Contributing Writer,
Guardian

Chi Ossé

New York City Council Member

Lovett or Leave It guest

Sen. Chris Van Hollen

U.S. Senator,
MD

Claire Reynolds

VSA Candidate & Attorney

Clare Malone

Still Counting host,
Crooked Media

Danielle Butterfield

President & Executive Director,
Priorities USA

Dan Pfeiffer

Pod Save America & Pollercoaster host,
Crooked Media

David Pakman

Author & host,
The David Pakman Show

Deirdre Schifeling

Chief Political & Advocacy Officer,
ACLU

Derek Thompson

Co-author,
‘Abundance’

Elijah Cone

Sen. Elissa Slotkin

U.S. Senator,
MI

Eric Holder

Former U.S. Attorney General

Erin Carhart

Strategist

Erin Ryan

Hysteria host,
Crooked Media

Errin Haines

Long Play host,
Crooked Media

Esosa Osa

Founder & CEO,
Onyx Impact

Eugene Daniels

Co-host,
MS NOW’s Clock It with Symone & Eugene

Faiz Shakir

Founder & Executive Director,
More Perfect Union

Galen Druke

Still Counting host,
Crooked Media

Greta Carnes

Organizing Strategist

Heather McGhee

Author,
‘The Sum of Us’

Jalisa Washington Price

Democratic Strategist

Jamelle Bouie

New York Times Columnist

Rep. Jamie Raskin

U.S. Representative,
MD–08

Janai Nelson

President & Director-Counsel,
Legal Defense Fund

Jane Coaston

What A Day host,
Crooked Media

Rep. Jason Crow

U.S. Representative,
CO–06

Gov. JB Pritzker

Governor,
IL

PSA Live Show Guest

Jefrey Pollock

Founding Partner & President,
Global Strategy Group

Jenifer Fernandez Ancona

Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer,
Way to Win

Jennifer Palmieri

Long Play host,
Crooked Media

Jennifer Welch

Co-host,
I’ve Had It Podcast

Jerusalem Demsas

Editor-in-Chief,
The Argument

Jessica Bichler

State Senator-elect,
NC District 7

Jessica Tarlov

Co-host,
Fox News’ The Five

Joe Hack

SVP of External Affairs,
Grindr

Joel Rubin

Fmr. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State

Jon Favreau

Pod Save America & Offline host,
Crooked Media

Jon Lovett

Pod Save America & Lovett or Leave It host,
Crooked Media

Gov. Josh Shapiro

Governor,
PA

Kai Wright

Co-host,
Stateside with Kai and Carter

Kate Shaw

Strict Scrutiny host,
Crooked Media

Katey Parham

Katie Phang

Independent Journalist & Trial Lawyer

Katy Tur

Anchor,
MS NOW’s ‘The Moment with Katy Tur’

Kyle Tharp

Executive Director,
Crooked Ideas

Rep. Lateefah Simon

U.S. Representative,
CA–12

Laura Barrón-López

White House Reporter,
MS NOW

Leah Greenberg

Co-Executive Director,
Indivisible

Leah Litman

Strict Scrutiny host,
Crooked Media

Leigh McGowan

Host,
Politics Girl

Lis Smith

Advisor,
Majority Democrats & The Bench

Lucinda Treat

CEO,
Crooked Media

Margaret Sullivan

Columnist,
Guardian US

Mari Manoogian

Executive Director,
The Next 50

Sen. Mark Kelly

U.S. Senator,
AZ

Matt Bernstein

Podcaster

Maurice Mitchell

National Director,
Working Families Party

Melanie Roussell Newman

Chief External Affairs Officer,
Planned Parenthood Action Fund

Rep.-elect Melat Kiros

U.S. Representative-elect,
CO–01

Melissa Murray

Strict Scrutiny host,
Crooked Media

Mitch Landrieu

Long Play host,
Crooked Media

Morris Katz

Partner,
Fight Agency

Nate Silver

Still Counting host,
Crooked Media

Norm Eisen

Co-founder,
Democracy Defenders Action

Dr. Rachael Bedard

Internist & Contributor,
New York Times Opinion

Rebecca Katz

Partner,
Fight Agency

Regina Wallace-Jones

CEO & President,
ActBlue

Rep. Robert Garcia

U.S. Representative,
CA–42

Rob Flaherty

Co-founder,
Tomorrow Together

Sam Oliker-Friedland

CEO,
Responsive Gov Action

Sarah Longwell

CEO & Publisher,
The Bulwark

Rep. Sarah McBride

U.S. Representative,
DE

Rep. Sara Jacobs

U.S. Representative,
CA–51

Sawyer Hackett

Political Commentator & Content Creator

Shaniqua McClendon

Vice President of Political Strategy,
Vote Save America

Prof. Sherrilyn Ifill

Director of the 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy,
Howard Law School

Strict Scrutiny guest

Stephanie Valencia

President & CEO,
Equis Research

Svante Myrick

President & CEO,
People for the American Way

Symone Sanders Townsend

Co-host,
MS NOW’s Clock It with Symone & Eugene

Tariq Habash

Co-founder & COO,
A New Policy

Todd Schulte

President,
FWD.us

Tommy Vietor

Pod Save America & Pod Save the World host,
Crooked Media

Tory Gavito

Founder & President,
Way to Win

Vanita Gupta

Fmr. U.S. Associate Attorney General

Gov. Wes Moore

Governor,
MD

More names to be announced

November 5-7, 2026

Washington, DC

November 5-7, 2026

Washington, DC

November 5-7, 2026

Washington, DC

November 5-7, 2026

Washington, DC

November 5-7, 2026

Washington, DC

November 5-7, 2026

Washington, DC

November 5-7, 2026

Washington, DC

Meet Creators IRL

Spot these creators & new media personalities on the convention floor creating content and hosting meetups.

Barrett Adair

Charlie Goldensohn

David Pakman

Author & host,
The David Pakman Show

@thedavidpakmanshow

Jess Britvich

Jolly Good Ginger

@jolly_good_ginger

Katey Parham

Digital Strategist & Content Creator

@kateyforchange

Kevin Ortega-Rojas

Nikita Redkar

@nikitadumptruck

Saadia Mirza

Tega Orhorhoro

Full lineup to be announced