Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez (Featured Interviews)
From Heartland Signal and WCPT AM 820 in Chicago, here are featured interviews from "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" (weeknights from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.), a radio talk show devoted to covering the news of the day and connecting listeners with local leaders. Patti Vasquez is a Chicago comedian, writer, actor, talk show host, consultant, advocate, and policy adviser. After achieving a degree in history from the University of Illinois, she set out to share her hilarious observations about how people behave, and stories about her second-generation Irish dad and Mexican immigrant mom. Patti has headlined in comedy clubs and colleges all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe, appeared on Nickelodeon, TBS, ABC, The Oprah Winfrey Network, and has a recurring role on NBC’s “Chicago Fire.” When her son Declan was born with a rare neurological disorder, Patti decided to take her communication and performance experience to launch her company “With Kind Words,” in which she helps medical professionals and educators communicate with compassion. For six years, Patti was the first Latina to host her own talk show on WGN Radio 720. In addition to her work as a performer and consultant, Patti began advocating for children and families throughout Illinois and helped restore funding for vital support services after massive cuts were made by former Governor Bruce Rauner. In 2020 she ran to be the state representative of the 19th District. She is now the health care and human services liaison and assistant policy adviser for Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza. Patti lives with her family on the Northwest Side of Chicago and continues to advocate for her community.
Episodes
Patti Vasquez and guest co-host Ken Mejia-Beal are joined by Ed Bannon, 2026 candidate for Chicago School Board 1A.
Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).
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Patti Vasquez is joined by Coumba Kebe, Democratic candidate for Indiana State treasurer.
The interview focused on Kebe’s candidacy and priorities for using the office to benefit Hoosiers. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Kebe said her advocacy on Medicaid waiver cuts and long wait lists motivated her to run after elected officials ignored constituents’ concerns.
- She argued that Indiana’s...
Patti Vasquez and guest co-host Dan Schaefer are joined by Jason Heaser, Democratic candidate for Minnesota House District 34A.
Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).
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Patti Vasquez is joined by Ellie Krug, transgender activist, lawyer, author of “Being Ellen: A Second Chance at Life,” and host of “The Illegal Trans Woman” on KTNF AM950, the Progressive Voice of Minnesota.
The discussion focused on anti-trans political attacks, sexual violence, and Minnesota elections. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Ellie described transphobic attacks tied to h...
Patti Vasquez is joined by Dan Ashurst, executive director of FairVote Illinois. He explained ranked choice voting and the current efforts to enable its use in Illinois, as well as opposition to it.
Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Ashurst said ranked choice voting lets voters rank candidates and can encourage more civil, issue-focused campaigns, though it does not eliminate incivility. He said multi-...
Patti Vasquez is joined by Rick Crosson, Democratic candidate for Congress in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District. The interview focused on Crosson’s candidacy and his priorities if elected. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Crosson, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, described his Army aviation and diplomatic service, transportation and logistics experience, and prior appointment to the Green Bay ...
Patti Vasquez is joined by Jordan Zaslow, founder and executive director at Her Bold Move.
The interview focused on Zaslow’s work supporting women candidates and the challenges they face. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Zaslow said Her Bold Move began by producing pro bono campaign videos during COVID and grew into an organization supporting women candidates.
- Its programs are informed by candi...
Patti Vasquez is joined by Chris Ford, Democratic candidate for Minnesota State Senate District 32. The interview focused on Ford’s campaign and his priorities for the district.
Here are a few key points from the conversation:
- Ford emphasized lowering costs for working families and small businesses, and said his union negotiating experience would help him represent constituents across party lines.
- He de...
Broadcasting live from Brewpoint Coffee in Elmhurst, Illinois, Patti Vasquez is joined by Melissa Villanueva, candidate for DuPage County District 1.
The discussion focused on Villanueva's campaign and connected it to her small-business and community work.
- Villanueva, the owner of Brewpoint, grew the business from one coffee shop acquired through Craigslist into three shops, a coffee manufacturing operation, and nationwide shi...
Broadcasting from Brewpoint Coffee in Elmhurst, Illinois, Patti Vasquez is joined by Leah Greenberg, co-founder and co-executive director of the Indivisible Project, and Lynne, group leader of Indivisible Elk Grove Township.
The discussion focused on the nonpartisan No Kings Vote Early event and the role of early voting in protecting access to elections.
- Leah described No Kings as a broad, nonpartisan effort to defend democrac...
Patti Vasquez is joined by Kristy Janigo, Maple Grove, Minnesota, councilmember and Democratic candidate for Minnesota State Senate District 37.
The interview focused on Janigo’s campaign and her experience in local government, fraud oversight, and veterans’ services. Here are a few key points from the conversation:
- Janigo emphasized her community ties, door-knocking, and record on the Maple Grove City Council...
Patti Vasquez is joined by Peter Janko, candidate for Illinois House, District 69; he currently serves as Democratic State Central committeeperson for Illinois’ 11th Congressional District.
Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).
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Patti Vasquez is joined by Charlie Laskonis, six-term chair of the Winnebago County Democratic Party and organizer for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).
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Patti Vasquez is joined by Jackie Mader, senior early childhood reporter at The Hechinger Report; her latest article is "The tax change that could help the child care workforce."
The interview examined proposed federal changes to Head Start and their possible effects on children, families, and providers. Here are a few key points from the conversation:
- The Trump administration proposed removing many federal standards, includin...
Patti Vasquez is joined by Dr. Leah Garrett, award-winning historian and author. Her new book, “The Flight Nurses’ War: The American Women Who Saved Thousands of Lives at Iwo Jima and Okinawa,” came out Tuesday.
Here are a few key points from the conversation:
- The Navy selected and trained nurses to fly into contested airstrips, triage wounded Marines, and accompany them on flights to Guam without...
Patti Vasquez and guest co-host Mark Gevaart are joined by Anabel Mendoza, former candidate for Congress in the 7th District of Illinois, and founder of Democracy Unbought, a nonprofit designed to grow engagement in low-voter turnout neighborhoods and educate communities about dark money's influence.
The discussion focused on dark money in Chicago politics and the voter education work of Democracy Unbought. Here are a few...
Patti Vasquez is joined by Jeremiah Fredrickson, Democratic candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly District 92.
Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).
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Patti Vasquez is joined by Dan Bukiewicz, candidate for WI Assembly District 21. He outlined his priorities for municipal funding, data center oversight, schools, infrastructure, and public services.
Here are a few key points from the conversation:
- Bukiewicz, the current mayor of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, contrasted his 20 years of municipal experience with the broader, partisan responsibilities of serving in Madison.
- He...
Patti Vasquez is joined by Trevor Jung, candidate for Wisconsin State Senate District 21.
Jung discussed his campaign and argued that state investment is needed to protect local services and working families. Here are a few key points from the conversation:
- Jung described his background as a Racine resident, former alder, and public transportation leader.
- He is running to replace the retiring Republican senator and help D...
Patti Vasquez is joined by Ben Gruber, Democratic candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly District 51.
Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).
Follow us:
Website: https://heartlandsignal.com
WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820
Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandSignal
Tiktok:https://www.tikt...
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