The Horse Race
Your weekly look at politics, policy and elections in Massachusetts
About the show
A weekly podcast on Massachusetts politics, policy and elections. Hosted by Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith, and Lisa Kashinsky.
What fans say about the podcast
Indispensable
The Horse Race is a weekly must listen for anyone interested in Massachusetts policy/politics. Steve and Dez offer deep insights and it’s fun to boot. Great guests and special correspondents too. Definitely subscribe.
— Horse Racing is legal again!
Great show!
Very informative and fun to listen to.
— Rebekah39
Essential mapoli podcast
The Horse Race is a must for mapoli addicts. The presentation style is refreshingly free of rancor and bias and offers true expert analysis.
— amoreamAbout the Hosts
Steve Koczela
Host
Steve Koczela is the President of The MassINC Polling Group, where he has grown the organization from its infancy to a nationally known and respected polling provider. During the 2014 election cycle, MPG conducted election polling for WBUR, the continuation of a three-year partnership. Koczela again led the endeavor, producing polls which came within one point of the margin in both the Massachusetts gubernatorial and U.S. Senate Elections. He was also lead writer for Poll Vault, WBUR’s political reporting section during the 2014 Election Cycle.
Jennifer Smith
Host
Formerly News Editor of the Dorchester Reporter and an alum of the Boston Globe and the German Press Agency, Jennifer studies law at Northeastern University. Every other week on the podcast, she brings her deep understanding of municipal affairs, a product of her years of reporting, to provide thoughtful analysis of state and city news.
Lisa Kashinsky
Host
Lisa Kashinsky is the author of the Massachusetts Playbook. Kashinsky is based in Boston and previously covered politics, state government and the 2020 presidential election for the Boston Herald. She is also an alum of The Eagle-Tribune, The Patriot Ledger and Wicked Local, and has won several regional awards for her work. Kashinsky graduated from Boston University with degrees in journalism and psychology.
Start with these episodes
Episode 261: The State House Always Wins
This week on The Horse Race, a routine audit uncovers an accounting error that could cost the state billions. And we’ll take a closer look at the …
Episode 260: Shots Shots Shots
This week on The Horse Race, the push to bring back happy hour gets another shot on Beacon Hill and plans for the machine gun range on Cape Cod draw fire from residents and the …
How you can listen to this podcast
You can listen to episodes right here on the website, or if you prefer, in a podcast app. Listening in an app makes it easier to keep track of what you’ve already heard, listen without using your data plan and many other conveniences.
