Few faces — and voices — on the campaign trail with Senator Bernie Sanders were as memorable as Nina Turner’s. She was one of Sanders’s most visible surrogates, served as a 2020 campaign cochair, and was a frequent speaker at Bernie events. The former Ohio state senator has now announced a run for Congress, in Ohio’s Eleventh District. It’s Turner’s second run for the seat, having lost to Shontel Brown in an August 2021 special election. (“Establishment prevails,” Politico wrote in its headline covering the outcome.)

Turner spoke with Jacobin deputy editor Micah Uetricht about her race, the state of the Democratic Party and the Joe Biden administration, the need to avoid political despair, and why progressive politicians have to take their ideas “to the people.” The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. You can also watch the interview at our YouTube channel here.