Inside the States Project with Daniel Squadron and Melissa Walker

Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin

iHeartPodcasts

Tv & Film, Music, Music Interviews, Arts, Performing Arts, Film Interviews

4.4 • 8.4K Ratings

🗓️ 9 December 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

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Summary

Daniel Squadron and Melissa Walker are an unexpected duo. Formerly a New York State Senator, Daniel Squadron represented New York’s 25th and 26th districts for almost ten years. After leaving public office, Squadron co-founded a civic engagement initiative called The States Project - of which he is currently President. Melissa Walker was formerly a magazine editor and journalist published in countless magazines such as Seventeen, Glamour, Teen Vogue, The NY Observer, and New York Magazine. Walker has also authored 10 young adult novels. After a fateful meeting at a holiday party, the two began working together on The State’s Project’s Giving Circles program, co-founded by Walker. The Giving Circles has engaged more than 35,000 donors and raised tens of millions of dollars since its formation in 2018 and works within the States Project to shift the balance of power in state legislatures - ultimately leading to greater political change nationwide.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an IHeart podcast.
0:02.3	Guaranteed Human.
0:06.2	This is Alec Baldwin, and you're listening to Here's the Thing from IHeart Radio.
0:12.9	My guests today are a former New York State Senator and a former journalist who now work together on a civic engagement initiative called the States Project.
0:25.0	Daniels Squadron previously represented New York's 25th and 26th districts as a state senator from 2008 to 2017.
0:35.6	After nine years in public service,
0:38.4	Squadron resigned his office
0:40.0	and helped launch the political initiative
0:42.6	Future Now,
0:44.3	currently known as the States Project,
0:46.6	with entrepreneur Adam Pritzker.
0:49.2	Melissa Walker was formerly
0:50.6	a magazine editor and journalist
0:53.2	published in countless magazines, ranging from
0:56.2	Teen Vogue to The New York Observer. She has also authored 10 young adult novels. Walker currently
1:04.0	serves as the principal strategist for the state's project's giving circles. Being New Yorkers who are immersed in democratic politics,
1:13.5	I was eager to hear their reactions to the recent mayoral election here in New York City.
1:20.0	So I do think that a mayor's race that more New Yorkers participated in than any time since John Lindsay is good news.
1:28.8	I am partial to state lawmakers being elected to high and important offices.
1:34.5	So this idea that Mamdani has never had a real job is incorrect.
1:38.9	State assembly member is a real job.
1:41.4	No one has had a job that prepares them for mayor.
	...

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