Summary

In this episode of The Zekely Podcast, host Zeke interviews Brad Chambers, a candidate for the Pennsylvania State House. They discuss Brad's personal journey, including his experiences with homelessness and healthcare, which have shaped his political views. Brad advocates for universal healthcare, minimum wage increases, and the importance of grassroots campaigning. He emphasizes the need for representation of marginalized communities and critiques the current Republican leadership. The conversation also touches on the significance of union support, gun control, and engaging disaffected voters. Brad shares his hope for a better future and calls for action to build a stronger Pennsylvania.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Brad Chambers

01:49 Running for State Rep

03:43 Boxing

04:44 Healthcare

07:07 The Cookout

10:29 Political Identity

12:42 Bad Rep

14:55 Pennywise

17:26 Minimum Wage and Economic Justice

19:17 Rollerblade

20:33 Union Man

22:17 The Power of Door Knocking

25:00 It's A Sign

28:20 Pivot Game

31:58 Childhood Abuse

34:07 Milk

35:30 Endorsements

37:52 Family

38:58 Firearms

41:24 Foodie

43:03 Utility Bills

44:38 Democracy

46:15 Hope

48:05 Plans for the Future

49:19 Wrap-Up

Brad Chambers: https://bradforpa.com/

Columbia PA Democrats: https://www.columbiapademocrats.com/

Jinji Boxing: https://www.jinjiboxing.com/

Horse Inn: https://horseinnlancaster.com/

Full Video Episode Available On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheZekelyPodcast

Short Clips Can Be Found On TikTok: @drzeketayler/@thezekelypodcast and Instagram: @thezekelypodcast

www.thezekelypodcast.com

Hello, I'm Zeke and welcome to the Zekely podcast. Let's talk Pennsylvania. The guest I have today lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and is an outspoken leader and contributor for democratic causes. He's a defender of unions and upstander for marginalized communities and is currently running to be a state representative in house district 41. Thank you so much for being here, Brad Chambers.

I’m Zeke, a doctor, a Pennsylvanian and unapologetic supporter of Democratic values. You might have seen me on social media working my ass off for Democrats and meeting some pretty amazing people along the way - like President Barack Obama and Governor Josh Shapiro.

For years, I’ve knocked thousands of doors all over Pennsylvania and poured my heart and soul into supporting candidates and causes that make a difference—from local school board races to national elections. The personal is political, and I take every election in Pennsylvania personally.

Where the mainstream media has failed you, I will give you truth and independence. You’ll hear from Democratic leaders, candidates, and change-makers who are working to improve the health of the Commonwealth, and it won’t be boring as hell.

No matter where you are, I’ll meet you with hope and a plan to make your community better one day at a time. Welcome to the Zekely Podcast. Let’s talk Pennsylvania.

Thank you so much for having me, Zeke.

Oh man, I don't know about you, I am done with this weather.

When I went to the grocery store today, just walked from my car to the supermarket, like I literally could not feel my fingers. What's the weather like at Lancaster right

It is cold to the point where when you are walking down the street, the cold air will hit your face and your face will feel like it's burning, but it's not supposed to be burning because it's cold, right? Yeah.

No, it's terrible. I'm over

it. I'm ready for I'm pissed at the groundhog. Like I'm done with this,

we'll try and stay warm together. Okay, we'll play some games, have some fun, learn all about you. You ready?

Yeah, I'm ready. Let's do it.

All right, well, Brad, why are you running to be a state rep in Pennsylvania?

So I'm running because I come from a single parent home. My mother worked hard and I had to do a lot on my own. I was the eldest, of three siblings. And we had trials and tribulations that come from living with a single parent. And so...

I was still able to graduate from college, but when I graduated from college, I entered into a period of homelessness and the dread and anxiety of that moment taught me two things, how broken the housing system is and how determined I am to fix it.

I'm doing it because I don't want people to experience a lot of the negative experiences that I experienced as a child. And I would prefer that people have a better quality of life than what we had previously or what we have currently. And I think that we can be better. And I'm trying to push us there.

Yeah, I'm really sorry you had to experience that. I nobody in this country, let alone the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, should have to worry about

And we need more people like you in Harrisburg to address that because nobody in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is up to where they're going to put their head down at the end of the day. You should have a bed, heat or air conditioning and food. So I completely understand. I'm grateful you're running and this is the second time you're running, correct?

This is, so I ran in 2024 and it was effectively a bloodbath for Democrats in Pennsylvania.

Yeah. Yeah.

badly. So thank you for running and not giving up.

Brad, I understand you have recently taken up and enjoy boxing. So how's that going for you?

Pretty good, I've taken a little bit of a break for campaigning, but I'm hoping at some point to get back to it. It is a stress reliever. I like punching combinations.

is pretty cool. And I think it is something that can keep you in shape and sharp in many different ways. I do do the speed bag, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, do you do the speed bag? You can do that. That

to me is the most impressive thing. I mean, like I, if someone can wail on a heavy bag, that's cool. But the coordination and timing for the speed bag, I just think you could do that all day. And I just like, you're the coolest guy in the gym.

All Which, which studio do you go to when you have time? Jinji's boxing.

So, &G's Boxing in Lancaster ⁓

I hope that.

So, shout out to

G &G's Boxing.

Yeah, well

I hope that when things slow down and you win, that you can start going back and doing some boxing because in Harrisburg, man, you're going have a lot of steam to blow off working with some of these politicians. So yeah, keep that relationship, OK?

Brad, when you were eight years old, you contracted viral meningitis and actually almost died in the hospital waiting room, which is terrifying. I'm very sorry you and your mother had to go through that. But I understand because of that experience, you are a strong advocate for single payer universal healthcare in Pennsylvania.

Yes, I don't believe that any parent should ever have to worry that their child is not going to receive the correct care or that they're going to go into debt for that care. I don't believe that small business owners should be racking their brains when they're thinking about providing their employees for health care. I don't believe that anybody with a chronic disease or illness should have to die in the street because they don't receive the care that they need. And this is not an issue that is not solvable.

This has been solved in first-generation countries, first world countries. In Europe, they don't have medical

a thing. And it shouldn't be a thing here either. We can provide people with single-payer healthcare. I don't think that we need to have for-profit corporations price gouging people into medical bankruptcy. And we could just have...

the healthcare come out of our taxes. It's not rocket science. is not, people like to say that it's some sort of impossible endeavor in America because America is so different and unique. I don't believe that's true at all. I think that people that say those things are trying to advocate for stoppage of people receiving the benefits that they deserve.

I agree. mean, as a physician, I don't believe that anyone should struggle to get access to health care or be strapped with ridiculous hospital bills to pay. mean, every time I see a GoFundMe page come up for health care bills, it's like a dagger to the heart. I mean, we should not be living in the quote, best country in the world, end quote, when people have to, you know, beg people for money to pay off their medical bills. It's embarrassing.

Zeke, ⁓ one of the things that I like to do, when I say single payer healthcare, sometimes I worry that not everybody knows what that means. So anybody's listening, single payer healthcare or universal healthcare would be a system that would cut out for-profit insurers. Like we have UPMC, Aetna, and healthcare would come directly out of your taxes. You would go to your doctor and it would be a one-stop shop. So everyone would have access to

Yeah.

that is ultimately where I think we need to be.

I agree with you. agree.

Brad, we're going to play game called the Cookout in honor of Black History Month, okay? I understand you love a good Cookout. And I have to say, a moment that I hold near and dear to myself.

Yes, sir.

is when I was invited to the cookout on social media. OK, that was like a big moment for me when I was called out as a straight white man. Say you're invited to the cookout. For those who don't know, getting invited to the cookout by the black community basically means you've achieved a high level of acceptance, trust,

So we're going to play a game where I'm going to ask you if these acts would get other people invited to the cookout. OK. So how about embracing diversity, equity and inclusion in all spaces? Would that get you an invite?

Okay, okay.

That would get you invited to the cookout.

Yeah, because of the cookout. All right,

good. Good. How about voting with the majority of the black community? So 92 % of black women and 87 % of black men, would that get you invited to the cookout?

Yes, because especially because it didn't happen ⁓ in 2024.

Right, exactly. Yeah,

I always find it disappointing. We learn all about Black culture, right, Black History Month, and then all these months go by and then we get to a general election and it's like people forget, right, or they don't care. I don't know, but either way, you know, we should be voting with the Black community when it comes to major elections because that truly shows that you understand and respect what the Black community has gone through in this country.

Alright, how about this one? Respect black spaces and don't make exclusion all about yourself.

definitely get you invited to the cookout, possibly more so than the other options that we were given earlier.

Yeah, yeah,

yeah. No, I think it's difficult for people to understand that because for hundreds of years in this country, Black people were excluded from many, many spaces. And so when the Black community finds a safe space for you to get jealous or say, why, why can't I get along? It's like, no, there's generational trauma that's involved in this country still to this day. And we should respect that space. And if you have to be invited in, great. And if not, that's also OK.

Yes.

So that would, okay, here's the last one. Speak out when you hear or see racism in your community.

Yes, I will say caveat for that though. White folks, yes, you should do that. However,

There are times when doing so can be detrimental or dangerous to you. So just make sure that you are prepared for what comes with that because when you get lumped in with us, there are some challenges, trials and tribulations that come with that. And obviously, anybody who is willing to stick up for Black rights for Black people is somebody who is

I think doing the right thing and moving the culture forward.

We have to do it. mean, we can't be performative allies, right? We need accomplices. We need to have skin in the game. So we have to be willing to call it out and be anti-racist every day until we can move the needle forward. All right. So if I got invited to your cookout, Brad, what would we be having? What's your specialty? What we've got going on?

Yes.

Well,

I like I like grilled corn. like I like wings a lot. So I liked I like I like a barbecue wing. I like a I like potato salad as well. Greens. I definitely love greens. Yeah, those are all things that I think are really. Yeah,

Okay.

Mmm.

I'm hungry. I'm hungry, man. You're making me hungry.

I love to grill. I love it so much. So I'll tell you what, you provide the grill, I'll bring the meats and we'll have a good time.

Okay, okay.

Love it.

Brad, why are you a Democrat? And why do you choose to represent the Democratic Party?

I am a Democrat because there are,

only two options for getting access to political power. One of those options has been taken over by a fascist regime which is actively violating the constitution. Our first, our second, fourth and fifth amendments are being set aflame and

I think right now that there used to be a contingent of folks and some of them are still around who used to say both sides are paying lip service to corporations. Well, some of that is true. Both sides are the same really. It's just a matter of what flavor you pick. Anybody who's still saying that right now is insane.

Yeah, they're not serious. Yeah. Right.

or just a bad faith actor because

you can see what happens. Renee Good and Alex Pretti would still be alive if Kamala Harris was elected to president.

Mm-hmm. Right. 100%.

That's what we're looking at. So when I go out and when I campaign, when I'm in the community, when I'm advocating for people, I'm thinking of the ultimate cost of what this will do down the line. If we're able to be successful this year,

Mm.

it would mean that it's likely that Pennsylvania will go

You're right. ⁓ God, if we get the trifecta, Brad, I'm going to need, I'm going need something. I'm going to be crying. I mean, tissues are celebrating. It's going to be nuts if we get the trifecta. The last ⁓ if we get a Democratic House, Democratic Senate and Josh Shapiro there

If we get the trifecta, better make sure, yeah.

I the last time that happened, I was 11 years old. It'll be nuts. And we're going to get so much amazing legislation passed. And I hope that you are there. Hope that you are there to cast your vote.

for the amazing stuff we're gonna get passed. So I'm glad you're a Democrat. We share the same values and the same ideals. That's important to me. Otherwise you wouldn't be on the show. So thank you for running and thank you for having those values.

Thank you.

Hey, thank you so much for listening to this episode of The Zekely Podcast. And if you're enjoying yourself, please take a moment to rate my Podcast. Five stars would be great and leave a comment as well. And if you're watching this on YouTube, please hit follow. OK, back to the show.

Brad, the current Republican state rep serving in your district voted no to authorize pharmacists to provide vaccines authorized by the health department. As a physician, that's extremely troubling to me. I mean, I'm glad that Governor Shapiro basically authorized

pharmacist to keep giving out the COVID vaccine appropriately and the flu vaccine, but I don't appreciate vaccine deniers serving in public office. And this is something a vaccine denier.

Indeed, I, well, I'm sure you're also not a fan of R.F.K. Jr., but that is not the only thing that he's voted no on. He refused to ratify the results of the 2020 election, and he tried to throw out votes.

think that he is somebody who is very concerned with animal safety or protecting animals.

I mean, he doesn't care about animals, certainly, and he doesn't care about the lives of Pennsylvanians by denying them access to vaccines that have been, over the last 100 plus years, proven to be extremely safe and effective to prevent death.

Indeed, I would also be remiss to say that he is someone who doesn't believe in female bodily autonomy and would

access to abortion even in cases of rape, incest, or death of the mother. So, unconscionable to me.

It's

just gross. It's gross as a human being, as a physician. It goes against all of my ethics and values. I'm glad that you are running on your platform because just we shouldn't have elected officials in office that have those beliefs and that vote that

Brad, you recently binge watched Welcome to Derry

which was an origin story of Pennywise and the It franchise.

So what do you think of it?

I thought it was an amazing show and outside of the horror elements, but I'm a fan of Stephen King and Pennywise in general. The black experience on Showcase in the show was, it was really interesting and tantalizing. And there was a really large black cast. And I thought that the actors did a phenomenal job in the show.

Mm-hmm.

I was surprised at the amount of detail that they put into reconstructing 1960s America faithfully.

And I thought that it did justice.

I agree. And I think

I have never been a horror fan. That is not my genre, but I feel like at least for the past decade or so, black producers have really reclaimed that space because I feel like people go to horror movies and shows to be scared, but everyone knows it's fiction, right? Like you go out of there thinking, okay, there's no Pennywise, but there's this infusion of truth.

in these shows, in these, I watched Sinners recently and it brought me to tears many times because I feel like it's a way for the Black community to showcase the horrors of what happened in America but have it threaded in through a fictional story but allow the raw showcase to be there and I think that is something extremely powerful and it kind of has drawn me more into that genre because of that. I feel like it's something that was not always there in the horror genre.

Yes.

Yes, I think that's true. Jordan, I don't know if you're a fan of Jordan Peele or not. He's one of the visionaries who's leading that movement.

yeah, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

But I think black horror is so powerful, so palpable, because

Yeah.

on a primal level, it comes from generational trauma. We're reproducing.

Yeah.

⁓ trauma, abuses, maliciousness that was done onto us on film. And we're tapping into those experiences from a deep place.

So like Get Out, probably a really good example. If you haven't seen, for the audience, you haven't seen Get Out, I think you should watch it.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Candy Man, the new one, if you haven't seen that, you should check it out. I might watch it tonight, we'll see, yeah.

Hmm.

I'll check that out.

All right, keep the lights on.

Yeah.

And

season comes out of Pennywise, we'll have to touch base again. See what we thought, OK? I love it.

Yeah, yeah, that would be good.

Brad, the current Republican state rep serving in your district voted no to increase the minimum wage in Pennsylvania, which ⁓ sits at a paltry $7.25 an hour. I'm assuming that once you become state rep, you are going to vote with the majority of Democrats and get

Minimum wage increased.

Absolutely, it is inexcusable that 725 is still the minimum wage here in Pennsylvania. We are the lowest of all of our surrounding states. a

well, what I hear from people is like, well, no one actually gets 725, so why should we change it? Well, if nobody actually gets it, what issue do you have with us actually correcting the minimum wage?

Right, right.

it's...

kind of pathetic that it is still at that point for us. And I do think it is a black mark on the state of Pennsylvania that we have not done that yet. And I hope that Governor Josh Shapiro just posted about raising the minimum wage. I hope that happens very soon.

Yeah.

Well, it only happens if we flip the state Senate because Republicans in the state Senate have no desire to do that. But yeah, it's embarrassing when West Virginia and Ohio beat you on the minimum wage issue. It's not a good luck for Pennsylvania. And I agree with you, the argument, ⁓ nobody gets it. That's not true. About, I think, 40 to 50,000 Pennsylvanians still make $7.25 an hour.

And it sets the standard, right?

If the minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, an employer says, well, I'll you $10 an hour, I'm throwing you a bone. It could be $7.25, but I'm giving you $10. It raises all ships when you raise the minimum wage. So it should be raised, and everyone in the Commonwealth should get proportional raises. And it will be done in a graded fashion. There will be tax breaks given to businesses so that they can acclimate. I'm sure it would happen over a couple of years. Again, other states have figured it out.

which should be, yep, it should be raised.

This is just posturing at this point to not get

in

Brad, you frequently rollerblade and try to go to a roller rink at least once a month. So what's wrong with classic skates? What got you into the blades?

just really like the way that blades feel. mean, I'm sure with skates, can, you they're a classic, you can go around, you've got the blocks and I've seen Roll Bounce and other skating movies, but something about the blades that is

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah,

maybe it's that I was, maybe it's because I was born in the 90s. That's when they were really popular. And I don't know, maybe kind of I got infected with that bug, but I love them.

Yeah.

That's cool. I look, I did a lot of classic roller skating as a kid. That was one of the cheaper options my family could take us to as a one of four. So we were always at the roller rink. It was not expensive. And I was not any better on roller skates and roller blades. You know, I would I would use the wall to stop. was not I would never never got the hang of it. So that that makes sense. I love the music. You go for the music. They play your jams and it just gets to get your heart rate up. My wife does synchronized skating.

So she would probably like the roller blades as well. She prefers those, but you should keep going. I mean, again, I know you have to drop the boxing because of the campaigning, but you you got to do some some rollerblading.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to keep up with it for sure.

All

right, keep those blades

Brad, you are a labor relations administrator for Penske and manage union contracts for over 5,000 associates. So it obviously makes sense to me you would work for and support unions as a Democrat.

Yes, in my work, I do see the value of collective bargaining every day. And I have been proud to have been endorsed by unions in 2024. I am a pro-union candidate and I will continue to be a pro-union candidate. I'm thankful to have the support of the Carpenters. I've had the support of IBEW. I have had the support of IAM and SEIU among others.

I think that in Pennsylvania, we need to protect our union workers and collective bargaining is one of the cornerstones of protecting working class people. And I will continue to do that in any capacity that is afforded to me.

Absolutely. You're not going to find friendly union supporters on the Republican side, unfortunately, the majority of them anyway. I know that Senator Malone recently walked on a picket line for Starbucks workers and he even reached out some of his Republican colleagues and of course nobody showed up. And I'm not surprised. And honestly, if you can't bring people together over coffee, I don't know what to say, you know, getting someone on the picket line for. But I'm very happy that you not only work for unions, you understand the importance of unions.

and that you would continue to support unions as a state rep. So I'm grateful for that.

Yep, and shout out to Senator Malone for being willing to walk the picket line. I too did go to a Starbucks demonstration as well as the Teamsters who are trying to organize their for health care in Lancaster City. So shout out to them and let's continue to support our union folks.

Absolutely.

So, and you do this both as a candidate and a committee person with the Columbia Borough Democrats. why do you feel like door knocking is so vital to campaign?

It is statistically.

the most reliable way to get someone to come out and vote. There are other things that you can do. You can send mail to people who you won't be able to actually talk to in person. You can have your social media out there and we all have those things. But there is nothing like actually going to someone's house, talking to them face to face and actually finding out what they care about. They will remember you. And particularly for me, there aren't that many people that look like me in Lancaster , County, certainly not in my district. So when I come, people know that I was

there and a lot of people say that I came to their house and talked to them and I'm I'm banking on the two years ⁓ or three years of that that I've that I've done cashing that in it has raised my awareness of me and has raised my profile and I think it is a valuable experience as a candidate if you can't

know, foregoing any sort of medical prevent, you know, thing that would stop you from doing that. But if you can't go to someone's house and talk to them and hear their concerns

Mm-hmm.

and...

man, put me on the spot, Brad. Put

me on the spot. Well, look, if I can make my way out to Lancaster County, which my mom lives in Littitz I think we can make it happen, Okay? I can't make any promises. I have three kids. I got a job and I got to organize everything, but I have made time to drive all over the Commonwealth to knock doors. And I think for you, since you're asking,

Okay.

Top cat? Sounds good.

I'm going to take you up on it. ⁓ It might not be before the primary, but certainly running into the general election, I think it can make some time.

Okay, sounds good.

Anytime would be good, a time.

I love it.

Thanks for asking me and I appreciate

halfway through the episode and you're still here. I hope you're enjoying yourself Please take a moment to rate my podcast five stars would be great Leave a comment as well. And if you're watching this on YouTube, please hit follow. Okay back to the show

Brad, I've seen photos of your campaign sign on the same lawn as a Trump sign. So please walk me through how this occurs.

So what I was just saying to you about the importance of going to someone's door and talking to them in person,

have not gotten better here, they've gotten worse. And a lot of Republicans, if you ask them face to face, they will tell you that they're unhappy with the status quo. Once we have that sort of admittance, I say, well, you know who's been in charge. it's a status quo check. And we get into a conversation, allows me my foot in the door. And ultimately,

I ask them about the same things that I would ask anybody else. Well, you know, are you upset about the price of groceries? Are you upset that healthcare is so expensive? Are you upset about the cost of rent or housing? I'm sure you have, if they've got kids, they need to help house their kids.

a lot of people are unhappy with that. A lot of people don't think that things are working out for them. And if they admit that to me, it is an admission that they don't have faith in the current system.

And if that's true, what do you have to lose from trying something new? I'm here to talk to you in person. I'm hearing your concerns personally. And that reaches some Trump supporters because some of the Trump supporters, I would say, and this is not necessarily a good thing, and I think it certainly has worked against this country's favor, but some of them are just looking for any kind of change. Be what it may. And...

Yeah.

If you have patience, if you hear them out, sometimes you can tap into that. And I was able to in 2024, even though I was not able to win, I came pretty close to getting 45 % of the vote, which in that year with Trump on the ballot, it was still the best that anyone has ever done that has run for that seat.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

in comparison to other folks who were running for state house in 2024. I was one of the few who actually managed to gain ground in that environment. So there is a silver lining. And I do think that when you talk to people, you have to do so with the goal of moving that person closer to your position. And that is ultimately

Mm-hmm.

I'm trying to do.

Yeah, I I think we have to come from a place that government is supposed to help people.

Yes.

And

I think that when you have a person who's reached the point of apathy where they just don't think that it matters who's in office, you kind of have to wrangle them back into reality and say, the person who's in office is gonna vote on things. And that vote is either gonna do something good or bad. And so it really matters who is sitting in that position. That position is gonna keep on going. Whether you ignore it or pay attention to it, that position is going to affect your life in some fashion.

Yes.

We have to make people believe that if you pull enough of those votes together, you can make positive change. That's how things have always worked in this country from the beginning, that when you get enough people together to vote, you can move the needle forward. So I'm glad you're doing the work. I still think it's crazy to see your sign on the same lawn as a Trump supporter. But look, I'm glad that you're having the conversations and hopefully that will eventually bleed up ballot and help other Democrats along the way.

Yes, I hope so

Brad, let's play another game called the pivot game. Okay, now I, again, I've done a lot of door knocking and you know, most of the time it's pretty benign, but every once in a while you get into these really crazy conversations who, know, Trump supporters or Republicans who are just dug in. So I just want to ask you some questions about how you would respond to these statements, okay? So if someone says all politicians lie at the doors, what would you say to that?

Okay,

I would say yes, maybe it's true that politicians lie, but what you need to do is find somebody who is asking you what you care about and someone who is going to pursue your interests first. And I don't think that that is something that doesn't exist. I think that we can point to examples of that. What do you care about? Why don't you tell me what you care about, what you're experiencing so I can help you.

Mm-hmm. I agree. And you know, I understand that, sometimes politicians lie, but what the Republican politicians are doing right now, it's just like shameless lying. It's just lying for the sake of lying. They don't care. They don't want fact checkers in the room. They just, they're running on the fact that they have power and they want to get away with as much as they can. That is not what the Democratic Party...

has done or is doing. Now, have they always delivered on what they want to do, what is clearly in their platform? No. And if you feel like that's a lie because it says you want to do X but couldn't deliver on it, I understand that. But what Republicans are doing right now in Congress and at the state level, it's just like beyond,

So I'm glad that you have that discussion. Here's another one.

us.

immigrants are stealing American jobs. What would you say to that person?

So I would say you have been told that immigrants are stealing jobs, but really, isn't it true that the corporations are stealing those jobs? They have taken more money from you in the past couple years than any other group. They have been clawing away your resources and your rights and taxes have been going up. And when we have these financial crises,

They get government buyouts, they get government assistance, they are effectively on corporate welfare, and it is at your expense, the taxpayer. Immigrants did not do that to you, corporations did.

So I redirect to what I know to be true. What I don't ever do, and I'm very careful about this, is directly telling someone from the Republican Party that they're wrong or they have bad information because they see that as a personal attack. So what I try to do is I try and shunt a pivot exactly. And when they get to thinking about it,

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

some of them will come around and say, well, yeah, maybe they are

Yeah.

Good. I love that answer. That was great. Here's the last one. Going to college is a waste of time and indoctrinates you into the liberal agenda.

Well, maybe college isn't for everyone. However, there are a lot of things that you can learn in college. And what college does prove is that you can go to an institution for four years, pay attention, and do a job faithfully. I don't think that you would argue with that. And also, college could prepare you to go into your trade. I don't think that that's a bad thing either. Do you think that HVAC specialists are good? Do you think that...

people who work in construction or housing are good. Some of these people come out of college. Some of these people go to college as a preparatory stage in their life to get ready to go into their trade. And I don't think that you're saying that these things are bad, right? That's how I would phrase it to

makes me want to go out and knock doors with you more. I want to observe you at the doors, Brad, because you're probably fire, man. You're doing a good job.

Thank you.

Brad, the current Republican state rep serving in your district voted no.

to allow victims of childhood sexual abuse to file a lawsuit beyond the statute of limitations, which I find extremely disturbing. I'm not sure why you would ever vote no on that.

I don't know why you would vote no on it either. It is heinous

brings a lot of questions to my mind about what would possess you to vote no

I don't wanna make any aspersions as to anybody's character that are not proven or could not be proved in a court of law, but it does.

It does stroke the imagination.

Yeah, I mean, look, we see Republican politicians in Congress certainly taking a stand to protect our president from having any accountability from showing up in the Epstein files thousands and thousands of times. And obviously, there's some translation to the state house as well and state Senate. But yeah, I mean, this seems like a low hanging fruit. You know, like, why not just give people who underwent abuse to give them time if they're processing it later in life to get the justice that they deserve?

I'm glad that you would vote for it. And Josh Shapiro actually recently talked about it. And it's being held up in the unsurprising Republican controlled state Senate. But the fact that there is someone in your district voting no is just as concerning. It's a black spot on their voting record.

Yeah, it's kind of

real when you hear from Republicans that there is some sort of global sex crime cabal for people who are targeting children. And then you find out, that that's real. And they say that the people who are...

Yeah.

most directly associated with those things are not the ones who are doing it, and or actually it wasn't that bad. It's kind of insane to hear and see that.

Right.

Right, because it's not the people that they want to be committing those crimes, right? It's their religious leaders, it's people in power. They want to see the marginalized communities to be the ones doing it, to justify treating them so harshly. It's terrible, but I'm really happy that you're on the right side of this vote and we need to get that pushed through as soon as

Brad, you dislike adults who drink copious amounts of milk. Fascism and a bad ending. Okay, I'm on board with two out of the three, but what's with the too much milk?

just something about grown men who just like take a carton of milk like you go into the refrigerator and you grab a carton of milk with both of your hands and you just drink out of the carton it's abominable I can't stand it yeah

yeah.

Really? I feel like there's

something from your childhood that we should tease out on the show. Did something happen? Did something had to have happened,

No.

I don't know if anything happened, but it will trigger me like nothing else. I'm sorry to say, maybe

just ⁓

quirk from me,

Mm-hmm.

I can't do it.

Okay, what did you do eat cereal with like, like, appropriate portions of milk are okay with you. It's just large volumes of milk that drive you crazy. Cereal is fine. Okay.

Yes, no, a serial's fine. Serial's like, what kind

of American doesn't like serial, you know?

I mean,

I'm sure there are some people. All right, so if I really want to disturb you, I should show up at your door and just chug a gallon of milk in front of you and that'll send you.

If you

chugged a gallon of milk in front of me, yes, I might, have to, I don't know what I would do. I might just go into my closet and close all entryways for good.

Mm.

There

has to be like a medical term for that discomfort. I'm gonna have to look it up later.

You

Brad, you are being endorsed by so many great Democrats in Pennsylvania and organizations, unions. Your endorsement page on your website is fire. I think everyone should go and check it out. What's your website again?

Brad for PA.com. That's B-R-A-D.

That...

and you even have the support of Governor Josh Shapiro, which is great, he's on there.

I mean, I know you're a great guy, but it takes a lot to get all those endorsements.

I, well, some of these people I confronted in person and asked them to endorse me and they did so. If you don't ask, you shall not receive.

cough

I go out and I ask all of these parties if they'll endorse me. And I make my case the same way that I'm making my case here today. And a lot of people,

are interested in this fleet, this seat flipping. A lot of people are interested in more Democrats in the state house because right now we only have a one seat majority. And with a one seat majority, if anybody's sick or forbid that anything happened to someone where they're not able to continue in their service to the state and the voters, then that would mean it would go to a special election. And a loss in a special election would then mean that Republicans control the house and the Senate.

And we're on that razor thin edge every time we have to go through a special election because someone can't continue in the state house. So we need to get more people elected to the state house to make sure that we have a comfortable majority.

And for anyone who's not aware, you you can't pay for endorsements. OK, that's not how this works. Not in Pennsylvania anyway. First of all, nobody could afford it as expensive as campaigning is. A lot of times you're actually asking people who endorse you for money, like you're asking for money from unions and from people who are putting their name out there. So it is not inconsequential.

Yes.

that you have all these endorsements that you cannot go out and buy. They clearly recognize what you have, what you will provide for this Commonwealth, and it's just impressive. So congratulations.

Thank you. I also realized that

a good deal of them are your former guests. Yeah.

Yes, yeah, I hope that only expands. I really,

really

Wow, you're still listening. Thank you so much. I want to make sure as many people in Pennsylvania as possible get to experience The Zekely Podcast. So to help spread the word, please take a moment to rate my podcast. Five stars would be great. Leave a comment as well. And if you're watching this on YouTube, please hit follow. Enjoy the rest of the show.

Brad, what does your family think of your run for state house?

They are very supportive and they have helped me in preparing. Sometimes I'll have events like, for instance, when the food assistance was terminated by Trump ⁓ last year, I was able to put together a...

Turkey drive where we gave away over 100 turkeys and meals to people in need and that was with the assistance of my friends and family and they stepped up to do that. So I'm thankful that I am going to I'm able to do things like this for the community because when you're not running or at a point where your name is going to be on the ballot that doesn't mean that you go away and you stop helping

That's great.

Representing people whether you're elected or not if you're at if you're advocating to be that person you need to be assisting people

Any moment that you can't so it's a 24 7 3 6 5 job

That's right. You're doing the right stuff. mean, you know, lives saved quietly don't trend, right? And so what you're not doing it for the click bait or the fame, you're doing it because of the right thing. And that's why you're running for state house.

Brad, the current Republican state rep serving in your district voted no to prohibit the possession and use of machine gun conversion devices, ghost guns, and to expand background checks prior to purchasing a firearm.

I am assuming that you are going to be on the right side of this vote if it ever comes to pass to protect the children of this Commonwealth, the most common cause of death in America.

Yes, I support an assault weapons ban. I support red flag

We have a sickness in this country and the fact that it didn't happen after Sandy Hook, there wasn't gun control that was passed then, it's

indicative of a lack of empathy. I heard this from someone and she told me that was the case and I no choice but to admit that she was right because we...

have the ability to solve this problem. It's been solved in other places. Australia, for instance, New Zealand. And there's no excuse really for us. just don't do the right thing. And you could say it's because of corporate interests. You could say it's because of lobbyists. But ultimately, the American citizen,

is the one who is most adversely affected by us not being able to put through this crucial policy.

It's terrible. I mean, it's a no-brainer. It's a no-brainer. Statistically speaking, children will die at higher rates so long as these gun laws are not passed. And again, this voodoo, this bullshit notion

Democrats want to take away all your guns is just not true. It's not true. We just want responsible gun ownership. You want responsible background checks. Nobody should have an arsenal.

at their house if they're not serving in the military or they're on a battlefield. It's just insane.

look, I know that hypocrisy is dead. I know that. And I know that if it weren't for double standards, Republican politicians would have no standards at all. But like they hang their hats on the second amendment. And then the second that lawful gun owners show up to protest with guns, not waving them around, just show up. They say, no, no, no, now we got to get, now we're against guns. It's like,

We're against it now. Now we're against

the Second Amendment, yes.

Like, you know,

hypocrisy is dead. It's it's nonsensical. We know that they are not, you know, good faith actors when they talk like that. We just need to get more people in charge like yourself to push this legislation through and it will save lives. Hands down, it will save lives. And that's important to me as a doctor and as also a citizen of Pennsylvania.

Yes.

Brad, you like bar food. I like bar food. Okay. Bar food doesn't always like me, but I'm always down to clown. All right. So is there a particular restaurant you enjoy in your district that you find has the best bar food?

Yes, so if you are a resident of Lancaster County or someone who plans on going to Lancaster County sometime in the near future, you should go to the Horse Inn. The Horse Inn maybe has the best wings, best wings that I've ever had in my life, I'm be honest. It is delicious and.

in.

Okay.

The alcohol selection is also amazing. If you ask for a whiskey sour, they will beat an egg in a glass in front of you at the bar. And it also has something for people who are not looking to spend a bunch of money. And I know I sound like I'm doing a commercial for the horse inn at this point, but we have a thing called mystery beers at the horse inn. So if you just give $3, they'll take a beer out of a tub with a bunch of ice in it and it will be at random and it would be $3.

Ooh. Mm.

Okay.

What flavor of wings do you like?

So when you order wings at the horse inn, it is only one flavor. And I don't know exactly what goes into the horse inn wings to this day, but all I can tell you is that it's delicious.

Okay, and it's got the right right spice level it's not too spicy Okay

It is not overly spicy. If you eat

12 wings together, you will come away from it with some spice to you, but it's not going to be overwhelming.

Mmm.

Okay.

Okay, and so here's a controversial question. Blue cheese or ranch dressing? you me both, man. You like to switch it up. Like to switch it up. Back and forth, back and forth, double dunk. I love it. All I'm gonna have to check it out sometime when I get to

I do both. I might be a weirdo.

how are your utility bills these days? Because it's crazy. I am making a prediction based on this weather that I think my utility bill is gonna be like 800 plus dollars when I get it. I'm kind of dreading it.

What would you do in Harrisburg to curtail utility companies from jacking up their prices for greed?

We need to regulate these utility companies from greedflation. For those in the audience, if you don't know what greedflation means, it is a utility or a company or a corporation recognizing that there is a increase in the price for a certain thing, either due to use or environment or the market. And then them saying, all right, if this is going up $2, why can't we just get away with picking it to $12?

and they'll just jack it up so they can make a bigger profit. It should be illegal. And I would like to codify a law into Pennsylvania to ensure that it is illegal. And especially if we're going to be having all of these data centers come in to Pennsylvania. at least there's two coming in

Mm-hmm.

by in Lancaster County that are not gonna be able to be stopped at this point. But

it is stated that you know they've in memphis elon musk owns one there is a a draw on the electric grid that increases the utility cost for electricity so we can't have all of these factors coming in that are going to just be a a like a quagmire for regular people in doing what they need to do to facilitate their their livelihoods so i would i would like to essentially put a stop to that

Mm-hmm.

Right.

Brad, what would you say to someone who is disaffected with democracy?

I would say look what's going on in your country, look what's going on around you. When democracy dies, you get jackbooted thugs who will abduct you, kick in your door, murder you, assault you and your children, and there will be no recourse for you because it is either

We have divested from a point in time where you as a citizen have a say or an advocate that can defend you and it's just the state taking out its angst against you or we've gone to a state of chaos and it's law of the jungle, might makes right and then there's nothing to be done. So I would say if you have things that you care about, if you have people that you care about, please recognize the harm that's being done in our country

Please find it in you to come out and if you can't do something personally, please support somebody who is doing so.

I agree. cannot fall into apathy. know, democracy is an experiment and it only works if we all participate and do something. I've heard a lot over the last couple of years, you know, people wringing their hands and blaming XYZ politician for where we are today. But in a democracy,

the buck has and always will stop with the voter every single time it stops with the voter. You have to take that responsibility.

to educate yourself about your local elections, your state elections, your national elections, and have that integrity to go forward and work with your community to make it a better place. And that is the hardest part. That's the hardest part is, yes, you have to be engaged. You have to know what's going on.

And you can make big changes where you live if you get involved.

What gives you hope?

you have to understand Zeke, I personally have been told by a bunch of people, and these are not voters. These are like politicos or people.

Mm-hmm.

who are heads of organizations or whatnot that I am a great candidate, but they don't think that I am someone who can win my district because I don't have the right skin color to win the district. So I do what I do in part to advocate for people who come behind me, whether you're a woman, whether you're a minority, you.

Mm-hmm.

can be somebody that people believe in. You can be somebody who can step up and lead others and you do not have to be a certain ethnicity. You don't have to be a certain gender to do that. And people can come out and support you just because they believe in you.

So I think that's important. That gives me hope. It also gives me hope to see people like you doing what you can to promote candidates like myself. We do what we can with the time that we have when we are running for

I would like to say most of us do this because we believe in something. I know that's why I do it. But our reach only goes so far.

And obviously we've all got our social medias and whatnot, but we really start to catch fire when other people promote our message and they spread it. And so I need people like you to continue doing what I do.

Absolutely, I'm happy to do it. And you give me hope, Brad, you do. mean, people are constantly saying, where are the leaders of the Democratic Party? I'm talking to one. I'm looking at one right now. You are a leader and you are a

And we need to give you a bigger platform. We need to give you a bigger vote. And that's in Harrisburg. So I'm glad that you have hope by seeing other people rise up in your community.

And I hope that when you rise up, you will bring hope to other people who are watching you right now.

My last question for you, Brad, is what plans do you have to get yourself through these next few years? Aside from the boxing and rollerblading, or that might be it.

So

I'm hoping that I am successful this year and

catharsis, my panacea will be seeing policies, hopefully enacted by a majority democratic Senate courts and legislature. I'm hoping that we can pass policies that are going to improve people's lives. That would make me more happy than anything.

outside of politics, I would love some time to

maybe decompress ⁓ once the battle is fought and over, where I can just hang out with friends and not think about the battles that have yet to come. Because that's what I'm in it for ultimately. But you gotta...

Mm-hmm.

You gotta take a rest sometimes. I don't do it. Same.

I know I don't do enough of it. You and me both, man.

I do not do enough resting. I just feel like there's too much going on. I

Tim Walz said, you rest when you're dead. And he didn't have to say that out loud for me to believe it. I really do believe there's only so much time and there's too much to do. But yeah, I'm going to join you in that quest to make some me time. But it is challenging.

Yeah.

Well, Brad Chambers running for state house in HD 41. I can't vote for you, Brad. I wish I could. But I love your messaging. I love what you do. I love your grind. And if you live in Brad's district, you need to get out there and knock some doors for him. You need to make a small donation, a large donation, a recurring donation, send some postcards, post stuff on social media.

it's go time. OK, people, it is.

You look around, you're upset about what's going on. This is actionable change and Brad Chambers could be the one to flip this seat and be another Democratic vote in Harrisburg. Tell me again your website for my listeners and viewers.

Brad for PA.com. And that is my first name, Brad, F-O-R-P-A.com.

I will be sure to promote that and please go check it out. His endorsement page is fire and please keep in touch. I really feel like you're to do great things. I'm going to be rooting for you all the way through November and I just keep finding the good fight, man. Absolutely. You're welcome.

Thanks, Zeke. Appreciate you giving me an opportunity for this.

Well, thank you so much for joining me here on the Zeeckle podcast. Stay hopeful and get involved and until next time, let's keep building a stronger Pennsylvania