Thomas Hicks

Margaret Croke

Heather Williams

On today's show
– Thomas Hicks, former chair of the federal Election Assistance Commission; he was fired on July 9 when President Donald Trump dismissed all three serving commissioners
– Illinois State Rep. Margaret Croke, Democratic candidate for Illinois comptroller
– Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC)

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

 

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On today's show &ndash; Thomas Hicks, former chair of the federal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eac.gov/">Election Assistance Commission</a>; he was fired on July 9 when President Donald Trump dismissed all three serving commissioners &ndash; Illinois State <a href="https://www.repcroke.com/">Rep. Margaret Croke</a>, Democratic <a href="https://crokeforillinois.com/">candidate for Illinois comptroller</a> &ndash; Heather Williams, president of the <a href="https://www.dlcc.org/">Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee</a> (DLCC)
Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew&rdquo; weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (<a href="http://heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views">heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views</a>).
&nbsp;
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From Heartland Signal and WCPT AM 820 in Chicago, here are full episodes of “Chew's Views” (weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central), a pragmatic radio show that focuses on moving our political, social, economic, gender and cultural conversation forward and creating a roadmap for progressives to be more involved in their political and social destinies. With "Chew's Views" the emphasis is on positive talk and solutions – but don’t get it twisted; we may bring some smashmouth dialogue to the program just to make sure you’re awake, not just “woke.”  


Richard Chew has been a part of the WCPT family since 2017, initially as part of "The Family Meeting" and as a regular contributor to "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive."  He became WCPT's morning host in early 2024. 

A 25-plus-year wealth management and insurance veteran, Richard is well-versed in all areas of financial planning, wealth management and insurance plans designed to help clients with their financial future. Richard’s primary goal is to help consumers assess what their needs are and find the right plans and programs to protect their wealth.

Richard was born and raised in Chicago and Southwestern Michigan and is a graduate of Pepperdine University; he later pursued a master’s degree from Keller Graduate School. He is proud of the fact that he has visited all 50 of the great states of the United States of America and keeps his passport current to make sure traveling the world is always a “ready to go” item. He and his wife, Anne, love the city and suburbs of Chicago and all their greatness.  

From Heartland Signal and <a href="https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/">WCPT AM 820</a> in Chicago, here are full episodes of &ldquo;<a href="https://heartlandsignal.com/programs/chewviews-with-richard-chew/">Chew's Views</a>&rdquo; (weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central), a pragmatic radio show that focuses on moving our political, social, economic, gender and cultural conversation forward and creating a roadmap for progressives to be more involved in their political and social destinies. With "Chew's Views" the emphasis is on positive talk and solutions &ndash; but don&rsquo;t get it twisted; we may bring some smashmouth dialogue to the program just to make sure you&rsquo;re awake, not just &ldquo;woke.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
 Richard Chew has been a part of the WCPT family since 2017, initially as part of "<a href="https://heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-family-meeting/">The Family Meeting</a>" and as a regular contributor to "<a href="https://heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive/">Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive</a>." &nbsp;He became WCPT's morning host in early 2024.&nbsp;
A 25-plus-year wealth management and insurance veteran, Richard is well-versed in all areas of financial planning, wealth management and insurance plans designed to help clients with their financial future. Richard&rsquo;s primary goal is to help consumers assess what their needs are and find the right plans and programs to protect their wealth.
Richard was born and raised in Chicago and Southwestern Michigan and is a graduate of Pepperdine University; he later pursued a master&rsquo;s degree from Keller Graduate School. He is proud of the fact that he has visited all 50 of the great states of the United States of America and keeps his passport current to make sure traveling the world is always a &ldquo;ready to go&rdquo; item. He and his wife, Anne, love the city and suburbs of Chicago and all their greatness. &nbsp;

Chew's Views with Richard Chew (Full Episodes)

From Heartland Signal and WCPT AM 820 in Chicago, “Chew's Views” (weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central) is a pragmatic radio show that focuses on moving our political, social, economic, gender and cultural conversation forward and creating a roadmap for progressives to be more involved in their political and social destinies. With "Chew's Views" the emphasis is on positive talk and solutions – but don’t get it twisted; we may bring some smashmouth dialogue to the program just to make sure you’re awake, not just “woke.”  

Richard Chew has been a part of the WCPT family since 2017, initially as part of "The Family Meeting" and as a regular contributor to "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive." He became WCPT's morning host in early 2024.

Richard also regularly shares his views on other podcasts and radio shows, including recent appearances on Amy McGrath's "Truth in a Barrel," "The John Fugelsang Podcast," "Endless Urgency" with Mike Nellis, and "The Politics Bar."

A 25-plus-year wealth management and insurance veteran, Richard is well-versed in all areas of financial planning, wealth management and insurance plans designed to help clients with their financial future.

Richard was born and raised in Chicago and Southwestern Michigan and is a graduate of Pepperdine University; he later pursued a master’s degree from Keller Graduate School. He is proud of the fact that he has visited all 50 of the great states of the United States of America and keeps his passport current to make sure traveling the world is always a “ready to go” item. He and his wife, Anne, love the city and suburbs of Chicago and all their greatness.  

From Heartland Signal and <a href="https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/">WCPT AM 820</a> in Chicago, &ldquo;<a href="https://heartlandsignal.com/programs/chewviews-with-richard-chew/">Chew's Views</a>&rdquo; (weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central) is a pragmatic radio show that focuses on moving our political, social, economic, gender and cultural conversation forward and creating a roadmap for progressives to be more involved in their political and social destinies. With "Chew's Views" the emphasis is on positive talk and solutions &ndash; but don&rsquo;t get it twisted; we may bring some smashmouth dialogue to the program just to make sure you&rsquo;re awake, not just &ldquo;woke.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Richard Chew has been a part of the WCPT family since 2017, initially as part of "<a href="https://heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-family-meeting/">The Family Meeting</a>" and as a regular contributor to "<a href="https://heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive/">Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive</a>." He became WCPT's morning host in early 2024.
Richard also regularly shares his views on other podcasts and radio shows, including recent appearances on Amy McGrath's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWK_o2PSptQ">Truth in a Barrel</a>," "<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weekend-interviews-simon-and-julie-richard-chew/id1464094232?i=1000685443232">The John Fugelsang Podcast</a>," "<a href="https://endlessurgency.com/p/pardoning-ghislaine-maxwell-trump">Endless Urgency</a>" with Mike Nellis, and "<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/is/podcast/community-vs-cankles-july-22-2025/id886656768?i=1000718522141">The Politics Bar</a>."
A 25-plus-year wealth management and insurance veteran, Richard is well-versed in all areas of financial planning, wealth management and insurance plans designed to help clients with their financial future.
Richard was born and raised in Chicago and Southwestern Michigan and is a graduate of Pepperdine University; he later pursued a master&rsquo;s degree from Keller Graduate School. He is proud of the fact that he has visited all 50 of the great states of the United States of America and keeps his passport current to make sure traveling the world is always a &ldquo;ready to go&rdquo; item. He and his wife, Anne, love the city and suburbs of Chicago and all their greatness. &nbsp;

Chew's Views with Richard Chew

Chew's Views with Richard Chew | October 1, 2026

Richard Chew is joined by Thomas Hicks, former chair of the federal Election Assistance Commission; he was fired on July 9 when President Donald Trump dismissed all three serving commissioners.

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

 

Follow us:

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Richard Chew is joined by Thomas Hicks, former chair of the federal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eac.gov/">Election Assistance Commission</a>; he was fired on July 9 when President Donald Trump dismissed all three serving commissioners.
Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew&rdquo; weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (<a href="http://heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views">heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views</a>).
&nbsp;
Follow us:
Website:<a href="https://heartlandsignal.com/"> https://heartlandsignal.com</a>
WCPT Facebook:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820"> https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820</a>
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Heartland Signal X:<a href="https://x.com/HeartlandSignal"> https://x.com/HeartlandSignal</a>
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Former EAC Chair Thomas Hicks: WCPT 820 Interview

Richard Chew is joined by Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC).  The discussion focused on the DLCC’s strategy for strengthening Democratic power in state legislatures and connecting state-level results to broader elections.

Here are a few key points from the conversation:
- Williams said the DLCC is focused on increasing name recognition for state legislative candidates, communicating their records, and competing in battleground and traditionally Republican states.
- Heather cited 31 recent wins and opportunities to build meaningful power in 27 states, emphasizing community conversations and kitchen-table issues.
- State legislatures shape voting laws, redistricting, election administration, health care access, labor laws, wages, and education policy. 

Key quote: "So much of the work that could or should be federal responsibility is getting pushed into the states. And so you are actually seeing work get done, both because states are designed to move faster -- that is the actual design of government there -- but also so much of the work is being pushed down, and this administration is saying, you know what, it's not our responsibility; you can go deal with that in the states. So when you talk about access to health care, when you talk about access to reproductive health care, when you talk about labor laws, when you talk about wages, when you talk about costs and kids in school, all of that stuff is in our states. And when you've got good people leading in those states, you can get stuff done. . . . It's not just the people that get to benefit from that in the state, but it's a story about what can be done when Democrats win . . . and that conversation is how we show who we are as Democrats and what we can do at all levels of the ballot."

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

 

Follow us:

Website: https://heartlandsignal.com

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Richard Chew is joined by Heather Williams, president of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dlcc.org/">Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee</a> (DLCC).&nbsp; The discussion focused on the DLCC&rsquo;s strategy for strengthening Democratic power in state legislatures and connecting state-level results to broader elections.
Here are a few key points from the conversation: - Williams said the DLCC is focused on increasing name recognition for state legislative candidates, communicating their records, and competing in battleground and traditionally Republican states. - Heather cited 31 recent wins and opportunities to build meaningful power in 27 states, emphasizing community conversations and kitchen-table issues. - State legislatures shape voting laws, redistricting, election administration, health care access, labor laws, wages, and education policy.&nbsp;
Key quote: "So much of the work that could or should be federal responsibility is getting pushed into the states. And so you are actually seeing work get done, both because states are designed to move faster -- that is the actual design of government there -- but also so much of the work is being pushed down, and this administration is saying, you know what, it's not our responsibility; you can go deal with that in the states. So when you talk about access to health care, when you talk about access to reproductive health care, when you talk about labor laws, when you talk about wages, when you talk about costs and kids in school, all of that stuff is in our states. And when you've got good people leading in those states, you can get stuff done. . . . It's not just the people that get to benefit from that in the state, but it's a story about what can be done when Democrats win . . . and that conversation is how we show who we are as Democrats and what we can do at all levels of the ballot."
Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew&rdquo; weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (<a href="http://heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views">heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views</a>).
&nbsp;
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Heather Williams of the DLCC: WCPT 820 Interview

Richard Chew is joined by Illinois State Rep. Margaret Croke, Democratic candidate for Illinois comptroller.  The discussion focused on Croke's priorities and approach as the Democratic candidate for Illinois comptroller.

Here are a few key points from the conversation:
- Croke said fiscal responsibility and protecting vulnerable communities must advance together.
- She emphasized that timely payments support nonprofits, pensions, public services, and individual livelihoods.
- She described preparing Illinois to withstand potential federal pressure by keeping its finances strong.
- She prioritizes transparency, efficient government operations, and clear public access to spending information.
- She would maintain the comptroller’s independence while collaborating with the governor, Chicago, and Cook County.
- She proposed improving local governments’ interactions with the office and hiring staff familiar with Chicago finances.

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

 

Follow us:

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Richard Chew is joined by Illinois State&nbsp;<a href="https://www.repcroke.com/">Rep. Margaret Croke</a>, Democratic <a href="https://crokeforillinois.com/">candidate for Illinois comptroller</a>.&nbsp; The discussion focused on Croke's priorities and approach as the Democratic candidate for Illinois comptroller.
Here are a few&nbsp;key points from the conversation: - Croke said fiscal responsibility and protecting vulnerable communities must advance together. - She emphasized that timely payments support nonprofits, pensions, public services, and individual livelihoods. - She described preparing Illinois to withstand potential federal pressure by keeping its finances strong. - She prioritizes transparency, efficient government operations, and clear public access to spending information. - She would maintain the comptroller&rsquo;s independence while collaborating with the governor, Chicago, and Cook County. - She proposed improving local governments&rsquo; interactions with the office and hiring staff familiar with Chicago finances.
Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew&rdquo; weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (<a href="http://heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views">heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views</a>).
&nbsp;
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Chew's Views with Richard Chew | October 1, 2026

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