OPINION

Fighting to Bring Conservative Common Sense to Liberal States

Joe Thomas •   August 26, 2025

It must be easier to be a conservative in Texas or Florida. But what does it take to get up every morning in a state that most people think is a lost cause to liberalism?

At the annual State Policy Network meeting, The Daily Signal caught up with the leaders of Oregon’s Cascade Policy Institute and New York’s Empire Center, John Charles and Zilvinas Silenas, respectively. They gave us some insight as to how conservatives try to survive in deeply liberal states.

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They are fighting against left-wing legislatures and governors to attempt to preserve some semblance of sanity. And part of that fight is trying to convince the public—conservative, liberal, and agnostic—that their commonsense conservative solutions to governing are good for everybody.

Listen to our interview:

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Joe Thomas
Joe Thomas | Virginia Correspondent
Joe Thomas is a Virginia correspondent for the Daily Signal.

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