Pantsuit Politics

Pantsuit Politics is an American political podcast hosted by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. The podcast was launched in November 2015. The hosts aim to assist listeners in engaging in challenging political discussions with "grace and respect." New episodes are released twice a week.

Background
Both Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers attended Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, where they met in 1999 as members of the Phi Mu sorority and became friends. Holland pursued a major in political science, while Silvers focused on business, and both graduated in 2003.

Both Holland and Silvers identify as Christians.

Holland obtained her juris doctor from American University Washington College of Law and embarked on a career as a congressional staffer, campaign aide, and social media consultant. She served in the Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign and is a resident of Paducah, Kentucky, where she also served as city commissioner.

Silvers earned her juris doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Prior to Pantsuit Politics, she practiced law and worked as a human resources executive. While involved with Pantsuit Politics, she also worked as a business consultant until transitioning to full-time work on the podcast in 2021. Silvers resides in Union, Kentucky.

Holland's husband, Nicholas, encouraged her to start a podcast, and she conceived the idea for a podcast named Pantsuit Politics. Her aim was to spotlight women working in politics. Holland and Silvers began discussing political issues on Holland's blog. Recognizing their differing opinions but shared values, they decided to create the podcast together to showcase their distinct perspectives and amplify female voices in politics. At the time, Holland was a Democrat, and Silvers was a Republican. In November 2015, they released their inaugural episode, introducing themselves as "Sarah from the Left" and "Beth from the Right."

Silvers withdrew her support for Donald Trump and, in 2019, changed her voter registration due to her disagreement with the Republican Party's endorsement of Trump and what she perceived as the party's abandonment of Republican principles. Following Silvers' departure from the Republican Party, Holland and Silvers' political views grew more aligned, prompting them to modify their opening line to "the home of grace-filled political conversations."

They co-hosted another podcast, The Nuanced Life, from 2017 to 2020.

In 2019, Holland and Silvers delivered keynote speeches at the Nebraska Women's Leadership Network Conference. They also made an appearance on an episode of Morning Joe in April 2019.

Reception
During its initial four-year period, Pantsuit Politics garnered over four million downloads. In February 2021, the podcast was showcased on Apple Podcasts Spotlight as the second podcast ever to be featured. In December 2021, it was recognized as one of Apple Podcasts' "Shows of the Year".

Books
In 2019, Holland and Silvers authored a book titled "I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversation," which was published by Thomas Nelson. The book offers a framework for engaging in political discussions with individuals holding differing views. Silvers and Holland aimed to translate their podcast's conversational style into a practical approach within the book.

In May 2022, Holland and Silvers published their second book, "Now What? How to Move Forward When We're Divided (about basically everything)," released by Revell Publishing This book aims to educate readers on fostering collaboration within communities to build a more harmonious world.