Edison Identifies Top Podcasts for Independent Voters

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, October 21, 2026 | 2:09pm CT

Edison Research at SSRS

A new analysis from Edison Research at SSRS identifies the podcasts with the highest concentrations of politically Independent listeners, offering advertisers and media buyers insight into which programs are most effective at reaching this audience.

Using data from Edison Podcast Metrics, the analysis found that "The Jimmy Dore Show" has the highest percentage of weekly listeners who identify as politically Independent, at 65%.

The findings follow an earlier Edison Research analysis showing that Independents devote a larger share of their daily audio listening time to podcasts than either Republicans or Democrats.

Edison's latest examination uses its Podcast Metrics Efficiency Ranker, which identifies programs with the highest concentrations of specific demographic groups within their audiences. Subscribers can filter results by political affiliation, including Democrats, Republicans and Independents.

"The Jimmy Dore Show," known for its provocative political commentary and humor, leads the rankings. "Legion of Skanks," a comedy podcast that describes itself as "The Most Offensive Podcast on Earth," ranks second.

"The Blaire White Project" places third, with 55% of its weekly audience identifying as Independent. Hosted by Blaire White, the program features discussions involving politics, gender, sexuality, current events and comedy.

"Stay Free with Russell Brand," which focuses on anti-establishment topics and commentary, ranks fourth.

Rounding out the top five is "Best of Car Talk," the automotive advice and entertainment program, which stands apart from the political and provocative content that characterizes several of the other leading titles.

According to Edison, the rankings suggest that podcasts featuring unconventional perspectives, outspoken commentary and humor tend to attract relatively high concentrations of Independent listeners. However, the presence of "Best of Car Talk" also demonstrates that the audience extends beyond political and controversial programming.

The analysis measures the percentage of each podcast's weekly audience identifying as Independent, rather than the total number of Independent listeners reached. As a result, the rankings reflect audience concentration rather than overall audience size.