NAHB Podcast: Changing Dynamics in the 2024 Election
On the latest episode of NAHB’s podcast, Housing Developments, CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez are joined by Chief Lobbyist Lake Coulson to discuss the latest political news.
Coulson recently attended the Republican National Convention with NAHB Chairman Carl Harris and First Vice Chairman Buddy Hughes, as well as NAHB VP of Government Affairs Scott Meyer and BUILD-PAC Director Meredith Wimbrow. The senior officers had the opportunity to talk housing with federal elected officials, as well as a special closing session with former President Trump and vice presidential candidate, Sen. JD Vance.
“Carl spent some time with Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and with Majority Leader Steve Scalise as well,” Coulson noted. “So we had a really good opportunity to talk about our place in the world and why housing is so important to the economy and some of the things that are keeping our builders up at night.”
Following the convention, President Biden’s announcement to step down as the Democratic presidential nominee has changed the landscape for the 2024 election. Tobin, Lopez and Coulson weighed in on what to expect in this election cycle, including potential campaign tactics for Vice President Kamala Harris, who might be the Democratic vice presidential nominee, and the significance of Biden’s announcement.
“They just threw out the sitting president of the United States from re-election over a bad debate performance,” Tobin stated. “If you think about that, it’s stunning.”
Carl Harris and Buddy Hughes will be on the road again in a few weeks to attend the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and NAHB will continue to campaign for pro-housing efforts through the August recess and leading up to elections in November.
Listen to the full episode below, and subscribe to Housing Development through your favorite podcast provider or watch all the episodes on YouTube.
Latest from NAHBNow
Jul 30, 2026
New Certification Makes NGBS Compliance Easier for Multifamily ProjectsA new compliance option in the 2025 National Green Building Standard® (NGBS) is designed to make it even easier to showcase how high-performance features have been incorporated into certain multifamily projects.
Jul 29, 2026
Fed Holds Rates as Inflation and Energy Costs Cloud OutlookThe Federal Reserve opted to keep its key interest rate unchanged on Wednesday, while signaling that additional rate increases remain possible if inflation does not continue to ease.
Latest Economic News
Jul 30, 2026
PCE Inflation Eased in JuneAfter reaching a three-year high last month, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge eased in June following declines in energy prices amid a temporary truce with Iran. This marked the first monthly decline in six years.
Jul 30, 2026
Top Ten Builder Share Across Largest Housing MarketsAn earlier post described how the top ten builders in the country accounted for 43.6% of new single-family closings in 2025. BUILDER magazine has now released additional data on the top ten builders within each of the 50 largest new home markets in the U.S., ranked by single-family permits.
Jul 29, 2026
Amid Supply-Side Inflation Pressures, The Fed HoldsThe Federal Reserve held the federal funds rate at a target range of 3.5% to 3.75% at the conclusion of its July policy meeting. There were three dissenting votes on the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), all of which supported raising the federal funds rate by 25 basis points.