You know I’m rural and a progressive. I ran for State House in 2022 and lost. What you may not know is that 25% of my district voted for me…in a ruby red district that hasn’t elected a Democrat in 32 years and has never elected a woman.
One in four in my community voted for a rural progressive who talked openly and honestly about everything from abortion to LGBT rights to schools and roads and hospitals.
I remind you of this because I am going to ask that you listen to this interview with an open mind.
It is so easy to look at communities like mine and think “You get what you vote for,” and that is a valid response. I hope you will remember that a quarter of us didn’t vote for this…we didn’t want any of this.
And even more, rural spaces are low-hanging fruit for the Democrats. From the University of New Hampshire study: 2024 Rural Voting Scenarios: Small Changes, Major Impacts
How much would a small incremental change of plus or minus 3 percent in support in rural areas over 2020 levels influence the outcome of the next election? Enough to make the difference between victory and defeat in several of the battleground states.
A couple of weeks ago, I interviewed Xoch Torres Small, the former Deputy Secretary of Agriculture under the Biden administration to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing rural America, especially with the tariffs and the freezing of federal funds to farms across the country.
She was working to further rural engagement before her tenure ended with the Trump/Musk regime.
We talked the importance of healthcare access, the decline of rural towns, the potential of green energy, and the need for investment in small and mid-sized farms and rural communities in general. We talked about the significance of political engagement and community involvement in rural areas.
Here are a few takeaways:
We need to invest in small and mid-sized farms
Rural America is not just about farming
Government can be a part of the solution for rural Americans
I hope you enjoy the short interview…rural America is about to go through some things and not everyone in this space deserves disdain. We all deserve a working government no matter where we live — even those of us in proximity to Trump voters.
In solidarity,
Jess
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