Political Longshots and Why We Run Everywhere -- No Seat Uncontested

A short PBS documentary on running in rural Missouri

Want to see what it’s like to run in a very rural, very red race as a rural progressive? Here you go!

I was contacted several times by media when I was running for the State House. I had a pretty big social media following and I said the things I said (not sorry) and that brought media my way. One of those who contacted me is a documentary filmmaker…her name is Catherine Hoffman and she produces films for the local PBS station out of Kansas City.

She asked to do a small piece on my run and I agreed. It turned out really well and Catherine was even nominated for an Emmy for this work.

I thought I would share it with you, readers. I hope you enjoy.

From the Catherine’s article:

Jessica Piper wipes the sweat off of her brow and knocks on the 50th door of the morning. She’s painfully aware that someone on the other side may hate her politics, but it’s more likely that no one answers. 

Either way, she leaves a flyer asking them to consider electing her to serve as the Missouri House of Representatives District 1’s first Democrat in over 20 years.

Piper has become the face of the “Dirt Road Democrat” movement in Missouri. To more than 200,000 followers on her social media, she represents progressive rural Missourians who aren’t on board with the state’s highly conservative policies. 

“I’m angry,” Piper said. “I’m really mad that it’s come to this.”

Piper has been an English teacher for over a decade, and up until 2020 she didn’t have plans to do anything else. Over the past few years, though, she has watched herself and other teachers in her community come under fire for wanting to tell students the truth about American history and slavery. 

“You literally have people on the floor in the Missouri House that have degrees in theology trying to write history curriculum,” Piper said. 

Since 2008, Republicans have held an increasing majority in the Missouri House. Piper hopes to be a “voice of reason” to counter an overwhelming Republican supermajority. 

Friends, you know how the State House run turned out, but you also know it was worth it. We can’t win when we don’t compete and some of these races will take several cycles to win.

We do the hard things until we get our state back.

~Jess