skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Dems Urged to 'Keep It Local' to Succeed in Rural US

play audio
Play

Monday, December 19, 2022   

Democrats have struggled to turn 'red' rural areas 'blue' across the country for years. But some left-leaning candidates won in 2022, raising the question of how they succeeded where many others have failed.

In Havre, Paul Tuss flipped a Montana legislative House seat in an area where President Joe Biden only received about 40% of the vote. Lindsey Ratliff is chair of the Hill County Democrats Central Committee in the district.

"We kept everything local," said Ratliff. "So every message was about a strong economy for the Hi-Line, for our community, talking about public lands and infrastructure - all those things that affect every single person in our district."

Ratliff said there's also a big union presence in the region, through the railroad, public schools and health care. That helped with organizing efforts for Tuss, who serves on the local hospital board.

While Tuss was able to flip the seat to Democrats, Republicans gained a legislative supermajority in the 2022 election.

The Rural Urban Bridge Initiative released a report about the keys to success for Democrats in these areas.

Group co-founder Anthony Flaccavento said one finding is that winning candidates were widely seen as engaged with the local community, whether they were fourth-generation residents or relative newcomers.

"They had strong what we call in the report 'local fluency,'" said Flaccavento. "They knew the community, they knew the history, they knew the language and the mores and the vernacular, and all of that. They knew what mattered to the majority of people - and they, in one way or another, had been engaged with trying to make the community strong."

Ratliff said the other key to success for Democrats - or any candidate - is to knock on every door and go to every event they can.

"That shows that we are here, we do care about our community members, whether they're Republican or Democrat," said Ratliff. "And don't be afraid to show up because the people who show up are the ones that get elected."





get more stories like this via email
more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021