President Donald Trump's tariff and healthcare moves have opened the door for Democrats to make inroads with a traditionally GOP-loyal voting bloc in rural America, reports Politico.
And more than a dozen current and former Democrat lawmakers, party officials, and political strategists say they sense a growing urgency to capitalize on the discontent stirred by Trump's agenda.
Rural America remained Trump's strongest geographic base in 2024; not just supportive but anchoring. Margins in small towns and farming counties padded his national numbers, even where populations are shrinking.
But the Trump administration has faced criticism for policies like trade tariffs impacting farmers and cuts to social programs vital for rural populations, leading to complex economic outcomes and ongoing political debate.
Each policy shift may look manageable on paper, but together they compound risk in communities that already operate with little margin for error.
"We have a unique opening because of all that's happening with this administration," Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., whose district includes significant rural and farming interests, told the news outlet.
Farmers and rural voters "might be listening in a more unique way than they maybe have ever in the past. And we need to walk through that door."
Libby Schneider, deputy executive director of the Democratic National Committee, told Politico that one of the reasons Democrats were in such a negative place with rural voters "is we sort of ceded that ground, stopped showing up, stopped talking to these folks, and really relied on the urban centers.
"And we saw how that gamble failed in 2024 when folks in urban centers stayed home," she added.
The message for Democrats is "wrapped up and with a nice, tidy bow on it in the Big, Beautiful Bill," Christopher Borick, a political science professor who runs the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, told Politico.
"It's cuts to your healthcare, it's cuts to rural hospitals. It's cuts to SNAP benefits, and it's just so tidy and neat for Democrats to go there."
Republicans disagree.
"Right now, the farm community is with [Trump]. I think the thing that Republicans should worry about is enthusiasm, in getting out and actually voting," Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman, R-Ark., told the news outlet.
"It's one thing to be supportive, it's another thing to actually go vote on Election Day."
RNC spokesperson Delanie Bomar said rural America "won't suddenly be tricked into thinking elite Democrats stand for their beliefs and values. The DNC spending a few bucks won't fool rural Americans into thinking Democrats have touched grass."
Anthony Flaccavento, executive director of the Rural Urban Bridge initiative, a progressive rural organizing group, told Politico that both parties "have really betrayed rural America, but the Republican Party got very, very good at seeing people and expressing solidarity and saying, 'You're right to be angry.'"
Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, said Democrats have "a real opportunity to make the case for policies that lower costs and make it easier for farmers, families, and the entire food supply chain producers as well."
"We've lost a lot of trust in rural America, so showing up and listening is half the battle, but then we have to be able to present an alternative," she said.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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