Democracy dies in darkness for rural Americans

November’s election results were heartbreaking to me and so many rural Democrats who were working hard to help our communities. For context, there are 3,143 counties in America. More than 2,500 of them have fewer than 100,000 residents (Ohio State's stadium seats more people than that) and 48.7 percent of them have fewer than 25,000 people.

I live in a town in the rural county where I was born. I returned after being gone for 26 years and was stunned at my community's decline. In 2016, I ran as a Democrat in my rural district. I narrowly lost in the 2016 Trump landslide. Since then, I have connected with thousands of rural people across the country to better understand why people no longer trust either party and opt to vote for Trump Republicans, and what happened to the once dominant Democratic Party. Donald Trump doubled his rural vote advantage over his Democratic opponent from 15 percent in 2020 to 30 percent in 2024.

As people evaluate what happened to Democrats in this election, it is important to keep in mind this is not just about politics. Republican control of the county commission in my county brought about an end to mental health funding. All elections matter.

As a rural Democrat I wanted to share a few insights from the field.

Lack of understanding: So many Democrats and progressives in politics write off rural Americans as “low information Trump voters.” The truth is the values of hard work, freedom, fairness, and love of family, community and country abound here. Rural America was once a Democratic stronghold at every level of government, but over the past 30 years, both parties have abandoned us.

Manufacturing and natural resource job losses, lack of infrastructure investment, gas prices over $3.50 a gallon, skyrocketing food prices, and living in health care, child-care and food deserts have led to anger and frustration. The diseases of despair ravage our families and communities. Democratic neglect enabled Republicans to seize the opportunity to build political power and blame Democrats for all that has gone wrong.

Loss of balanced local news: Large swaths of rural America no longer have access to local news, while right-wing syndicates have bought many of the rural media outlets that remain.

According to a report from Northwestern, rural counties are the hardest hit by this disturbing trend. “There are 204 counties with no local news outlet. Of the 3,143 counties in the U.S., more than half, or 1,766, have either no local news source or only one remaining outlet, typically a weekly newspaper. … Since 2005, the U.S. has lost 2,900 newspapers.” The country is expected to “lose one-third of all its newspapers by the end of next year. There are about 6,000 newspapers remaining, the vast majority of which are weeklies.”

Absence of competition in elections: Currently, Trump Republicans control many state and local offices in rural counties. According to recent research, up to 58 percent of offices go unchallenged, and in rural places that number is even higher. Democrats are afraid to put up a yard sign and it is very challenging to get people to run. The lack of representation is alarming. The absence of accountability allows these Trump Republican elected officials to prove that government doesn’t work by refusing to make critical investments that impact economic opportunity, infrastructure, public health, education, public safety, housing, election integrity and climate resilience.

One bright spot was the reelection of Democrat Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in Washington’s 3rd District. That race was a rematch of the biggest upset in 2022. Gluesenkamp Perez’s win provides an important lesson for the Democratic Party. She showed up and worked on what is most important to the people of her district. She listened to our concerns and acted on them. She worked across the aisle. She prioritized connecting with and getting things done for the people of her district. She has taken on the Democratic establishment. In a recent article she argued “her party needs to stop demonizing others and change the candidates it supports.” And she has criticized her party for being too dismissive of working-class voters.

A healthy democracy relies on an informed electorate. It is going to take time to restore the institutions and relationships that will ensure that new lights shine to protect our democracy from the depths of darkness. Rural people are coming together to strengthen our communities, advance democratic values and make government work for all of us. We need to be understood, seen and heard to do our part for the greater good.

The Democratic Party must commit itself over the long term to building sustainable power from the ground up, rebuilding democratic infrastructure, establishing and maintaining trusted information sources, and recognizing the need to fight for all people.

Teresa Purcell is founder and CEO of The Rural Strong Network. She is a political, communications and organizing consultant, writer, speaker, coach and trainer who lives in the rural county where she was born. Purcell also served as 2022 DNC Senior Advisor for Rural Engagement.