In an election that will be won in the margins, Contest Every Race is ensuring that no rural voter feels marginalized! Our local organizing partners have just surpassed 1 million doors knocked!
As we mentioned last month, we’re taking an all-out approach to reach key Democratic voters living in rural areas in swing states: We’re deploying staff, endorsing Democracy Defenders, and working around the clock to show rural Democrats that their votes matter.
Through this work, we support nearly 300 rural Democratic county parties by providing funding, communications infrastructure, and organizers. And if you thought last month’s numbers were impressive, wait until you see what our grantee county parties were able to do through the first two weeks of October:
These numbers show that when we support rural communities, they can shift the balance in critical swing states where victory only a few thousand votes could determine the winner.
While each of our grantee county parties is doing amazing work this election season, let’s take a quick tour through some of the activities from this past month.
On a crisp, mid-western fall morning, the Livingston County, MI Democrats gathered with congressional candidate Curtis Hertel, Democratic senate nominee Elissa Slotkin, the Pod Save America ‘bros’ (except for Lovett 😕), and 130 supporters for a canvassing event.
Before they hit the doors, Pod Save America host Jon Favreau emphasized the power we all have in this election: "In the last couple weeks, the race is in your hands, more than the candidates, more than the campaigns, more than anyone else. You guys have the ability to keep the state blue, to send Kamala Harris to the White House, to send Elissa Slotkin to the Senate, to send Curtis Hertel to the House, to send Michigan Democrats into power up and down the ballot. It's a huge responsibility, but it's a huge opportunity, too."
The pep talks worked! After the speeches, 100+ volunteers, including many first time canvassers, knocked over 3,300 doors in the county that could decide this election!
Livingston County Democratic chair Judy Daubenmier says “I felt like [this event] gave us power. We can determine the outcome with our door knocks. It's not just about television ads and endless mailers, but about the one-on-one conversations people are having at the doors. That's what cuts through the clutter. People will forget those TV ads, but they'll remember the friendly face at the door.”
In this election, every voter contact matters. That’s why the Surry County Democratic Party spent October reaching voters of all demographics in every possible way:
This holistic approach to rural voter contact does more than lead to a potential new voter. It shows that SCDP is willing to meet people where they are to build sustainable and long-lasting relationships.
If you listened to NPR earlier this month, you may have heard about our grantee party in Walworth County, Wisconsin. That’s because they were featured on All Things Considered due to their efforts to reduce the winning margins of Republicans in their county.
But public radio fame wasn’t the only thing the Democratic Party of Walworth County garnered this month. They gained 48 new members and registered 38 new voters through an organized and collective effort that extended beyond canvassing:
In a state where the Democratic margin of victory in 2020 was a little more than 20,000 votes, each of these outreach events can help push Wisconsin more out of reach for MAGA extremists.
The Spalding County Democratic Committee dug deep this month by partnering with the Spalding Young Democratic to host a rally at a nearby park. Both local and Federal candidates — including Senator Jon Ossoff — were invited to speak and share their platforms with dozens of potential voters.
Beyond the rally, SCDC hit the pavement and the phones to knock on over 2,000 doors and contact nearly 500 voters. As a grantee county party, the funds we’ve provided have aided in this effort by making it easier to support events and cover expenses for canvassers. By working together to reach every rural Democratic voter, we’re strengthening the party’s ability to win up and down the ballot.
