Democrats finally decided to take rural America seriously – and won big | Anthony Flaccavento and Erica Etelson

Jamie Ager, a regenerative farmer, won North Carolina’s 11th congressional district for the Democrats, flipping a seat Donald Trump carried comfortably in 2024. The authors argue that Democrats also made substantial gains with rural and non-college voters by focusing on everyday economic concerns and local services rather than culture-war disputes.

Across the 21 most rural-populated states holding Senate elections, Democrats won in 10, and rural voters shifted 15 points towards Democratic Senate candidates compared with their 2024 presidential choices. Non-college voters gave Democrats 51% of House votes, a 17-point improvement on 2024. The article points to campaigns centred on farming costs, healthcare, schools, workers and public lands, while noting that lower Republican turnout makes the precise source of the shift uncertain.