Description

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Through two successful elections in rural red districts that few thought could be won by a Democrat, Maine state senator Chloe Maxmin (D-District 13) and campaign manager Canyon Woodward saw how the Democratic Party has focused for too long on the interests of elite leaders and big donors, forcing the party to abandon the concerns of rural America--jeopardizing climate justice, racial equity, economic justice, and more. Dirt Road Revival looks at how we got here and lays out a road map for progressive campaigns in rural America to build an inclusive, robust grassroots politics that fights for equity and justice across our country. First, Maxmin and Woodward detail how rural America has been left behind. They explore rural healthcare, economic struggle, brain drain, aging communities, whiteness and racism, education access, broadband, Big Agriculture, and more. Drawing on their own experiences, they pinpoint the strategic failures that have caused the Democratic party to lose its rural foothold. Next, they tell the story of their successful campaigns: in 2018, Maxmin became the only Democrat to ever win Maine House District 88, and then, in 2020, she unseated the highest-ranking Republican in Maine--the Senate Minority Leader--making her the youngest woman senator in the state's history. Finally, they distill their experiences into concrete lessons that can be applied to rural districts across the country, laying out a long-term vision for rebuilding trust and winning campaigns in rural America.