Tennessee Democratic Party must recognize rural Tennessee's power in elections [View all]

by Kate Craig
2019 Steering Committee Member
Tennessee Democratic Party’s Rural Caucus


According to the 2010 Census, Tennessee is 93% rural and while the 2020 Census data has not yet been released, I do not believe the data will show a drastic change. Tennessee is mostly rural. 70 out of Tennessee’s 95 counties have over 50% of their residents living in rural areas.

Democrats are making gains in urban and suburban areas, yet Republicans have maintained control of the Tennessee General Assembly because of their ability to connect with and turn out rural voters.

Using the newly released interactive map from the New York Times, 17 of Tennessee’s rural counties had Democratic gains in 2020. Four suburban counties and another 4 urban counties also made Democratic gains in 2020.

Rural leaders are moving the needle

Bill Hogseth, Chair of the Dunn County Democratic Party in Wisconsin, said in his op-ed, "Why Democrats Keep Losing Rural Counties Like Mine": “I’ve come to believe it is because the national Democratic Party has not offered rural voters a clear vision that speaks to their lived experiences. The pain and struggle in my community is real, yet rural people do not feel it is taken seriously by the Democratic Party.”

Read more: https://www.dnj.com/story/opinion/2021/02/19/tennessees-rural-voices-deserve-representation-in-democratic-party/4499494001/
(Murfreesboro Daily News Journal)