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Rural Democrats reach out in reliably red counties
By: Kathryn Mobley | WYSO
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CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, Ohio (WYSO) — In the 2020 Presidential race, 81 of Ohio’s 88 counties went red, supporting Republican former president Donald Trump. One of those counties was Champaign, with 25,760 registered voters.
The county is home to Republican U.S. Congressman Jim Jordan (4th District), it’s predominantly white and a Republican strong-hold. Tiefenthaler believes long-held negative stereotypes about her party contribute to the GOP’s dominance in the area. So her team is showing the character of Champaign’s rural Democrats.
“They have to see us partner with nonprofits, food pantries or shelters or the Red Cross. They have to see that we’re business owners. We’re their neighbors. We’re their friends that they run into at the Y or around town at church,” explained Tiefenthaler.
Similarly, other Democratic leaders across the state emphasize common values to sway undecided voters.
“This is what I share with them, ‘I’ve got the same values as you. I love this small town,” Craig Swartz said during a meeting of county chairs.
He lives in Wyandot County, with 15,263 other registered voters.
“I tell people who say they’re on the fence, ‘I want to see our community prosper and we need to have it grow. But the Republicans in Ohio aren’t doing anything to help make it grow.”
He chairs the Rural Caucus, one of several rural independent groups affiliated with the Democratic Party. It represents about 60 counties, many with a population of fewer than 100,000.
Swartz maintains the Rural Caucus is fighting to get more resources and attention from state and national party leaders to help local candidates. It’s something he believes could eventually turn Ohio blue.
“The larger counties have written us off, and it’s harder to get the state candidates to do real campaigning year round in rural communities,” contended Swartz. “But, they’re still going to need us.”
Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters states it’s a numbers game.
“When there’s more voters there, more money gets spent there. That’s just the math of it,” she said. “Cuyahoga, Franklin and Hamilton Counties – about 40% of Ohioans live in those three counties. Whether you are on the Republican side of the aisle or the Democratic side of the aisle, more resources are getting spent where more people live. Because our job is to talk to voters.”
In Ohio, the state democratic leadership gives a majority of support and attention to the six most populous counties– Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Montgomery, Summit and Lucas. In 2022, those six, plus Athens County, were the only ones to go blue in the last presidential election.
Walters still acknowledges rural communities are a valuable political asset. She points out while they can’t offer extensive financial support, they do give other assistance.
“We’ve helped county parties with everything from graphic design to redesigning their logos and helping them modernize and connect better with folks to advising them on how to build a website or even helping them find digital and social media resources either for free or low cost, because we’ll buy it at a bulk rate and then share it out to the county parties that want to use it,” noted Walters.
Meanwhile, back in Champaign County, Democrat Heather Teifenthaler claimed their records reflect they’re attracting new support from independents and disillusioned Republicans.
“We’re never going to turn [the county] blue, but we’ll take purple,” Teifenthaler said.