When I ran for Congress, I received a lot of good advice, and I remember clearly what Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown told me. She stated that when she ran for Congress in 2018, she underestimated the importance of rural voters, which she believes may have cost her the race. Despite having an enormous war chest, she literally could not spend it all in the short span of the election.
The Union Bulletin recently published an article stating that this was the best time for Democrats to flip Washington’s Congressional District 5 (CD5), and there is a good reason for it because we know what needs to be done. Rural Americans United is predicated on learning from the many mistakes made by individuals like myself, others, and truly listening to our constituents, even when what we hear goes against what we personally believe. It is still more important to listen and act on the interests of our constituents.
From a numbers game, we know we can win in CD5 because that is what the voters are telling us. Recently, Spokane elected a Democratic Mayor, and the incumbent is exiting long before her career needs to end. Additionally, as reported by Politico, Whitman County voted for Biden in 2020 by 10%, in Walla Walla County Biden lost by only 6%, and in Spokane County, it was only 4%. These three counties make up approximately 80% of all voters, and a Democrat losing by single digits anywhere East of the Cascades is considered a Swing District if not an actual win.
Party politics is often a nuanced dance by politicians, but by listening to constituents, we already know some platform positions. The first is to stay away from education or find a way to support parents' roles without bringing up culture wars. The Republican Party has made a rally cry out of homeschool, voucher programs, dismantling the Department of Education, breaking the teachers' union, anti-WOKE, and anti-LGBT+. Abortion is another kill stroke for rural Democrats. A woman’s right to autonomy over her body is absolute, but this most delicate issue must be framed in context of everyone’s right to bodily autonomy; it is freedom of self-determination.
Immigration is a focal topic of the 2024 elections, and Democratic candidates will need to be well-positioned to address their constituents. In CD5, immigration as an issue, at least on the surface, appears more straightforward than in neighboring CD4. Data shown by DataUsa.io indicates that CD5 is a majority White district (82%), with persons identifying as non-White and non-Hispanic making up the majority of remaining residents. This coupled with a high citizenship rate of over 97%, suggests that an immigration platform can be less nuanced, and therefore a Democratic candidate can take a stronger position and hold that ground. In CD4, where the Latinx population is roughly 50% and citizenship is below 90%, more dimensions must be included in any meaningful discussion of immigration; dimensions that affect people’s lives in real and meaningful ways. It is hard to imagine anywhere else in the country where so many factors come into play with regard to immigration than in CD4.
Discussing money in politics, it's important to note that simply throwing money at a campaign doesn't guarantee success. As Lisa Brown shared with me, she had more money than she could spend, yet it didn't secure victory. Every politician, consultant, and voting record will show you that facts don’t win elections; emotions do. Having strangers or candidates making aggressive promises at the last minute will win few favors. To truly win, we must connect with the hearts and minds of people on the issues that matter most to them and be there every day.
Rural Americans United understands this, which is why we've launched our pro-democratic messaging campaign. We are educating, reminding, and persuading people that democratic values mirror theirs most closely and will give us the future we all deserve.
Additional Sources: Progressive Strategies NW
