As former executive directors of state Democratic parties in so-called "red" states, we've seen firsthand the costs of Democratic disinvestment in year-round organizing and candidate recruitment. Over the past 40 years, national Democratic support has steadily been withdrawn from "red" states and rural communities, leaving state and county parties feeling neglected. Even worse—in 2022, Democrats left 51 percent of partisan down-ballot races uncontested, allowing half of all Republicans to go unchallenged. This failure has eroded the Democratic brand, with right-wing media filling the void and portraying Democrats as out-of-touch elites. Without sustained local organizing and candidate development, Democrats continue to fall behind in building a strong bench of relatable down-ballot leaders. In November, we paid the price.
The future of the Democratic Party demands a different approach: starting with the acknowledgment that an "off year" doesn't exist, that no single county warrants being overlooked, and culminating with a commitment to year-round organizing and party building in all 50 states. With the upcoming election of a new Democratic National Committee chair, we have an opportunity to redefine how our party engages every voter in every state—not just in blue strongholds during elections, but in rural and red communities, year round.
Year-round candidate development, at all levels and localities, is central to building back Democratic strength. Contesting every race holds MAGA extremism accountable, energizes local Democratic organizing, boosts turnout to help statewide and national wins, and ensures voters always have a choice in our democracy.
The Game Plan for Renewal
To move forward, we need a 50-state strategy grounded in year-round support of local organizing and candidate development. Contest Every Race (CER) has led this effort, reinforcing county party infrastructure and recruiting candidates for every ballot line since 2021. Through our work, we've developed a successful game plan that can help guide the Democratic Party as it navigates its future.
We're not here to armchair quarterback solutions without receipts. We've been in the trenches for years, investing in candidates and local organizations. We've seen promising results:
● In North Carolina, Democratic organizing in rural areas helped block a Republican supermajority.
● Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, where Contest Every Race has supported year-round organizing and candidate development since 2021, was one of the only counties in a battleground state that shifted blue from 2020. Ozaukee voted 1.6 percent more Democratic than in 2020.
● In states like Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, down-ballot Democratic candidates outperformed the top of the ticket, driven by year-round organizing and investments in rural communities and off-year efforts. This approach contributed to key wins for Senate and statewide races.
County parties and local Democratic candidates are the best route to re-energizing rural communities around Democratic policies and values. When you support these local organizers and candidates—as we have with grants, communication programs, and volunteers—you'll see a net vote increase.
County parties are the only Democratic organizations that exist everywhere. These folks are already doing the incredibly hard work of organizing their communities. They don't need layers of organizational oversight; they need the resources to do their work even better.
Providing communication infrastructure is key here. Everyone is dealing with information overload, and the most effective way to cut through the noise is through personal relationships. County parties are closest to the ground and offer the clearest avenue to creating and maintaining relationships within their communities. With access to the same tools as the DNC, they could supercharge their efforts more effectively and efficiently than sending in out-of-state organizers for a month every two or four years.
Finally: all politics is local. Candidates for city, county, and state offices are often the strongest messengers when it comes to how Democrats can tangibly improve people's lives.
With national fundraising prowess and access to high-level tools and infrastructure, the DNC is best suited to provide the necessary behind-the-scenes resources local parties need. Let the on-the-ground experts lead.
The traditional model of focusing solely on presidential elections is transactional and unsustainable. Democrats must prioritize relationship-building through year-round engagement, becoming trusted members of the community rather than occasional campaigners. This approach goes beyond asking for money and votes; it means delivering tangible results for people. In 2023, more than 100 county Democratic organizations were mobilized to engage in community service and civic action. For example, in Gila County, Arizona, Democrats raised $8,200 to pay off student lunch debt, gaining bipartisan support and drawing right-leaning independents into the fold. Initiatives like blood drives, brake-light clinics, and food bank volunteering show that Democrats are committed to fighting for economic interests, creating trust and credibility at the grassroots level. CER has funded such efforts and seen promising signals of increased Democratic favorability as a result.
Equally important is recruiting down-ballot candidates, who not only strengthen the party's bench but also demonstrate to rural voters that Democrats are present and invested in their communities. These candidates offer a direct connection to Democratic values and policies, fostering long-term trust and goodwill. To build on these lessons, the next DNC chair must prioritize year-round organizing and make rural and red communities a core focus. CER's work provides a roadmap:
● We've given more than $1 million in $500 quarterly grants to more than 300 county parties in 2024, empowering local leaders to organize in their communities.
● Our county grantees consistently outperformed the top of the ticket.
● CER has recruited more than 10,000 candidates to date, winning 38 percent of contested races—58 percent of the candidates are women or people of color.
● In rural areas, our efforts have contributed to a 3 percent increase in Democratic votes, according to an independent analysis of 2022 election results.
These results show what's possible when we invest in local infrastructure and build year-round capacity.
In a red-wave election year, there is no quick fix. But by embracing a bold vision of consistent organizing and contesting every race, Democrats can lay the foundation for a stronger, more robust party. It's time to stop writing off rural America and start working with communities everywhere to rebuild trust, relationships, and ultimately, electoral success.
Lauren Gepford is the executive director of Contest Every Race and former executive director of the Missouri Democratic Party. Brit Bender is the organizing director for Contest Every Race and the former executive director of the Tennessee Democratic Party.
The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.
English (US) ·