Election 2026 Rural Democrats

Dave Roethler is a former Donald Trump supporter in Iowa who feels disillusioned about the economy and believes middle-class families are suffering while the president benefits. It's a sentiment echoed by others in rural Iowa, where Democrats are trying to gain ground this election year. Economic concerns such as tariffs and rising gas prices may give Democrats an opening in November’s midterms. But rural voters remain skeptical of large-scale support for Democrats. Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek is emphasizing the need to engage those voters, and his party is focusing on rural investments. Other Democrats in the state are reaching out to these communities, too.

Clergy members and other Democratic candidates with a Christian message helped their party flip control of Congress. This midterm victory highlighted the religious left's strength as a counter to the steady evangelical support for President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans. Mainline Protestantism, with its moderate beliefs, took the election spotlight Tuesday with candidates in Texas, Kansas and Iowa flipping key seats in the U.S. House and Senate. Those Democratic candidates backed church-state separation and sought common ground across religions. The AP Voter Poll found that 7 in 10 religiously unaffiliated voters supported Democratic candidates. Experts say economic issues and disdain for Trump also played a role.