A Democratic candidate recruitment group is committing $12 million to rural organizing, aiming to make significant inroads in conservative areas and lay the groundwork for the 2028 election, the organization revealed exclusively to Morning Score.
The investment by Contest Every Race in rural regions marks an expansion of the group’s grants program, which contributed $1.2 million to local parties in 2024. This initiative has attracted increased donor interest, especially in light of the second Trump administration. Since its inception in 2021, the group has funded local parties across 29 states, and is now scaling its efforts nationwide, positioning itself as the “largest long-term, volunteer-powered organizing initiative aligned with the Democratic Party.”
This expansion comes at a time when Democrats have faced challenges in rural America, a situation exacerbated by Donald Trump’s appeal to working-class voters and what some in the party perceive as disconnected messaging. While the group’s program provides modest grants—typically at least $600 per quarter to local parties—it also offers invaluable monthly training sessions and free texting services, both crucial resources for small, volunteer-run organizations in rural areas.
With applications for funding from 1,200 local parties across all 50 states—nearly three times the number the group worked with in preparation for 2024—Contest Every Race intends to support as many parties as possible, prioritizing battleground states.
“Democrats’ recent successes in Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Wisconsin weren’t coincidental. They stem from tireless, year-round organizing in areas often overlooked by national Democrats,” said Zoe Stein, Executive Director of Contest Every Race, in a statement.
The group is focused on energizing Democrats and recruiting candidates for the 100,000 local elections scheduled for 2025, while simultaneously building a foundation in rural areas to boost voter turnout in the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race.
One rural Democratic party highlighted the impact of the group’s support in increasing local candidate participation. In 2023, Union County, Pennsylvania, had only 10 Democratic candidates on the ballot, according to party chair Shari Jacobson. Thanks to the assistance from Contest Every Race, that number rose to 29 candidates this year.
“Almost every single voter in Union County had someone to vote for in every single race,” Jacobson explained. While not all candidates won, Vice President Kamala Harris saw gains in the county over President Joe Biden’s 2020 results. The increase in local candidates helped drive higher voter turnout, she added.
“We’re playing a long game,” Jacobson said. “It’s not gonna happen overnight.”
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