As the US midterm elections approach, Democrats and independents have a chance to reconnect with communities in rural America by tapping into a revival of “prairie populism”, addressing local frustrations linked to Donald Trump’s policies, and sticking to a classic political approach: showing up everywhere.
When Dan Osborn visited one of Nebraska’s most remote counties earlier this month, he began stopping by businesses along the small main street of Arthur, eager to engage with anyone he could find in this town of about 100 residents.
For an independent candidate vying for a US Senate seat in a predominantly Republican state, every vote counts – including those from staunchly Republican neighborhoods that candidates often ignore. Osborn is making his way through all 93 counties in Nebraska before election day; he’s got around a dozen left to visit.
He’s among several notable candidates aiming to regain support in regions that the left and center abandoned to Republicans over the past decade. They are promoting populist messages rooted in their states’ agricultural traditions, echoing politicians from previous eras who advocated for farmers and workers neglected by both parties.
In Iowa, Democratic US Senate hopeful Josh Turek describes himself as a “commonsense prairie populist”. Sam Forstag, another Democrat running for Congress in Montana, has highlighted economic populism while trying to flip a red district. He expressed his desire to advocate for “people like the kid I was growing up, whose belly is full because of food stamps.”
Josh Turek, the Democratic Senate candidate in Iowa, greets a member of the public at the farmers’ market in Dubuque on 17 October 2026. Photograph: Kamil Krzaczyński/AFP/Getty Images
A writer once likened Kansas pastor Adam Hamilton’s politics as “populism of decency”, drawing comparisons between Hamilton and William Jennings Bryan, an early 20th-century evangelical populist from neighboring Nebraska known as the “great commoner”.
“For me, populism is not doing things through a political lens or party lens; it’s always asking what’s best for the people?” Turek explained. “So for me, it’s about what’s best for Iowa. What benefits Iowans-especially middle-class workers? What supports rural communities? What helps small family farms?”
Candidates often resist being labeled politically and instead stress their practicality and readiness to collaborate with politicians from any party background. For instance, Hamilton’s campaign noted that he admired Bob Dole, the late long-serving Republican senator from Kansas, emphasizing Hamilton’s willingness to work across party lines.
“It’s how Kansas got the Farm Bill that has supported farmers and low-income kids for decades – by collaborating together across party lines,” stated Hamilton’s campaign.
This election cycle also incorporates issues like datacenters and artificial intelligence into its populist agenda. These topics resonate with anti-corporate sentiments among rural voters who wish to protect their land and lifestyle from large tech companies.
“I’ve never seen our party adapt so quickly to where voters stand on issues without excessive polling,” said Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party. “I believe candidates are learning it’s okay to address these local concerns that people care about.”
A combination of despair and competition
In the late 19th century, America saw a left-of-center populist movement focused on small farmers whose primary adversary was railroads. Cory Haala, history professor at South Dakota State University who authored a book on midwestern progressive populism explains this dynamic.
Railroads monopolized land ownership while imposing high fees on farmers needing transportation for their goods nationwide. These farmers often united with organized labor efforts pushing back against out-of-state interests.
Some aspects of this movement continue today: North Dakota boasts a state-run bank along with state-operated flour mills; Minnesota has political parties like the Democratic-Farmer-Labor alliance. Over time throughout the 20th century progressive populism rose and fell again during crises like that faced during farm struggles in the 1980s which resulted in numerous small farm failures due to poor economic conditions.
Populists alongside farming-oriented Democrats enjoyed success throughout prairie states-figures such as Tom Harkin from Iowa or Byron Dorgan from North Dakota achieved notable victories until USA Today deemed them a “fading species” by 2013.
“Conversations surrounding anti-monopoly laws alongside datacenter discussions offer fresh points for organizing similar to successful efforts seen during previous decades,” said Haala. “These often involve out-of-state corporate forces working behind closed doors.”
Heidi Heitkamp-a former senator recognized as North Dakota’s last statewide Democrat winner-pointed out her victory wasn’t too far back; she won in 2012 but lost re-election six years later. Recently her successor Kevin Cramer expressed relief about avoiding this year’s ballot while speaking with Out of State-a rural policy newsletter.
Then senator Heidi Heitkamp speaks at an event with North Dakota State University students on 11 October 2018. Photograph: Dave Kolpack/AP
Heitkamp shared with The Guardian that Democrats opted easier growth routes via suburbs rather than maintaining influence within rural America altogether-a sentiment echoed by Chuck Schumer back in 2016 when he remarked: “For every blue-collar Democrat we lose in western Pennsylvania , we will pick up two or three moderate Republicans around Philadelphia.”
Now candidates rooted within their states aim directly at addressing economic hardships impacting neighbors due largely high fuel costs tariffs healthcare challenges surrounding rural hospitals as well as concerns regarding datacenters attempting recapture voter support once again according Heitkamp’s views-it becomes crucial they tackle these worries if they want restore reputations ultimately broaden representation within these areas.
p>
“Rural areas rely heavily on accessible affordable transport,” she added.”People who previously believed current administration would solve problems have since lost trust.” p>
