Insights from Campaigning in Rural America

Hyperlocal campaigning is at the core of building meaningful bridges between politicians and constituents. Our recent event hosted at Newspeak House with Labour Coast and Country featured Matt Hildreth, founder of Rural Organizing in the US and seasoned campaigner in rural communities and small towns. His insights, coupled with overviews of the field in the UK from Hywel Lloyd from Labour Coast and Country and Campaign Lab Director Hannah O’Rourke, have revealed striking parallels and valuable lessons across borders. Here are the main takeaways that campaigners can use when operating outside of the big cities.

Beyond Rural Stereotypes: Reframing the Conversation

Both Matt and Hywel emphasised that traditional conceptions of "rural" have hindered effective organising. In the US, Matt highlighted how the media often uses "rural voter" and "white working-class voter" interchangeably, despite the fact that one in three new rural residents are immigrants. Similarly, less than 10% of rural Americans derive their primary income from agriculture, with most working in education, healthcare, and services.

In the UK, Hywel noted that when discussing "rural," many immediately think of wealth and farms, whereas "towns" evoke different associations like industry or decline. These two framings, regardless of their validity, affect how politicians engage with communities.

"Rural is actually an identity, not just a geography," said Matt, suggesting that a framing such as “towns and neighbourhoods” might resonate more with voters, which Hywel agreed would fit the UK context as well.

The Hyperlocal Imperative

Matt described the necessity of organising around issues that directly affect people's daily lives—healthcare, education, and economic opportunity—rather than traditional "rural" issues like agriculture that might only affect a small percentage of the population, but be prominent in the popular imagination of outsiders. Avoiding the mistake of running a campaign on issues relevant to only small parts of the population means including local voices in campaign design, and incorporating their insights.

Further, both sides agreed that national branding has become a significant hurdle. Matt noted that in the US, describing two hypothetical candidates without party labels shows the local candidate easily winning, but once Democratic affiliation is added, that candidate often loses by 30 points. This nationalisation of politics presents a challenge that both UK and US organisers are tackling through hyperlocal, community-based approaches.

Authentic Messengers: Who Delivers the Message Matters

Campaign Lab testing in the UK revealed that crowdsourced messages from local activists consistently outperformed centralised party messaging in converting voters.

Matt emphasised this same point from the US perspective: "The number one question people have is, are they fighting for us? Are they fighting with us?" He noted that local, authentic candidates are critical to overcoming partisan barriers.

In both countries, the distance between national political establishments and rural communities has created distrust. Developing local messengers—whether candidates or community organisers—who can authentically represent local concerns has proven vital to breaking through partisan skepticism.

Building Community Where It Has Eroded

A critical challenge facing organisers is what Matt called a "community crisis" or "friendship crisis" in the US, where social connections have frayed, particularly among younger generations. This impacts organising because civic engagement strongly correlates with social networks.

This observation connects to the UK approach of making Labour visible in communities. Hywel described how effective organizers are "not about being overtly Labour, but about being in your community, doing things, helping organise things that are good for that community." When election time comes, voters remember who helped with street cleaning, tree planting, or business development.

Both countries' organisers emphasised that campaigns must first build community where it has eroded before attempting to mobilize for political action.

Digital and Physical Presence: Meeting People Where They Are

Hannah highlighted that in small UK towns, local Facebook groups often have substantial membership relative to population size. For example, in Audley (population 8,000), the local Facebook group has 2,900 members. Analysis showed local news was shared five times more frequently than national news in these groups.

Matt shared how COVID transformed rural Americans' relationship with technology. Pre-pandemic, it was "impossible to get folks on Zoom," but that quickly changed out of necessity. State parties now provide "Zoom grants" to help county parties bridge vast physical distances.

In the physical world, both countries value visible presence. An interesting discussion emerged around yard signs (or "garden stakes" in the UK). Matt described distributing yard signs in packs of 10, encouraging neighbours to collaborate and create "safety in numbers" against potential backlash. This strategy creates small networks of politically engaged neighbours who support each other.

Economic Opportunity as Common Ground

Perhaps the strongest area of agreement was the importance of economic prosperity as an organizing principle. Matt's organisation found success building platforms around economic opportunity, arguing that rural communities deserve fair access to federal dollars.

UK speakers similarly emphasised that Labour's strength lies in addressing universal needs around education, healthcare, and social services that resonate regardless of location.

Both approaches recognize that economic concerns transcend political divides and offer common ground for engagement even in politically challenging environments.

Looking Forward: Early Investment and Authentic Engagement

Both UK and US speakers emphasised the importance of early, sustained investment in rural organising infrastructure. The speakers agreed that authentic local messengers, community-building approaches, and long-term investment in rural infrastructure are essential for political success in small towns and rural communities.

By focusing on hyperlocal issues, empowering local voices, and building genuine community presence, progressive campaigns can effectively engage rural voters who often share the same fundamental concerns as their urban counterparts—they just need to be approached with authentic, community-based strategies that recognise the unique character and needs of their towns.Hyperlocal campaigning is at the core of building meaningful bridges between politicians and constituents. Our recent event hosted at Newspeak House with Labour Coast and Country featured Matt Hildreth, founder of Rural Organizing in the US and seasoned campaigner in rural communities and small towns. His insights, coupled with overviews of the field in the UK from Hywel Lloyd from Labour Coast and Country and Campaign Lab Director Hannah O’Rourke, have revealed striking parallels and valuable lessons across borders. Here are the main takeaways that campaigners can use when operating outside of the big cities.

Beyond Rural Stereotypes: Reframing the Conversation

Both Matt and Hywel emphasised that traditional conceptions of "rural" have hindered effective organising. In the US, Matt highlighted how the media often uses "rural voter" and "white working-class voter" interchangeably, despite the fact that one in three new rural residents are immigrants. Similarly, less than 10% of rural Americans derive their primary income from agriculture, with most working in education, healthcare, and services.

In the UK, Hywel noted that when discussing "rural," many immediately think of wealth and farms, whereas "towns" evoke different associations like industry or decline. These two framings, regardless of their validity, affect how politicians engage with communities.

"Rural is actually an identity, not just a geography," said Matt, suggesting that a framing such as “towns and neighbourhoods” might resonate more with voters, which Hywel agreed would fit the UK context as well.

The Hyperlocal Imperative

Matt described the necessity of organising around issues that directly affect people's daily lives—healthcare, education, and economic opportunity—rather than traditional "rural" issues like agriculture that might only affect a small percentage of the population, but be prominent in the popular imagination of outsiders. Avoiding the mistake of running a campaign on issues relevant to only small parts of the population means including local voices in campaign design, and incorporating their insights.

Further, both sides agreed that national branding has become a significant hurdle. Matt noted that in the US, describing two hypothetical candidates without party labels shows the local candidate easily winning, but once Democratic affiliation is added, that candidate often loses by 30 points. This nationalisation of politics presents a challenge that both UK and US organisers are tackling through hyperlocal, community-based approaches.

Authentic Messengers: Who Delivers the Message Matters

Campaign Lab testing in the UK revealed that crowdsourced messages from local activists consistently outperformed centralised party messaging in converting voters.

Matt emphasised this same point from the US perspective: "The number one question people have is, are they fighting for us? Are they fighting with us?" He noted that local, authentic candidates are critical to overcoming partisan barriers.

In both countries, the distance between national political establishments and rural communities has created distrust. Developing local messengers—whether candidates or community organisers—who can authentically represent local concerns has proven vital to breaking through partisan skepticism.

Building Community Where It Has Eroded

A critical challenge facing organisers is what Matt called a "community crisis" or "friendship crisis" in the US, where social connections have frayed, particularly among younger generations. This impacts organising because civic engagement strongly correlates with social networks.

This observation connects to the UK approach of making Labour visible in communities. Hywel described how effective organizers are "not about being overtly Labour, but about being in your community, doing things, helping organise things that are good for that community." When election time comes, voters remember who helped with street cleaning, tree planting, or business development.

Both countries' organisers emphasised that campaigns must first build community where it has eroded before attempting to mobilize for political action.

Digital and Physical Presence: Meeting People Where They Are

Hannah highlighted that in small UK towns, local Facebook groups often have substantial membership relative to population size. For example, in Audley (population 8,000), the local Facebook group has 2,900 members. Analysis showed local news was shared five times more frequently than national news in these groups.

Matt shared how COVID transformed rural Americans' relationship with technology. Pre-pandemic, it was "impossible to get folks on Zoom," but that quickly changed out of necessity. State parties now provide "Zoom grants" to help county parties bridge vast physical distances.

In the physical world, both countries value visible presence. An interesting discussion emerged around yard signs (or "garden stakes" in the UK). Matt described distributing yard signs in packs of 10, encouraging neighbours to collaborate and create "safety in numbers" against potential backlash. This strategy creates small networks of politically engaged neighbours who support each other.

Economic Opportunity as Common Ground

Perhaps the strongest area of agreement was the importance of economic prosperity as an organizing principle. Matt's organisation found success building platforms around economic opportunity, arguing that rural communities deserve fair access to federal dollars.

UK speakers similarly emphasised that Labour's strength lies in addressing universal needs around education, healthcare, and social services that resonate regardless of location.

Both approaches recognize that economic concerns transcend political divides and offer common ground for engagement even in politically challenging environments.

Looking Forward: Early Investment and Authentic Engagement

Both UK and US speakers emphasised the importance of early, sustained investment in rural organising infrastructure. The speakers agreed that authentic local messengers, community-building approaches, and long-term investment in rural infrastructure are essential for political success in small towns and rural communities.

By focusing on hyperlocal issues, empowering local voices, and building genuine community presence, progressive campaigns can effectively engage rural voters who often share the same fundamental concerns as their urban counterparts—they just need to be approached with authentic, community-based strategies that recognise the unique character and needs of their towns.