A rural populist Democrat's campaign for U.S. Senate seat from Missouri

Stephanie Akin reported for Roll Call last week about the candidacy of Democrat Lucas Kunce for the U.S. Senate seat from Missouri.  Here's an excerpt focusing on the rural vote: 

Rural voters receptive

Aftyn Behn, the campaign director for RuralOrganizing.org, one of several Democratic groups focused on winning rural voters that has sprung up in the aftermath of Trump’s first election, said their research shows that rural voters are receptive to populist messages.

“Rural voters aren’t looking for a more corporate candidate,” she said. “They’re looking for a candidate who will fight for small businesses, fight corruption. They really want authentic messagers.”

The group has been advising Democrats to adopt “hyperlocal strategies,” hire local campaign teams and not skirt identity issues, like support for abortion rights, that their polling says are popular in rural areas, contrary to a lot of assumptions. Those are all things Kunce is doing.

He brags that 14 of the 18 people on his staff are from Missouri. And he says outlawing abortion on a federal level will create a “two-tiered system” under which “country club Republicans” will still fly their wives and daughters and mistresses to get legal abortions.

“That’s un-American,” he said, adding that he wants to get rid of the filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade.

Daniel Ponder, a Drury University political scientist, said Missouri voters have shown their receptiveness to progressive issues even in areas that have become deeply Republican. In 2018, the same year Hawley won the Senate race, Missouri voters overwhelmingly passed measures to legalize medical marijuana and raise the minimum wage, for example.

“I do think that Democrats are going to claw their way back into it, and I think Kunce is on to the right strategy,” he said. “Whether that takes root in 2022 or not is the question. I kind of doubt it. We’re still in a polarized era. Maybe over the next few election cycles.”