BigTent USA was thrilled to welcome Sarah Jaynes, Executive Director of Rural Democracy Initiative and Jess Piper, Executive Director of Blue Missouri. Our conversation focused on rural America and what voters are feeling about the Harris/Walz ticket, the November elections and their future.
The Rural Democracy Initiative is driving a growing array of organizing efforts in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Montana, and Arizona, where new work is underway to engage rural voters, speak to their concerns, and otherwise show up in places that many Democrats have written off. RDI is building power and shared prosperity across diverse communities in rural areas and small cities. Their investments target civic infrastructure in small towns and cities to influence public sentiment, electoral outcomes, and redistricting procedures. Their main goal is to provide support for rural working people, therefore transforming the landscape of rural America for future generations.
OUR SPEAKER
Sarah Jaynes, Executive Director Rural Democracy Initiative
Sarah grew up in a small town on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state and began her career organizing on climate issues in rural communities. Since then, she’s been a trailblazer in the progressive movement. Sarah led the development of one of the first state progressive donor networks—Washington’s Progress Alliance—and has coached emerging donor alliances from Alaska to New Hampshire to Alabama as a senior advisor to Committee on States. Sarah is recognized for her expertise leading innovative campaigns integrating field experiments, digital platforms, and transformative narrative, and manages to stay relentlessly optimistic and obsessed with winning.
Jess Piper is a mother to five and grandmother to three and lives on a small farm on the Missouri/Iowa border. She was born and raised in rural America. She was an American Literature teacher for 16 years. After the 2016 election of Trump, Jess became politically active. Jess ran for office in 2022 for State Representative in HD1 in Northwest Missouri. Jess wrires a well known newsletter: The View from Rural Missouri