MADISON, Wis. — This week, POLITICO reported on the strength of Democratic presence in rural Wisconsin under new, fair maps. Gerrymandered districts that were drawn to disproportionately advantage Republicans are now competitive, with Democratic candidates making inroads in rural areas they were previously shut out of. In 2024, Democrats are proving that rural does not mean red. 

Democrats like Yee Leng Xiong, Elizabeth Grabe, and Jodi Emerson are fighting for all Wisconsinites, and they’re showing up wherever they can to reach voters, putting in the miles to listen to the issues at every door. These candidates are dedicated to meeting their voters and hearing what issues Wisconsinites really care about—and carrying those values with them to Madison.

POLITICO: Have Democrats found a way to win over rural America? Look at what’s happening in Wisconsin.
By: Tyler Katzenberger

[…]

But Democrats are looking to continue a recent string of success in statewide races after winning back the governor’s mansion in 2018 and flipping the state’s Supreme Court from conservative to liberal in 2023. They’re pouring money into more than a dozen battleground seats unlocked by new maps. And in a show of force, the party is contesting 97 of Wisconsin’s 99 Assembly districts, its largest recruitment effort since 2011.

Should liberals pull off the upset in Wisconsin, their strategy could become a blueprint for Democrats across the country searching for a way to halt the red tidal wave that’s washed over the American heartland.

“We see a slightly Democratic leaning overall environment,” Neubauer said. “That’s an environment in which we can win a majority.”

[…]

Instead, the tipping-point seat is likely somewhere along Highway 29, an east-west artery that reaches across the state’s largely rural center and runs right through Wausau, where Democrat Yee Leng Xiong is looking to oust four-term GOP Rep. Patrick Snyder.

[…]

“We win that one, [it’s] very likely to be the seat that would give us the majority,” Neubauer said.

Xiong, a local school board member and former executive director of Wausau’s Hmong American Center, has been on Democrats’ radar for years. He finally decided to run for the seat after the state Supreme Court ordered new maps last December. He would be Wisconsin’s first Hmong American legislator if he wins in November.

“I’m really fortunate this district is 50-50,” said Xiong, who described himself as “annoyingly moderate” with a penchant for bipartisanship. “If it was too progressive, I probably wouldn’t win. If it was too conservative, I wouldn’t win.”

[…]

That’s how Grabe, a realtor who moved back to Wisconsin in 2005 to manage her family’s farm, found herself trekking up a winding gravel driveway in the tiny southwestern hamlet of Montfort after grabbing lunch at a local sports bar. She’s criss-crossed the 50-mile-wide district in her white SUV to reach voters, an effort the former triathlete compared to running a marathon after finishing a long bike ride.

[…]

“It matters to show up, be there, and be present in these communities,” Emerson said. “Even if I’m not winning votes, if I’m introducing myself to them and having a good conversation, my hope is I walk away with at least their respect.”

Emerson and other Democrats looking to win over rural voters are campaigning on a slate of kitchen-table issues — greater funding for child care, public schools and local governments — they feel Republicans have neglected despite record state budget surpluses.

For example, city and county leaders have increasingly asked local taxpayers to foot the bill for municipal services like libraries and road construction when state aid comes up short. Democrats say the shortages are a direct result of Republican-imposed austerity.

“Rural folks are being impacted by this,” Xiong said. “The state legislature has been balancing its budget on the back of local government.”

They’re pushing a similar message on health care. Republicans have long opposed Medicaid expansion, making Wisconsin one of 10 states that has not approved benefits that the state’s health department estimates would extend medical coverage to nearly 90,000 residents.

Neubauer thinks these issues will resonate with voters. She was even willing to throw out a target number for Democrats — 52 seats — in an August interview with The Recombobulation Area, a local left-leaning politics blog.