When Anderson Clayton took over as chair of North Carolina’s Democratic Party in 2023, one of her goals was to gain traction with rural voters.
Democrats have struggled with rural voters over the previous decade. According to Carolina Demography, registered Democrats decreased between 2013 and 2023 by 350,000 voters. Republicans increased by 210,000 and unaffiliated voters increased by 960,000.
Some have argued whether a voter is registered as a Democrat doesn’t matter as long as organizers can convince some in that group of unaffiliated and others to vote blue.
Clayton, who is from rural North Carolina, has said her party has been guilty of ignoring her people in the past. That said, she claims Democrat policies benefit rural Americans, and the key is better messaging.
On the next Charlotte Talks, we examine Anderson’s efforts, why Democratic support waned in rural areas to begin with, and what the future of the party in these areas looks like.
GUESTS:
Chris Cooper, director of the Haire Institute for Public Policy at Western Carolina University and author of the forthcoming book “Anatomy of a Purple State: A North Carolina Politics Primer”
Nathan Dollar, Director of Carolina Demography at UNC-Chapel Hill's Carolina Population Center
Steve Harrison, WFAE political reporter
Cynthia Wallace, co-founder and executive director of the New Rural Project
