Rust Belt Rising

Rust Belt Rising Rust Belt Rising helps Democrats be the party of working families by training candidates on effective messaging and organizing.

We're excited to invite you to the Midwestern Regional Rural Forum tomorrow hosted by the Democratic National Committee ...
06/02/2026

We're excited to invite you to the Midwestern Regional Rural Forum tomorrow hosted by the Democratic National Committee Rural Council Committee. We’re honored that the DNC asked Rust Belt Rising to share what we do with Democrats around the country. This is an exciting opportunity to improve how our party engages with voters and rural communities.

Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM CT
RSVP HERE: https://democrats.zoom.us/meeting/register/RgsuwxtVRjem42mCYXGqmw

The forum is hosted by Rural Council Midwestern Representative Julie Fryer, and our Rust Belt Rising team will present on best practices, strategy, and what we've learned from working with local Democratic leaders.

Speakers:
• Former North Dakota U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp
• Katrina Shankland, Rust Belt Rising
• Christopher Gibbs and Jordan Horstman, The Ohio Democratic Party Rural Caucus

It will be a great place to learn from Democratic organizers across the Midwest and hear from other regional organizations as primaries take place all across the Midwest. You can also weigh in and ask questions of the speakers.

These events increase momentum to elect more Democrats up and down the ballot. We hope to see you there!

05/01/2026

Today is May Day, an important celebration of labor and the strength of working people’s organizing power and voices. Rust Belt Rising is proud to stand with workers today and every day! Our Executive Director Katrina Shankland spoke to folks in Wisconsin Rapids, a city of 18,700 in the heart of Wisconsin. Our message? When we put workers first, we win! Power to the people, always. 💪

Don’t miss the chance to meet with Ben Wikler, one of our region's and country’s most impactful organizers as the except...
04/06/2026

Don’t miss the chance to meet with Ben Wikler, one of our region's and country’s most impactful organizers as the exceptional former Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Wednesday, April 8 at 2:00 pm ET/1:00 p.m. CT

REGISTER HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tIQHTmUjSNymy9LFUD1nmg

Ben will share with us what leaders and activists need to know from his time spent at the helm of WisDems, and insights from his new book, This Is The Plan: How to End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy.

Drawing on his remarkable leadership of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and digital advocacy at MoveOn before that, Ben’s book shows what individuals and small groups can do to help build a future where democracy thrives and our country works for everyone.

During Wikler’s chairship from 2019 to 2025, WisDems won 10 out of 13 statewide races—including Joe Biden’s presidential win in 2020, Tony Evers’s re-election in 2022, and Tammy Baldwin’s victory in 2024, as well as three state Supreme Court landslides that flipped the majority and ended the state’s extreme partisan state legislative gerrymander.

Wikler has spent over two decades at the forefront of progressive advocacy and political action. Before leading the Wisconsin Democratic Party, Wikler served as Washington Director for MoveOn, where he helped spearhead campaigns to protect the Affordable Care Act and resist the Trump agenda. He now lives with his wife, three kids, and enormous dog in Madison, Wisconsin.

Join us for a chance to learn from and talk with Ben Wikler for insights you can bring to your community and campaign.

We are excited to hear from one of our region’s most exciting leaders and long-time friend of Rust Belt Rising, Michigan...
02/16/2026

We are excited to hear from one of our region’s most exciting leaders and long-time friend of Rust Belt Rising, Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow!

Join us this Thursday, February 19 at 1:00 p.m. ET/Noon Central. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/PjbjK71KTvCE7AMqly2WCA #/registration

Senator McMorrow will share what she's learned to effectively message our values to win voters beyond our base while communicating the harm Republicans are causing to working families.

Mallory is a working mom who has beaten MAGA Republicans and delivered results. Having graduated into the 2008 recession, she knows what it's like to do everything right and still struggle. So, she ran for office and flipped a deep-red seat in 2018, then helped Democrats flip the State Senate in Michigan for the first time in 40 years alongside other amazing Rising candidates.

As a leader in the Michigan State Senate, she’s worked on raising higher wages, tax cuts for seniors and working families, repealing the state’s abortion ban, protecting Michigan’s water, better teacher pay, and more.

Mallory is currently running for U.S. Senate to stand up to Trump on protecting our rights, lowering costs, and building a future where Michiganders will get ahead.

We are excited for you to learn from Mallory, a nationally-respected fighter for our values. Sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/PjbjK71KTvCE7AMqly2WCA #/registration

We're excited to welcome Nick Jacobs today, Thursday, November 20 at at 1:00 p.m. Eastern/Noon Central for his presentat...
11/20/2025

We're excited to welcome Nick Jacobs today, Thursday, November 20 at at 1:00 p.m. Eastern/Noon Central for his presentation on the book he co-authored, The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of Rural America.

REGISTER HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Ics-9_OvS_-V7aVn9cts-A #/registration

Nicholas Jacobs holds the Goldfarb Family Distinguished Chair in American Government at Colby College, where he also serves as the inaugural Director of the Bram Public Policy Lab. His research examines federalism, intergovernmental relations, and the geography of governance in the United States, with a particular focus on how place-based identities shape political behavior and policy legitimacy. Jacobs is the co-author of The Rural Voter and editor of the De Gruyter Series in American Political Geography. His work has been featured in leading journals and major media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, and NPR.

Rust Belt Rising is excited to welcome Phil O'Leary and Howard Rosen tomorrow, Wednesday, November 12 at 1 p.m. ET/Noon ...
11/11/2025

Rust Belt Rising is excited to welcome Phil O'Leary and Howard Rosen tomorrow, Wednesday, November 12 at 1 p.m. ET/Noon Central for Effective Messaging to Rural Voters.

At this session, you will learn how to engage with rural voters whose votes directly influence election outcomes. The session leaders will share the results of recent research and their own experiences that will help candidates, campaign staff, volunteers, and activists develop a clearer understanding of rural voters and effective messaging strategies.

REGISTER HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Ri_o_ImYQzyNjgZXbs4cCg #/registration

Phil O’Leary and Howard Rosen are the Messaging Advisors to the Rural Caucus of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Phil and Howard are retired UW-Madison Extension faculty, with many years of experience developing and delivering programs that provided practical tools for working adults to use. In addition to having a Ph.D. in Land Resources, Phil is also a farmer – working his century family farm in Rock County on a daily basis. He and Howard have together worked directly with local county parties and candidates in Wisconsin, as well as with the DNC.

Join Rust Belt Rising and Braver Angels today, October 15 at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT for our session on Skills to Disa...
10/15/2025

Join Rust Belt Rising and Braver Angels today, October 15 at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT for our session on Skills to Disagree Better. In this training, you will learn skills for listening carefully, looking for common ground, and sharing perspectives in ways that connect.

REGISTER HERE! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/skills-for-disagreeing-better-mi-staterust-belt-rising-registration-1641557285029?aff=oddtdtcreator

As activists and candidates in the Midwest, we all must be mindful of how we talk with our neighbors in order to build bridges and trust, increase civic engagement, and move voters our way. Braver Angels is leading the nation’s largest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic.

Join us tomorrow, October 7 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern/1:00 p.m. Central to hear from Josh Klemons on Facebook Ads for Politic...
10/06/2025

Join us tomorrow, October 7 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern/1:00 p.m. Central to hear from Josh Klemons on Facebook Ads for Political Campaigns and Organizations. Josh Klemons is a Digital Storyteller/Strategist and the founder of Reverbal Communications, helping progressive brands, organizations and campaigns win the internet.

Join us to learn how to use Facebook ads to take your digital program to the next level.

REGISTER HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/j9fGJUMoQFuQSHgIEtP8HA #/registration

Every political campaign should be running Facebook ads—but it's important to understand how this powerful platform works before you start hitting "Boost."

In this session, we’ll walk through how to get started with Meta Ads Manager, the types of campaigns available, building effective creative and targeting, understanding your analytics, and more.

What we'll cover:

✅ Setting up your Meta Ads account correctly

✅ Understanding the difference between dark ads and boosted posts

✅ The different audience types (custom, lookalike, etc.)

✅ Choosing the right ad objectives for your goals

✅ Interpreting your campaign analytics

REGISTER to hear from Josh on how to run ads successfully and efficiently to get your message out!

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/j9fGJUMoQFuQSHgIEtP8HA #/registration

Join us tomorrow, October 3 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern/Noon Central to hear from Chloe Maxmin on Organizing and Leading in Rur...
10/02/2025

Join us tomorrow, October 3 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern/Noon Central to hear from Chloe Maxmin on Organizing and Leading in Rural America. Chloe co-authored Dirt Road Revival and co-founded Dirtroad Organizing alongside her best friend, Canyon Woodward.

Hailing from rural Maine, Chloe served in the Maine House of Representatives in 2018 and the Maine State Senate in 2020. She was the youngest woman ever to serve in the Maine Senate. Chloe also runs Begin Again Farm with her partner, Bill Pluecker, growing organic vegetables for her community. Chloe received an honors degree from Harvard College, where she co-founded Divest Harvard. Additionally, Chloe is the Co-Founder/Advisor at JustME for JustUS--a Maine-based organization focused on rural youth civic engagement and climate justice.

REGISTER HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/BMKqgfw-Ss-j1-9lnPD9kg #/registration

Dirtroad Organizing provides concrete tools and strategies to support organizers, staff, legislators, and aspiring leaders who are working towards an equitable and just democracy in rural America.

Dirtroad Organizing's theory of change revolves around recognizing the inherent political power of rural citizens in American democracy and supporting the organizing, policy, and narrative work necessary to regain trust and build a better future together.

The future of progressive power depends on investing deeply in rural organizing. Dirtroad Organizing is the national training ground for individuals and organizations focused on rural America, providing virtual and in-person trainings for potential candidates, staff, organizations, and volunteers at the state and local levels.

REGISTER to hear from Chloe on her incredible organizing work in rural communities!

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/BMKqgfw-Ss-j1-9lnPD9kg #/registration

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Wisconsin Rapids, WI

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