NCDP Rural Caucus

03/06/2026

03/06/2026

When Martin General Hospital closed in 2023, it left 21,000 rural eastern North Carolinians without emergency care. The nearest ER is now 30+ minutes away by ambulance — and Martin is the only county in NC without an on-staff paramedic.

Making matters worse, Martin is the only of North Carolina’s 100 counties without an on-staff paramedic.

ECU Health has a plan to fix it: reopen Martin General as an emergency outpatient hospital ($70M) and expand their Beaufort County facility ($150M).

This week, Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) wrote to President Trump asking for $175 million in federal support to make it happen.

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01/06/2026

Rural Voices of North Carolina

In our first Rural Voices video, Rockingham County Democratic Party Chair Jeff Webster shares why rural North Carolina deserves a strong voice in shaping our state's future.

While rural, suburban, and urban communities often face many of the same challenges, the impact can look very different depending on where you live. That's why listening to local voices matters.

Do you think the concerns of your community are being heard? Tell us where you're from and what's most important to your family.

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01/06/2026

Let's have a real conversation.

No matter who you vote for, do you feel like folks in Raleigh and Washington really understand what life is like in rural North Carolina?

What do you wish they knew?

Is it the struggle to find a doctor close to home? The cost of groceries? Good jobs? Keeping our schools strong? Broadband? Something else?

What are the biggest challenges facing your community right now?

We're not looking for a debate. We're looking to listen.

Tell us where you're from and what's on your mind.

Rural America doesn’t need another autopsy. We need sustained, year-round investment to rebuild the party from the ground up.

31/05/2026

Let's talk about Martin County.

A few years ago, Martin County lost its hospital. Think about that for a minute.

No local hospital.

No emergency room down the road.

No quick trip across town when something goes wrong.

For those of you who live in Martin County, what was that experience really like?

How did it affect your family?

What changed for your community?

And just as importantly, what's happened since then? What progress have you seen? What lessons can the rest of rural North Carolina learn from Martin County?

We're asking because rural communities all across North Carolina are facing challenges with healthcare access, and nobody understands those challenges better than the people living them every day.

Martin County folks, we'd love to hear your stories.

Transportation rises to one of the top healthcare concerns for people living in rural communities.

30/05/2026

https://www.mobilize.us/grassrootsdemocratslahq/event/953368/

*in partnership with Full Court Carolina & North Carolina Senior Democrats* Join us every Tuesday and Saturday to talk to voters in North Carolina! We will be focusing on key races from the Senate, to the State Supreme Court, to key Congressional Districts. If this is your first time phone banking w...

29/05/2026

Hope to see you there!

The NCDP Rural Caucus restarted in December 2025, and the exec team is ready to share our commitment and identify opportunities to increase voter turnout this year and beyond. We will share information with you that shows how WE CAN WIN OUR STATEWIDE ELECTIONS AND EVEN FLIP SOME CONGRESSIONAL SEATS.

21/05/2026

Rural North Carolina cannot afford to be an afterthought.

Too many families across eastern and western North Carolina are still struggling with:
• Long drives for emergency and specialty care
• Rural hospital and urgent care closures
• Mental healthcare shortages
• Limited broadband access
• Aging infrastructure
• Lack of economic opportunity that keeps young people close to home

We need leaders who will consistently advocate for rural investment and practical solutions, not just during election season, but year-round.

For North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, we encourage residents to contact Congressman Don Davis and continue pushing for:
Rural healthcare funding
Broadband expansion
Support for family farms
Infrastructure investment
Workforce and economic development

For western North Carolina and District 11, we encourage residents to engage with leaders and candidates like Jamie Ager about:
Long-term disaster recovery
Rural healthcare access
Small business support
Infrastructure improvements
Affordable housing and workforce development

The Rural Caucus believes advocacy matters. Phone calls matter. Emails matter. Showing up matters. Rural voices deserve to be heard loudly and consistently.

If we want stronger rural communities tomorrow, we have to speak up today.

17/05/2026

Rural healthcare does not improve by accident.

Programs, grants, mobile clinics, broadband expansion, telehealth, and rural healthcare funding happen because communities organize, speak up, attend meetings, contact legislators, share their stories, and demand that rural families are not left behind.

Eastern North Carolina and the Outer Banks have shown what advocacy can look like:
• Regional healthcare partnerships
• Federal and state funding investments
• Telehealth expansion
• Mobile care programs
• Efforts to keep rural hospitals and clinics open
• Coordination between local providers and state agencies

That kind of progress happens when rural voices stay engaged and keep pressure on decision-makers.

The Rural Caucus believes advocacy means:
- Identifying problems early
- Bringing community concerns to local and state leaders
- Supporting practical solutions
- Sharing accurate information
- Making sure rural communities have a seat at the table BEFORE decisions are made

Healthcare access, infrastructure, broadband, schools, and economic opportunity are not partisan “extras.” They are basic needs for working families.

The question is:
What issues in YOUR rural community need stronger advocacy right now?

Send a message to learn more