After years of declines in rural America, Democrats are now facing the real possibility of losing their House and Senate majorities next year over what many see as a failure to address pocketbook issues; the feeling has contributed to a sense of abandonment among many rural Americans, including many voters who backed Democratic candidates in the past. Heitkamp is one of several individuals with a knowledge of rural issues who spoke to Insider and have sounded alarm bells over Democrats' missteps. In assessing why Democratic support continues to falter in rural areas, Heitkamp said that the decline in ticket-splitting has been a major component. "I think people in general have gotten more tribal," she said. "The willingness for Democrats to vote for Republicans is diminished and vice versa."

With Democrats facing electoral catastrophe if they don't improve their standing in rural America — virtually shutting them out from representing an entire swath of voters in an increasingly-divided country — what factors are at play as the party tries to counter GOP electoral ascendancy in the countryside?

https://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-rural-voters-midterm-elections-2024-culture-2021-11