John,

Watching the results of last night’s election in Virginia, it was hard not to feel angry, and a little sick — especially if you were scrolling through Twitter like I was. The results show that the Republican party is back with a vengeance and Democrats are in huge trouble in 2022 and beyond.

When I started BACKROADS PAC, some folks were skeptical that focusing on rural voters was a worthwhile endeavor. But last night showed how essential our mission is.

In parts of rural Virginia, Glenn Youngkin did ten points better than the Republican running in 2017. But I’m not shocked — we saw the results of the elections in Virginia and New Jersey coming based on our own internal polling in the most rural reaches across the country.

Democrats continue to fall further behind, after 40 years of failing to invest in rural districts. It is absolutely essential that we start moving the margins in these communities — and that’s exactly what BACKROADS is trying to do.

This is an-all-hands-on-deck moment. It’s going to take a massive reinvestment in candidates, messaging, and voter contact. It’s not going to change overnight, but Democrats are doomed if we don’t try.

I know you’re upset not just by the results of last night — but also by the inaction we see in Washington. It’s hard to feel motivated. But we are going to feel a heck of a lot worse next Election Day if Republicans take back Congress and we didn’t do everything we can to stop them.

Days like today are especially tough, but if you are motivated to stop Republicans and support Democrats in rural districts, I hope you’ll consider contributing to BACKROADS today.

And, if you aren’t feeling motivated today, I get that too. Put down your phone, turn off the news, and take care of yourself. We’ll be here, taking the backroads and doing everything we can to spread our message in rural communities. When you’re ready, I hope you’ll join us.

Keep the faith,

Tedra