A Conversation about Reaching Rural Voters with Jess Piper

Just after returning to the studio after two back-to-back episodes where Michelle spent time at the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Policy Institute and the National Association of Community Health Centers' Policy and Issues Conference in D.C., Michelle continues the conversation with NRHA's Government Affairs and Policy Director, Alexa McKinley Abel for an update about the impact of the Continuing Resolution on rural health organizations and what to watch for from Congress as the budget reconciliation process continues.

In the second part of this episode, Michelle meets with the Executive Director for Blue Missouri, Jessica (Jess) Piper. Born and raised in rural America, Jess is a mother to five and grandmother to three, lives on a small farm on the Missouri/Iowa border and was an American Literature teacher for 16 years. After the 2016 election of Trump, Jess became politically active. 

Jess ran for office in 2022 as a State Representative in HD1 in Northwest Missouri. She was unsuccessful but used the experience to organize progressives in rural Missouri. Jess also hosts a weekly podcast called "Dirt Road Democrat."

In this conversation, Jess Piper shares her journey from being a teacher to running for state office in Missouri, highlighting the challenges faced by rural communities, particularly in education and political representation. Michelle and Jess discuss the impact of information silos and news deserts, as well as the importance of grassroots organizations in engaging rural voters. Jess emphasizes the need for Democrats to reconnect with rural constituents and the long-term strategy required to effect change in these areas.

The Rural Impact is pleased to welcome The American Heart Association as a sponsor for this and future episodes! Here's why!

The AHA believes that everyone, no matter where they live, deserves access to high-quality care. That's why they created the Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator, a program designed to help rural hospitals improve cardiovascular care and patient outcomes. The Rural Accelerator provides no-cost access to quality improvement programs, data-driven insights, learning collaboratives, recognition opportunities, and expert-guided education to support 1000 rural hospitals across the country in delivering evidence-based care.  

Rural hospitals play a critical role in their communities. Enroll today and join the movement to improve rural heart health.

Visit www.heart.org/ruralaccelerator to learn more.