Founded in 2019, Rural GroundGame came about as a response to a need to support rural Democrats and prevent the further decline of the Democratic image in rural Virginia. With the program Rural GroundGame built, 12 House of Delegates campaigns and 2 State Senate campaigns were able to run professional and effective field and communications programs. While rural campaigns across the Commonwealth saw a 3 point increase in votes in 2019 on average, those campaigns that participated in the Rural GroundGame program saw an increase of 11 points.

Seeking to expand beyond working with campaigns, Rural GroundGame began supporting local Democratic committees in their work, providing direct support in the form of staff time, trainings, and access to tools for committees to engage with their communities and make a tangible positive impact, all while improving the Democratic brand. Since our founding, we have provided direct assistance to hundreds of campaigns and committees, making millions of direct voter contacts.

As a result of these efforts, Rural GroundGame has developed an innovative model for inclusive voter participation by creating a grassroots, community-centered messaging platform and organizing hub. Rural GroundGame, in partnership with local and national organizations, is using data-driven methods to develop a replicable model for rural voter engagement.