Skip to content

Former Iowa governor: Take rural voters seriously

Ex-USDA secretary helped 2020 Democrats shape their rural policies

Livestock in the agriculture building at the Iowa State Fair. (Thomas McKinless/CQ Roll Call).
Livestock in the agriculture building at the Iowa State Fair. (Thomas McKinless/CQ Roll Call).

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack helped devise a handful of Democratic presidential candidates’ rural platforms, including those of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden, as part of his effort to boost Democrats’ appeal to rural voters.

The former Agriculture secretary sat down with CQ Roll Call during the Iowa State Fair to discuss why Republicans have had an edge over Democrats in rural areas, and how his party is working to connect with rural voters in Iowa and across the country.

Loading the player...

Recent Stories

Lawmakers welcome Zelenskyy but don’t have path to Ukraine aid

House GOP leaders scrap spending bill votes amid infighting

One of these five people will (probably) be Trump’s running mate

How a new generation of Merchant Marine ships can chart a course for government efficiency

At the Races: Beyond the Beltway, voters voted

Gibberish in Washington keeps them guessing (and spelling)