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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 27 december 2019
Iowa Democrat faces daunting prospect: winning rural voters

By SCOTT McFE- the Nebraska border and as the birthplace of John
TRIDGE south to Missouri. Wayne and for the nearby
Associated Press With many elections closely covered bridges that were
WINTERSET, Iowa (AP) contested, finding a way featured in the book and
— When Cindy Axne to at least lessen the over- movie, The Bridges of Madi-
crunched through fresh whelming losses in oppos- son County.
snow and into the Ameri- ing territory has become a Whether rural residents
can Legion hall in Winter- high priority for candidates will take Axne's promises
set, the freshman Iowa in both parties. to heart is another mat-
congresswoman knew "She's not going to be ter. Madison County is 97
most of the dozen con- able to move heaven and percent white and reliably
stituents waiting inside the earth, but there's a couple votes Republican. Axne
chilly room had likely voted percentage points that I'm lost Madison County 62% to
against her. sure are movable there," 33% in 2018. And the totals
The same was true later said Seth McKee, a Tex- in some of her district's oth-
that day at her "Connect In this Nov. 11, 2019, photo, U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, as Tech political science er rural counties were even
with your Congresswom- speaks to local residents at the American Legion Post 184 in professor who has written more lopsided, with Axne
an" event 50 miles away Winterset, Iowa. about U.S. political polar- losing by 33 points in Adair
in Panora and at the pre- Associated Press ization. He notes studies County, by 36 points in Ad-
vious week's gatherings in show that voters now are ams County and 37 points
Red Oak and Crescent. As rural voters who now over- try." motivated more by their in Page County.
Axne will readily acknowl- whelmingly back Republi- Her experience could be disdain for the opposing Meanwhile, Polk County,
edge, venturing into hostile can candidates? Will lav- a lesson for candidates in party than support for their which includes suburbs of
political territory is almost ishing attention on their is- both parties pondering the own. Des Moines, gave Axne
inevitable when you lost 15 sues and repeatedly show- growing blocs of constitu- Axne edged out Repub- 66% of her total vote in the
of your district's 16 counties ing up in their communities ents who see themselves as lican incumbent David election, but it gets only a
in the last election. make a difference? part of an opposing politi- Young 49 percent to 47 sliver of her attention now.
But rather than focus on "What I'm trying to do get- cal tribe. Can Republican percent in 2018 in what "I did not get into this posi-
the supporters in urban Polk ting out in rural areas is to candidates still reach resi- proved a strong year for tion just to represent Demo-
County who were enough show that it doesn't mat- dents of metropolitan ar- Democrats, as they flipped crats or just to represent the
to power her to victory, ter what letter is behind my eas that are growing more 40 GOP House seats nation- urban areas,"Axne said.
she is returning again and name, I'm doing the work progressive? Then there wide. She maintains she can be
again to the deeply con- for you and I'm here to are the Democrats who Now, Axne, 54, insists that an ally of rural residents.
servative small towns she be your voice," Axne said. currently control the House just bolstering her margin Besides face-to-face meet-
lost as she tries to solve a "I think we need to start but are now all but extinct for the next election isn't ings with constituents, she
puzzle that bedevils her breaking down that rural in largely rural districts like her mindset. Although she's regularly appears on rural
party nationwide: and urban divide that has Axne's, which stretches spent most of her life in ur- radio stations and meets
Can a Democrat win over been created in this coun- from Des Moines west to ban areas, including start- with weekly newspaper ed-
ing her own digital marking itors. In addition to winning
business and raising two over more rural voters, she's
sons with her husband in set her sights on winning at
a Des Moines suburb, she least one more county, Dal-
said she's always felt a con- las County, which includes
nection with the country suburban neighborhoods.
and the state's small towns Young, who is seeking to
that stemmed from sum- win back his seat, doubts
mers spent on her grand- anyone is buying it.
parents' farm. "She talks of moderation
In her talks in communities and common sense when
like Winterset, Axne tells res- she's in Iowa but in Wash-
idents how she's pushing to ington she votes 97% of the
resolve trade disputes that time with Nancy Pelosi,"
have caused corn and said Young, 51, who repre-
soybean prices to plunge, sented the district for two
about her legislation to ex- terms after a long career
pand rural broadband and as an aide to Iowa U.S. Sen.
about her entrepreneurial Charles Grassley and other
initiatives designed to help Republican lawmakers.
small towns, many of which Young points to Axne's sup-
have half the populations port of environmental reg-
they had a century ago. ulations he argues would
It's a message that seems hurt farmers, her skepticism
well suited to Winterset, a toward Republicans' 2017
community of 5,200 people tax cuts and her support for
with a movie theater, cof- a public option for health
fee shop, cafe and antique insurance that he contends
stores lining the courthouse would hurt rural hospitals.
square. The seat of Madison "She can spend time in
County is largely depen- the rural counties, and ev-
dent on the corn and soy- erybody should, but she's
bean fields that surround getting no traction there,"
the city but is also known Young said. q