Ohio Democratic Party Rural Caucus Releases Rural Ohio Listening Tour Report
February 20, 2026
Columbus, Ohio- Today, the Ohio Democratic Party in conjunction with the Ohio Democratic Rural Caucus released the findings from its Building Country Roads, Rural Ohio Listening Tour.
The tour consisted of nine Saturday morning listening sessions across nine rural Ohio counties and took place over the course of October 2025 through December 2025.
Some of the concerns the report highlights from rural voters are:
- Political neglect and misconceptions about rural Ohio
- Public schools
- Media decline and misinformation
- Economic uncertainty
“A critical part of Ohio Democrats’ path to victory up and down the ballot is in rural Ohio. Our listening tour and the report on its findings is just the beginning of our party’s commitment to strengthening our relationships with voters in rural Ohio. I look forward to continuing to work closely with our Rural Caucus Chair Chris Gibbs and partnering with our great rural county leaders across the state,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde.
“For two months I travelled rural Ohio to listen to voters’ concerns for their communities, their state and the country. This report is a culmination of those conversations and my hope is it’s a useful guide for Democratic candidates and operatives as we look to win in 2026. I’m committed to continuing to lead our rural caucus work with Chair Clyde, who I know shares my commitment to getting this right and believes deeply that we can never give up on rural Ohio and need to show up and engage the electorate like never before.” said Ohio Democratic Party Rural Caucus Chair Chris Gibbs.
In the coming weeks the Ohio Democratic Party will present the findings of the report to candidates, county chairs, the ODP Executive Committee and the Democratic National Committee.
The full report can be read HERE.
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