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The mission of the DFL Rural Caucus is to embody and strengthen the relationship between Minnesota’s Rural Community and the DFL Party. Home: Welcome STAND UP AND JOIN US IN Fighting for Rural Minnesotans Become a Member Take Action Donate Welcome to the DFL Rural Caucus The DFL Rural Caucus delivers DFL values in rural communities - comprehensive health care for working families, world-class K-12/pre-K education, reproductive rights, support for beginning and family farmers, support for vital main street businesses, and border-to-border broadband. We advance these values through voter engagement, outreach, and work to elect DFL candidates supporting Rural Minnesota priorities. Our Caucus Our Leaders Legislative Action Voter Info Get Involved Get involved and make a difference in rural Minnesota by volunteering, canvassing, attending events, or even considering running for office. The more rural Democrats actively engage and participate, the stronger and more effective our movement becomes. Join us and let's shape the future of our communities together. Take Action Support the Rural Caucus Take Action Register to vote in time for Election Day Button Take Action Stay in the loop with updates and info Take Action Become a member of the Rural Caucus THE ACTION CENTER See Every Way to Get Involved Take Action Get the Latest KEEP UP WITH THE RURAL CAUCUS Stay informed with all the Latest News and social activity on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram . Thank You, Senator Tina Smith, for Being a Champion for Rural Minnesota! A Message of Gratitude from the DFL Rural Caucus 2024 Rural Caucus Resolutions Rural Caucus Handouts Visit the News Center Email List Stay in Touch

Learn more about the DFL Rural Caucus, what we do, and our team Our Caucus Officers & Directors Constitution & Bylaws Committees About The DFL Rural Caucus was established in 2019 with the goal of giving a voice to rural communities and addressing their unique needs. Rural Minnesota accounts for less than 20% of the state's population and has a rich history of self-sufficient rural citizens who built the foundation of American democracy. (x ) Despite the changes in the makeup of the United States, rural communities still face important issues such as access to reliable broadband, education, conservation, and healthcare. As the 2016 elections have shown, the Democratic Party cannot afford to ignore any county or vote in its quest for a fair and just society. To achieve this goal, the DFL must have a strong presence in every region of the state. The DFL Rural Caucus serves as a platform for rural residents to become active members of the DFL and actively engage with the ongoing work of the party. It aims to generate support for and understanding of rural issues among caucus members, the DFL, and key stakeholder organizations working on behalf of rural residents and communities. Since its formation, the Rural Caucus has focused on recruiting rural DFL members, providing support to county parties where rebuilding is needed, supporting DFL candidates, and recruiting high-quality candidates to ensure that no race goes uncontested. Meet Our Executive Board Exec Board Theresa Keaveny Chair Lori Sellner Treasurer Mike Simpkins Vice Chair Jeff Strand Outreach Officer Jacob Grippen Secretary 2025 Directors First Name Last Name Congressional District City Joe Shepherd 1 Rochester Eugenio Lopez 1 Worthington Dan Wilson 1 Rushford Julie Fryer 1 Chatfield Clinton Meyers 1 Walters Brian Rohrenbach 2 Rosemount Chuck Smith-Dewey 2 Lakefield Kathleen Stark 2 Le Sueur Susan Herder 5 Minneapolis Alissa Brickman 6 Sauk Rapids Jennifer Cronin 7 Pipestone Lisa Schoelerman 7 Hutchinson Cathy Daniels 8 Hibbing Anita Fineday 8 Brainerd Aaron Heim 8 Two Harbors Constitution & Bylaws Click the button below to read our constitution and bylaws. Read it Here Constitution

How to Craft Effective DFL Messaging for Rural Impact Register Now Sponsored by the DFL Rural Caucus in partnership with National Messaging experts from Connections Lab, George & Lisa Greene and Antonia Scatton Suggested Donation for Registration: $30 per student or $100 per unit (4 students). Classes will be recorded and made available to attendees. This is an online workshop through Zoom. Classes will be held on February 25, March 25, April 22, and May 27 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm CST. This four-part virtual workshop will teach you how to find the value in the message and frame it for more meaningful and productive conversations that have a lasting impact on your audience. Based on field-tested and proven cognitive science research, this series of dynamic webinars is designed to equip rural Democrats with the tools, strategies, and skills needed to amplify our values and expand our influence within rural communities. Participants will gain: Effective Messaging Techniques: Learn how to communicate in a new way that resonates with rural voters, enabling them to internalize our worldview and use it to evaluate policies. This training will focus on making complex ideas relatable and accessible. Community Building for Local Organizers: Discover strategies to foster a strong sense of community within local units. This will empower organizers to draw in more supporters, build momentum, and activate local networks to spread the message. Messaging for Candidates and Elected Officials: Ensure that local candidates and current officeholders feel confident and equipped to align their messaging with our broader strategy, fostering consistency and unity in communication. Strategic Messaging for Key Rural Issues: Develop a comprehensive messaging plan for five critical rural issues, ensuring that the message is clear, compelling, and aligned with local needs and values. Optional Online Discussion Group: An optional space for participants to continue the conversation, share best practices, and exchange lessons learned from the webinars, ensuring ongoing collaboration and improvement. By the end of the series, rural Democrats will be empowered to shape the political narrative in their communities, create meaningful change, and drive collective action for a better future. While this training is not designed to give students a list of exact messages, it will give them a foundation so they can create messaging on any issue that cuts through and connects with whomever they are speaking with. Meet Your Teachers George F. Greene has trained thousands of Democrats in the practice of framing in Minnesota and around the U.S. and has worked in media, political messaging, and activist training for decades. He founded the Connections Lab hosting on-location and online training sessions for Democratic activists. They’ve trained candidates and organizers through partnerships with multiple state organizations including the Minnesota DFL and Missouri, Michigan, Washington, and Georgia State Democratic parties. George has been active in Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and is a long-standing member of the State Central Committee. His work as Chair of MN Congressional District 3 helped make it consistently a national leader in voter contact and voter turnout. Learn more about Connections Lab here: https://connectionslab.org/ In 2023, they joined forces with Antonia Scatton to create the Turnaround Project, a joint project of the Association of State Democratic Committees. For more than 25 years, Antonia has been behind the scenes, working for, training, and advising political campaigns, party committees, and advocacy organizations across the country. She is an expert in political messaging and framing. She studied cognitive linguistics with messaging guru and best-selling author, George Lakoff, and worked closely with him for more than a year to develop practical ways for people to apply his discoveries about the science of messaging in their day-to-day work. Read Antonia’s “Reframing America” Substack here: https://reframingamerica.substack.com/ TESTIMONIAL: 2024 Minnesota Election and How This Messaging Worked in the Field In October of the 2024 cycle, Antonia came to Minnesota and worked closely with the Rachel Bohman for Congress (MN01) campaign to develop and employ strategic messaging. Building off Antonia’s research and work with focus groups, she guided the Bohman team in developing a message around the economy. See this piece for the basic premise of this messaging The Bohman campaign began using this message (almost exclusively) in early October. In every situation, the response was immediate and transformative. Voters at the doors were in tears and told the campaign “that they’d never felt so understood”. Staunch Republicans would immediately agree with the messaging and at one Farm Bureau event, an older, very Republican farmer came up to Rachel and told her he couldn’t wait to tell his son what she’d just said. At a large candidate forum, the waitress at the venue started crying – and sought the candidate out afterwards – when Rachel used this messaging during her speech . This messaging created a connection with the voter which led to a better conversation and created a point of shared values and agreement. As we’ve since heard from nearly every national pundit, focusing on the economy should’ve been our topline message. The Bohman campaign truly feels that this messaging “cracked the code”.

Last week, Senator Tina Smith announced that she will not seek re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2026. While we will miss her leadership, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for her years of service—especially her unwavering commitment to rural Minnesota.   From standing up for reproductive rights to her tireless advocacy for farmers and small-town businesses, Senator Smith has always been a leader on broadband expansion, mental health resources, and rural infrastructure. She understands that a strong Minnesota means investing in every corner of the state, not just the metro areas.   As a former Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Senator, and lifelong organizer, she has fought for policies that uplift working families, expand access to healthcare, and ensure that rural voices are heard at the highest levels of government. Her work on agriculture and economic development has left a lasting impact, and her leadership will be deeply missed.   We thank Senator Smith for her service, her dedication, and her belief in the power of rural communities. We look forward to seeing what she does next and know that her work to make Minnesota a better place is far from over.

As we reflect on this election season, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of our endorsed candidates. Your hard work, dedication, and passion for serving your communities have been truly inspiring. Win or lose, your efforts have brought important issues to the forefront and strengthened the voice of rural Minnesota. Thank you for stepping up, leading with courage, and working tirelessly to make a difference. Together, we continue to build a brighter future for all Minnesotans. With gratitude, The DFL Rural Caucus

Make plans to attend Precinct Caucuses on Tues. Feb. 27th and take any or all of these 10 DFL Rural Caucus resolutions for adoption.  These were chosen as priorities by Rural Caucus members in an online vote. Other resolutions that were submitted but not chosen as our Top Ten are found in the "Resolutions: Additional" attachment.