The presidential campaign of Democrat Kamala Harris has named Matt Hildreth, the founder and executive director of RuralOrganizing.org, as its national rural outreach director.
Shawn Sebastian, director of organizing at RuralOrganizing, which is based in Columbus, Ohio, said on X that Hildreth will take a leave of absence from the group.
“For over a decade, Matt has been working to build an empowered, thriving, and equitable rural America,” Sebastian said, citing as an example the RECOMPETE grants program in the CHIPS and Science Act passed in 2022, which he said “is now giving local leaders the opportunity to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in projects that work for their communities.”
“RuralOrganizing.org has been committed to increasing good-paying jobs and wages, decreasing daily expenses, and improving the quality of life for rural communities experiencing economic distress, and we know Matt will continue that work with the Harris-Walz campaign,” Sebastian said.
“The Harris-Walz campaign's rural operation is in very good hands,” he added.
On its website, the group touted its involvement in last year's successful campaign to pass an Ohio referendum guaranteeing abortion rights in the state.
"RuralOrganizing was crucial in the passage of this constitutional amendment that enshrines into Ohio law the right for every individual to make their own choices when it comes to reproductive choice," the group said on its website. "A cornerstone of our approach was the strategic door-to-door campaign and conversations from placing yard signs. Our canvassers and Vocal Locals engaged in meaningful conversations with voters, bringing the conversation about abortion access to people’s doorsteps."
The campaign hopes to cut into Donald Trump’s support in rural areas in its bid to win battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia and North Carolina.
Kylie Oversen, Rural Council chair for the Democratic National Committee, said she hasn’t had extensive contact with Hildreth but added, “I know [he’s] been doing really good work across the country in organizing in rural communities, particularly with state and local races, and I think that experience will be really valuable.”
She said she wished only that the hire “would have happened sooner, not just obviously the Harris campaign, but the Biden campaign,” which did not have a rural outreach director.
She said her understanding is that Hildreth “will be a one-person operation for rural,” but will work within the political team, which includes communications and fundraising. “He just will be focused directly on whatever rural outreach they have,” she said.
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