{
  "id": 15403479,
  "title": "Trump dominated rural America. Iowa is testing whether Democrats can win them back",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/trump-dominated-rural-america-iowa-is-testing-whether-democrats-can",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-18T12:08:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/10/18/trump-dominated-rural-america-iowa-is-testing-whether-democrats-can-win-them-back"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Standing in his driveway near acres of corn and soybeans, Dave Roethler, a 70-year-old school custodian, recalled how he once backed Donald Trump. \"The guy did a heck of a good job,\" Roethler said, mentioning the former president's Nobel Peace Prize aspiration or a place on Mount Rushmore. Roethler, however, is now focusing on Democratic candidates, lamenting that the current administration is \"going to come out way ahead\" at the expense of middle-class families.\n\nDemocrats are testing whether they can win over rural voters like Roethler, who is expected to cast his ballot for Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections. Iowa, once a Republican stronghold, is now a battleground state, with the rural communities that once supported Trump swinging to the left.\n\nJosh Turek, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate in Iowa, stressed the party's need to narrow their losses by appealing to voters in rural counties. \"You’ve got to go out there in these rural counties and trim the margins,\" he said.\n\nRepublicans, aware of the Democrats' strategy, are pouring money into key races in states like Nebraska and Kansas. In Iowa, Republicans like Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roger Marshall and Republican House candidate Mike Johnson are campaigning to retain their seats.\n\nIn New Hampton, a small town north of Roethler's home, many voters have switched their allegiance to Democrats. Bill Stonecypher, a 69-year-old who voted for Trump in 2016, plans to back every Democratic candidate for the first time. \"I just know it’s a mess and it’s going to take years to fix,\" he said.\n\nDemocrats are bolstered by Rob Sand, the state auditor, whose campaign for governor emphasizes outreach to independents and disaffected Republicans. Sand's campaign is attracting support from voters who backed Trump in the past.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Dave Roethler, a 70-year-old school custodian, once backed Trump but now supports Democrats",
    "Iowa, once Republican stronghold, now battleground state with rural voters swaying to Democrats",
    "Democrats focus on appealing to rural voters to narrow losses in upcoming midterm elections"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Democrats want to curb Trump’s power with House majority. This is their greatest tool",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/democrats-want-to-curb-trumps-power-with-house-majority-this-is-their",
        "published": "2026-10-18T10:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}