Join the ranks of Rust Belt Rising’s 1400+ candidates and elected officials in training alongside our region’s best leaders and campaigns. By joining Rust Belt Rising’s Summer 2025 cohort, you will benefit from our free trainings, polling, messaging, mentoring, and network of experts and Democratic changemakers.
Our Summer 2025 Zoom sessions will allow campaigns to learn from some of the country’s best messengers about the latest research and strategies to expand our coalition and improve outreach as we build deeper connections and trust with people across the Midwest. Rising also provides individual support to help you strengthen your authentic message and draw on campaign strategies that are working around the region.
Whether you are running for office, supporting a campaign, or bringing new insights to your local volunteering, sign up to benefit from the most timely insights into voters this year to strengthen our connections and expand our coalition. Rising works with candidates and those assisting them at any level (local, state, or federal) in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.
Apply by June 13th. Applications accepted on a rolling basis afterward.
Joining allows you to become part of a network of some of the best leaders in this region and receive timely messaging, polling research, and examples of effective Midwest communication on any issue. By sharing the best ideas and insights across our region in these trainings on political strategy, leaders improve their approaches to winning voters and seats. We provide a password-protected resource page with pollings, issue talking points, effective communication examples in our region, and individual mentorship for your public leadership goals.
We encourage diverse candidates of all backgrounds to apply, particularly those who have taken nontraditional paths into politics, so we can support their candidate development. We aim to help participants improve their campaigns so Democrats can win up and down the ticket.
What Rising participants say:
“I’ve worked with Rust Belt Rising since my first campaign for City Commission and have consistently benefitted from their programming. In 2024, I won a Trump+2 district by 7 points by focusing on the pocketbook issues that RBR drives home, and I would encourage candidates who share our mission to take advantage of this important resource.”
—U.S. Representative Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08)
Whether you are planning to run for an office at any level (local, state or federal) in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois, or are volunteering/working with campaigns,
“Rust Belt Rising does an amazing job for everyone—including giving those of us in small, rural, and painfully red communities real hope. Every single training is incredible; I learn something new in every conversation. How you do it - I don’t know. The entire Rust Belt Rising program is amazing.”
—Deirdre Honner, Iosco, Michigan County Democratic Party Trustee
“I had the privilege to be invited to several candidate leadership training forums and Rust Belt Rising has been the most helpful resource. RBR has given region-specific content that is relevant to leading as an elected official in the Midwest. Their one-on-one advice was invaluable towards securing a win in my election. I will draw on their content for as long as I have the opportunity to be a public servant.”
—Jyl Hall, Kettering, Ohio City Council member.
“As a candidate, finding networks that can help you hone your messaging, better run your operations, and find community are essential. While national organizations are great, the political landscape can look very different from community to community across the country. Rust Belt Rising provided information, resources, and a network that is focused on Democrats in the Midwest, and helping to build and re-establish Democratic strongholds in our communities. I would strongly encourage Midwestern candidates to connect with and benefit from Rust Belt Rising!”
—Amanda Qualls, 2020 and 2022 Indiana House of Representatives District 49 candidate
“We know that candidates traditionally have a look and frankly a robust educational background — we’ve been told that is the mark. However, today’s politics asks for a more inclusive bold look into the path forward for our communities. Those who write policy should have been impacted by policy; those who fit the bill should also be the ones that the bill fits. We have to wrap our arms around candidates who rise up against all odds to run for office, they are the light our democracy needs in this moment. That is what Rust Belt Rising has meant to me—always there to encourage me in my campaign, to answer questions and provide ideas, as part of a movement of leaders with these values to change the Midwest.”
—Chokwe Pitchford, 2020 Michigan House District 79 candidate, 2022 candidate for Berrien County Board of Commissioners
Rust Belt Rising offers online learning sessions to our network with presenters such as Wisconsin’s Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, on how he and Gov. Tony Evers won Wisconsin by talking about what Democrats are for, and Indiana State Rep. Chris Campbell on flipping her district.
Fall 2024 empowered campaigns in the Midwest to learn from some of the country’s best pollsters about the latest research to improve their outreach to voters, including messaging on lowering the cost of living for working families, from groceries to healthcare. Our Fall 2022 presentations were with pollsters and on timely research to benefit voter outreach. Presenters included Data for Progress, Hart Research, David Binder Research, Breakthrough Campaigns, and Avalanch.
Our spring 2024 sessions allowed leaders to learn from top practitioners on the different elements of a strategic campaign today. Sessions on winning election strategies and key issue areas featured presenters of proven approaches and fellow Midwest leaders. Speakers included Obama speechwriter Sarada Peri on engaging reluctant voters, Mo Shatara and Pam Coleman on organizing, Peter Anich on digital doorknocking, Wisconsin’s Josh Klemon’s on social media and Facebook ads, Ohio’s Dennis Willard on media, AJ Kahle on websites, Greta Carnes on relational organizing, Teresa Purcell on rural organizing, and EveryDistrict’s Nicole Hobbs on targeting.
Our fall 2021 and 2023 course allowed participants to learn strategies from leaders of the best recent campaigns in the Midwest with strategies that can improve their efforts, as well as receiving Rising’s individual support. Presenters included Rep. Nikki Budzinski, Rep. Lauren Underwood, MI St. Rep. Christine Morse, St. Rep. Joey Andrews, Rep. Cheri Bustos’ 2020 campaign manager Tom Bryant, and former MI St. Rep. Kristy Pagan.
This Spring 2021 and 2023 course allowed leaders to learn from practitioners who helped their areas in the Midwest accelerate economic growth and create opportunity for all. Our sessions help participants lead substantively and creatively on economic and community development issues to catalyze initiatives that create good jobs and help families thrive. Our online-based learning sessions equip participants on core issues that Midwesterners want to see leaders address. By sharing the best ideas across our region in trainings on economic, environmental, education, and other community issues, leaders discovered how to get started with initiatives that benefit their area and grow their leadership. Presenters included those who are creating jobs, clean energy transformation, and thriving communities across our region such as Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss, Pittsburgh’s Chief Resilience Officer Grant Ervin, former Michigan St. Rep. Steve Tobocman of Global Detroit, and Greater Milwaukee Committee’s Julia Taylor.
Our 2019-20 courses focused on turning one’s story and values into a core message to connect with working families and win. Some of the most effective minds in Midwest politics helped to shape the courses and we shared successful examples from the region throughout.
We took participants through lessons on articulating your “why” for running, how to tell your story, communicate your values and core message, employ effective frames, discuss key Democratic issues, and examples of strategies that are growing regional economies in the Midwest.
Live sessions included Michigan State Rep. Darrin Camilleri on winning back a district that voted for Trump, Ohio State Rep. Kent Smith on how to talk about the economy as a Democrat and growing your communities’ industries to benefit everyone’s wages, John Austin on helping your area thrive economically, Howard Lerner on clean water and environmental issues, health care experts on Claire McAndrew and Mike Naple on what you can do about health care at the state and local level and how to talk about it, Obama speechwriter Sarada Peri on persuasion, and communications guru Anat Shenker-Osorio.
Our 2018 training was a series of six interactive online sessions. Twelve candidate participants won elected office in the Midwest.
Topics included coaching on message and storytelling, policy seminars with post-session exercises, and the opportunity to connect with and learn from other candidates. Speakers included Rep. Cheri Bustos, Rep. Lauren Underwood, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning on using your values to persuade on controversial issues that often cause Democrats to lose elections, and a range of policy area experts.