Welcome to the Rural Politics page of our website!  We’re working to create a ‘gathering place’ for people concerned about the challenges rural communities face, who believe that progressive rural policies will help strengthen our communities, build real prosperity and help us overcome the rural-urban divide. 

Many Americans, in cities and the countryside, have largely given up on our political process, and who can blame them?  With politicians picking their voters through gerrymandering, Big Money overwhelming real speech, Republican legislators making it harder, not easier to vote, and corporate lobbyists actually writing many of the bills that become law, it’s no wonder folks are fed up with it all.

But here’s the thing:  When good, community minded people, folks who value fairness and justice, who believe that we shouldn’t be made to choose between jobs or our environment, when we pull out of politics, the lobbyists for the rich and the powerful step right in.  Somebody is going to write the rules we all must live by. That simply must include progressive people from rural communities like southwest Virginia.

The conviction that our economy and our politics is for working folks and everyday people animated the Flaccavento for Congress Congressional Campaign.  While we lost the election in 2018, we, together, have not given up the fight.  Our Rural Politics page will help us keep in touch, while highlighting opportunities for action at local, regional and national levels.  Our goal is to build a long term foundation of progressive thought, policies and action, all within the reality of rural communities.  We hope you’ll join us.

Please explore these resources on the website:

• The Rural Progressive Platform, available for download

• Published writing from Anthony, much of which focuses on rural America

• A blog that features non-published works and relevant writings from other thought-leaders

• Anthony’s Guidebook to understanding and navigating the rural-urban divide

We also hope you’ll visit our Contact page and sign up to stay in touch.