Rural Sprawl Is the Next Battleground for Democrats
Millennial families are helping change these rapidly growing communities on the outskirts of southern cities.
As cities sprawl further into rural areas, so can Democratic gains.
Source: Bloomberg
When people think about the politics of sprawling cities' outer edges, they might still have in mind the mostly white Sunbelt neighborhoods that epitomized the presidency of George W. Bush. But those outer-suburban populations are rapidly growing and changing, as the 2020 election just showed.
With tight voter margins in many states expanding presidential battlegrounds, strengthening Democrats' influence in these types of communities could give the party a presidential edge even if it fails to hold on to slower-growing northern states such as Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.