A new report from The Federalist argues that Democrats and aligned left-wing organizations are pursuing a two-pronged strategy to weaken Republican dominance in rural and small-town America: encouraging migration into conservative communities and concentrating resources on low-turnout local elections.
The article, published by the conservative outlet, cites a proposal from the Niskanen Center, a Washington think tank it describes as “far-left-funded,” that would expand state- and town-run visa sponsorship programs. The Federalist claims the plan, funded in part by liberal billionaire George Soros, aims to displace what it calls the “native labor supply” in rural areas — a move that would, in its telling, import likely Democratic voters into traditionally Republican strongholds.
According to The Federalist, similar dynamics have already played out in states like California, Illinois, and New York, and the outlet contends that Democrats see rural America as fertile ground for demographic and electoral transformation.
The report also points to what it describes as deceptive tactics by Democratic candidates, including running as Republicans in GOP primaries. It highlights Wyoming, where it says dark-money-backed liberals ran as Republicans in the August primaries, ousting roughly two dozen conservative Republicans from the 62-member Wyoming House of Delegates.
In Ohio, The Federalist notes that self-described progressive Sam Ronan attempted to run as a Republican in the 2026 primary for the mostly rural 15th Congressional District. Courts blocked the effort, but the outlet says it was a clear violation of Ohio election law. In Alaska, it points to ranked-choice voting allowing a left-leaning candidate named Dan Sullivan — nicknamed “Decoy Dan” — to run as a Republican against incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. The Federalist alleges he was a Democratic plant.
The article also references a disputed election in Virginia’s Warren County, where it says a candidate with strong Democratic ties won the chairmanship of the local Republican Party before the election was redone and the actual Republican prevailed.
Beyond candidate tactics, The Federalist says Democrats are developing a “rural ground game” that includes heavy propaganda and candidates walking back progressive positions. It singles out Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, claiming he has been evasive about his far-left agenda, including his religious stances and support for what the outlet calls the genital mutilation of children.
The report lists familiar strategies such as gerrymandering, ballot harvesting, early voting, election fraud, and undisclosed dark money. It then focuses on two lesser-discussed methods: migration of likely Democratic voters into rural areas and targeting low-turnout local races.
According to The Federalist, the migration can involve urban and suburban white Americans who habitually vote Democratic, or foreign immigrants settled during the Biden administration. It claims these newcomers quickly learn that voting for Democrats ensures access to government benefits.
The outlet describes wealthy leftists moving to scenic conservative areas such as Teton County, Idaho, and Shenandoah County, Virginia, bringing their politics with them. It cites Amy Wyss, daughter of Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, who runs the LOR Foundation, which it says is meant to astroturf Wyoming politics while claiming to improve rural quality of life.
These new residents, the article says, set up coffee houses, breweries, wineries, and garden centers, join Chambers of Commerce and service organizations like Lions Clubs and Ruritans, and take over local newspapers. It quotes Mark Pulliam, who wrote about the left-wing invasion of his Tennessee town, saying the local paper is “unfailingly and obnoxiously left.”
The Federalist also points to foreign immigrants drawn by welfare benefits or jobs at large businesses like Tyson Foods, which it says seeks cheap labor in meatpacking plants. It claims that when the Biden administration flooded small communities with immigrants, many were automatically registered to vote when applying for driver’s licenses.
It cites sudden population surges — Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, Mauritanians in Lockland, Ohio, and Haitians who doubled the population of Charleroi, Pennsylvania — as evidence that Democratic politicians who oversaw these migrations were motivated by a quest for votes and power.
The article criticizes the rural leftist outlet Daily Yonder for producing propaganda claiming “immigration is the future of small cities and rural communities,” and says the left craves an unregulated influx to shift the political landscape leftward.
It identifies National Democratic County Officials (NDCO) as the official campaign arm of the Democratic National Committee dedicated to electing Democrats at the county level, with the motto “Road to Blue: Blue Counties = Blue States.” The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), it adds, also targets local elections in otherwise hostile areas.
Noting that Donald Trump consistently won 2,559 of the nation’s 3,112 counties across his three presidential runs, The Federalist argues the DSA specifically targets low-turnout local races. It quotes the Marxist DSA magazine “Reform and Revolution” describing how the group ran and got its member Zac Sellers appointed in Altamont, Kansas, population 1,000, through nonpartisan elections.
Such down-ballot races, the outlet says, are low-hanging fruit for energetic leftist candidates who need only a handful of votes to become mayor or town council members. It warns this is happening in small towns nationwide and that once the left captures more local offices, its candidates will move on to statehouses and beyond.
The Federalist concludes by soliciting donations to support its journalism, framing its work as truth-seeking reporting that corporate media and big tech would rather silence.
Source: thefederalist.com — https://thefederalist.com/2026/10/16/democrats-are-targeting-small-towns-through-migrants-and-low-turnout-races/