Rural America Rising

09/03/2026

UP. THEN STEP UP.

Rural America Rising Director Rebecca Daly has a pretty straightforward message for people who want things to change in their communities:

“Show up. Show up in big numbers.”

But showing up to vote is only part of it.

We also need good people willing to step up and run for office.

Rebecca points to Kelsey Marletta and Joy Thompson in Radford, Virginia, two candidates Rural America Rising helped who went on to win their elections.

Those victories are a reminder of something important. The next good school board member, city council member, county official or state legislator doesn't have to come out of the political establishment.

They may be working a regular job today.

They may be retired.

They may be a young person who's finally had enough of watching their hometown struggle.

As Rebecca says, we need working-class people of all age groups running for office at every level of government.

Because if we want different results, we've got to give voters different choices.

🎥 Watch Rebecca Daly talk about why rural America needs more people willing to show up AND step up:

https://youtube.com/shorts/EzBM9juc5Mo?feature=share

🌐 Learn more about Rural America Rising:
www.RuralAmericaRising.com

Rebecca Daly

“Show up. Show up in big numbers.”Rural America Rising Director R...

09/03/2026

PARENTS DESERVE TO BE HEARD.

That's one of the messages Rhoda Blackwell, candidate for the City of Bristol, Virginia School Board, says she's hearing as she talks with families across Bristol.

Parents have told Rhoda they don't always feel like their concerns are being heard. Some say they aren't getting responses when they raise questions or problems.

Rhoda is also careful about something that's important.

Every story has two sides.

She isn't interested in simply bashing the current School Board based on one person's version of events. She wants to listen, ask questions and understand what's actually happening.

But when you hear the same concern from parent after parent, Rhoda believes you ought to pay attention.

That's why one of her priorities for the Bristol Virginia School Board is greater transparency and better communication with families.

Parents shouldn't have to wonder whether anybody heard them.

They should know somebody did.

🎥 Watch Rhoda talk about what she's hearing from Bristol families and why she believes greater transparency matters:

https://youtube.com/shorts/9D8CnNPHIXE?feature=share

👉 Follow Rhoda Blackwell for Bristol Virginia School Board on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563735302487

🌐 Learn more about Rural America Rising:
www.RuralAmericaRising.com

Rhoda Blackwell for BVPS School Board 2026

When parents bring a concern to their local school board, they dese...

09/03/2026

RURAL AMERICA CAN'T AFFORD TO STAND STILL ANY LONGER.

“We need people to step up and run for office.”

That's Rural America Rising Director Rebecca Daly, and it gets right to the heart of why our organization exists.

Too many rural communities are losing young people because there aren't enough good jobs or opportunities to convince them to stay. Some communities are still fighting for reliable broadband and even dependable cell phone service.

Then we wonder why it's difficult to attract new businesses, create jobs and grow the local tax base.

As Rebecca says:

“We're stagnant, and we can't remain stagnant.”

🎥 Watch Rebecca Daly explain why rural communities can't afford to remain stagnant:

https://youtube.com/shorts/aKhZIoJtJnE?feature=share

Changing that doesn't start somewhere far away. It starts at home.

We need people willing to step up and run for school board, city council, town council, board of supervisors and other local offices. We need people with new ideas who are willing to do the work required to move their communities forward.

And when those people step up, we need to support them.

That's what Rural America Rising is working to do across rural America: recruit candidates, help them get started, provide training and resources, and give rural voters something too many haven't had in years.

A choice.

🌐 Learn more about Rural America Rising:
www.RuralAmericaRising.com

“We need people to step up and run for office.”Rural America Risi...

09/03/2026

“I DON'T DO POLITICS.” WELL, POLITICS DOES YOU.

That's Cindy Green's answer when somebody tells her they don't vote or don't get involved in politics.

And she's got a point.

Your school board affects your children's education. Your city council affects your taxes and local services. Your county government makes decisions about the community you live in.

You may not do politics, but politics still does you.

🎥 Watch Cindy explain why your vote matters and why giving voters a choice matters just as much:

https://youtube.com/shorts/7j-u-fDi4P0?feature=share

In this Rural America Rising short, Cindy talks about something else that's changing in Bristol and across rural communities: people are stepping up and running for office.

For too long, plenty of rural voters have gone to the ballot box without much of a choice. Cindy says they're working to change that.

One person runs. Somebody else sees them and thinks, “Well, if they're doing it, I can do it.”

That's how momentum starts.

Cindy is supporting Rhoda Blackwell for Bristol Virginia School Board, working to help elect candidates to Bristol City Council, and already talking with people about running for other local offices.

Then comes 2027, when Cindy plans to kick off her own campaign.

👉 Follow Cindy Green on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/CindyGreen4VA

🌐 Learn more about Rural America Rising:
www.RuralAmericaRising.com

CindyGreen4Va

“I don't vote. I don't do politics.”Cindy Green has a simple answ...

09/03/2026

“I CARE.” Sometimes a candidate can tell you why they're running in two words.

For Rhoda Blackwell, candidate for the City of Bristol, Virginia School Board, those two words are:

“I care.”

🎥 Watch Rhoda explain why she's running for Bristol Virginia School Board:

https://youtube.com/shorts/7Jfy-HcLvUs?feature=share

Rhoda wants Bristol's kids to succeed. She wants Bristol Public Schools to have the reputation they deserve, and she believes there are things that can be done right now to make the schools better.

The question is whether somebody is willing to roll up their sleeves and make sure those things actually get done.

Rhoda says she is.

“I have a reputation for getting things done. I've done that my whole life in my career.”

She also makes it clear that she isn't afraid to ask questions, challenge the current board when she believes it's necessary, or stand her ground.

But at the end of the day, Rhoda says the job comes back to something much simpler: educating Bristol's children and helping them succeed.

As she says in this Rural America Rising short:

“It takes the boots on the ground, and that's what we're doing.”

👉 Follow Rhoda Blackwell for Bristol Virginia School Board on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563735302487

🌐 Learn more about Rural America Rising:
www.RuralAmericaRising.com

Rhoda Blackwell for BVPS School Board 2026

Why is Rhoda Blackwell running for the City of Bristol, Virginia Sc...

09/03/2026

🏛️ “I THINK IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE.”

That's Cindy Green talking about Bristol, Virginia, in this Rural America Rising short.

🎥 Watch Cindy explain why she believes Bristol needs fresh ideas and new leadership:

https://youtube.com/shorts/BQ5oTUqksLg?feature=share

Bristol has some challenges that didn't show up yesterday. The city's financial situation, The Falls development at Exit 5, the former Virginia Intermont College property and the continuing impact of the landfill have been hanging around for years.

Cindy's question is a pretty simple one:

How long should elected officials get to solve the same problems?

When you've had eight years and many of those problems are still sitting there waiting to be addressed, Cindy believes it's time to start talking about fresh ideas and new people willing to think outside the box and get things done.

That's also part of what Rural America Rising is about.

Local government matters. City councils matter. School boards matter. And rural voters deserve choices when they walk into the voting booth.

👉 Follow Cindy Green on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/CindyGreen4VA

🌐 Learn more about Rural America Rising:
www.RuralAmericaRising.com

CindyGreen4Va

How long should elected officials get to solve the same problems?...

09/03/2026

💵 DON'T WAIT UNTIL A RURAL CANDIDATE CAN WIN TO HELP THEM COMPETE.

That's one of the points Rural America Rising Director Rebecca Daly makes in this short video.

🎥 Watch Rebecca explain why early money matters in rural campaigns:

https://youtube.com/shorts/JRRAB3t-h0k?feature=share

Too often, candidates running in rural communities are told the money will come once they prove they have a chance of winning.

There's a problem with that.

How do you prove you can win if you don't have enough money to introduce yourself to the voters?

Early money buys yard signs. It buys business cards and campaign literature. It pays for a booth at the county fair or community festival. It helps a candidate get their name and message in front of people who might otherwise never know they're running.

At Rural America Rising, we'll always tell you to donate directly to a rural candidate first.

But there are also people across the country who want to help rural candidates and simply don't know who needs help or where those candidates are running. That's one of the reasons Rural America Rising exists.

So far, we've helped more than 50 rural candidates with financial assistance and training to run for office.

We don't believe rural candidates should have to prove they can win before somebody helps them compete.

Sometimes you've got to give somebody the tools before you ask them to build the barn.

🌐 Learn more and help us support rural candidates:
www.RuralAmericaRising.com

Rural America Rising Director Rebecca Daly tackles one of the bigge...

09/03/2026

🏫 MEET RHODA BLACKWELL — CANDIDATE FOR BRISTOL, VIRGINIA SCHOOL BOARD

At Rural America Rising, we believe change starts close to home. It starts with somebody willing to step up, put their name on the ballot, knock on doors, listen to their neighbors and do the work.

Rhoda Blackwell is doing exactly that in Bristol, Virginia.

🎥 Watch our full conversation with Rhoda and learn why she's running for Bristol Virginia School Board:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amsixZqlhTI

In our newest Rural America Rising Podcast, Rhoda joins John W. Peace II, Rebecca Daly and Cindy Green to talk about what she is hearing from Bristol parents, teachers and families as she campaigns for School Board.

Rhoda talks about rebuilding trust between families and the school system, improving communication, supporting teachers and making sure every Bristol child has the opportunity to succeed.

One thing Rhoda says in the conversation pretty well sums up why she is running:

“I care.”

She also understands something we talk about often at Rural America Rising. If we want different results in rural communities, somebody has to be willing to step up and run. And then the rest of us have to be willing to help them.

👉 Follow Rhoda Blackwell for Bristol Virginia School Board on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563735302487

Help us get Rhoda's story in front of more Bristol voters. Watch the video, share this post, and remind your friends and neighbors that local elections matter.

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