Walz Launches Small Town PAC for Rural Democrats

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced the launch of Small Town PAC, a federal political action committee, on April 20, 2026, with the goal of bolstering Democratic candidates in rural and small-town communities across the United States.

The initiative aims to recruit and support a new generation of Democratic leaders from rural backgrounds, including teachers, nurses, laborers, veterans, and young people, to compete in areas where the party has struggled. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Walz stated, "We're going to show up in small towns, organize in places too many people have given up on, and build power with the folks who call these places home. If Democrats want to win in more places, we've got to start showing up in more places." The PAC's website emphasizes finding thoughtful candidates who reflect their communities and supporting them in red districts often overlooked by Democrats.

Walz, who grew up in a small town in Nebraska and entered politics later in life as a social studies teacher in Mankato, Minnesota, drew on his own experience flipping a longtime Republican congressional district blue in 2006. That southern Minnesota seat has since returned to Republican...