Dirt Road Revival: Chloe Maxim and Canyon Woodward in conversation with Dustin Ward

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Maine State Senator Chloe Maxim and Appalachia-bred political organizer Canyon Woodward join New Gloucester Selectboard member Dustin Ward for a conversation about their new book, Dirt Road Revival: How to Rebuild Rural Politics and Why Our Future Depends On It. The book, out on Penguin Random House has already been praised by Bill McKibben, Robert Reich, Naomi Klein, and more.

About Dirt Road Revival:

The Democratic Party left rural America behind. This urgent rallying cry shows how Democrats can win back and empower overlooked communities that have been pushing politics to the right—and why long-term progressive political power depends on it.

Through 2 successful elections in rural red districts that few thought could be won by a Democrat, twentysomethings Maine state senator Chloe Maxmin (D-District 13) and campaign manager Canyon Woodward saw how the Democratic Party has focused for too long on the interests of elite leaders and big donors, forcing the party to abandon the concerns of rural America—jeopardizing climate justice, racial equity, economic justice, and more. Dirt Road Revival looks at how we got here and lays out a road map for progressive campaigns in rural America to build an inclusive, robust, grassroots politics that fights for equity and justice across our country.
 
First, Maxmin and Woodward detail how rural America has been left behind. They explore rural healthcare, economic struggle, brain drain, aging communities, whiteness and racism, education access, broadband, Big Agriculture, and more. Drawing on their own experiences, they paint a picture of rural America today and pinpoint the strategic failures of Democrats that have caused the party to lose its rural foothold. 
 
Next, they tell the story of their successful campaigns in the most rural county in the most rural state in the nation. In 2018, Maxmin became the only Democrat to ever win Maine House District 88 and then unseated the highest-ranking Republican in Maine —the Senate Minority Leader—in 2020, making her the youngest woman senator in Maine’s history.
 
Finally, Maxmin and Woodward distill their experiences into concrete lessons that can be applied to rural districts across the country to build power from the state and local levels on up. They lay out a new long-term vision for Democrats to rebuild trust and win campaigns in rural America by translating progressive values to a rural context, moving beyond the failed strategies of establishment consultants and utilizing grassroots-movement organizing strategies to effectively engage moderate rural voters.

“As someone who’s spent almost his whole life in rural America, both red and blue counties, I’m not sure I’ve read a more loving and realistic account of dirt road country. And as someone with a keen interest in American politics, I’m certain I’ve never read a more gripping (and practical) account of how to win elections than Dirt Road Revival. Not many political books make you both weep a little and then stand up and cheer—but this will!”
—Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened

“In a story told with urgency and passion, Maxmin and Woodward offer a practical playbook for anyone who wants to get into politics to achieve a better future for those who have been left behind. They show us that rural communities are moral communities that respond more to personal stories and values over policies. Building trusting relationships is the key and this takes time and effort and demands humility and a willingness to learn, but the future of American politics depends on it. The Democratic Party—indeed, all America—must take heed, and Dirt Road Revival offers us a path forward. This is a wonderful, powerful book—and one of the most hopeful I’ve read about a possible future for American politics.”
—Robert B. Reich, former US secretary of labor and author of Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few

“Dirt Road Revival is exactly what you want it to be: a fast-moving political road trip, through the winding back roads of deep-red rural America, to a joyful destination that will have you leaping to your feet and lunging for the collection plate. Maxmin and Woodward share the driving as generously as their hard-won wisdom. Along the way, they lay out a detailed and powerful map for transforming electoral campaigning in the United States. If enough insurgent politicians follow them down the road they’re traveling, it could lead to a progressive super-majority across the country.”
—Naomi Klein, author of On Fire and The Shock Doctrine