These Democrats Are Pushing to Bring the Blue to Rural Kansas – Noted Activist to Speak April 26 at Convention in Salina

Salina, KS, April 18, 2025 –(PR.com)– An outspoken advocate working to boost Democratic candidates in deep-red rural areas will be the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of the Kansas Federation of Democratic Women on Saturday, April 26, in Salina.

Jessica Piper taught high school literature in Missouri for 16 years until she decided to try to end the GOP monopoly of her rural district and run for office as a Democrat. She didn’t win, but the experience drove her to organize progressives in deep-red districts. She is now executive director for Blue Missouri and hosts the weekly podcast “Dirt Road Democrat.”

Kansas is similar to Missouri, where 40% of state legislature seats went uncontested in 2022. Piper says she is working “to give voters a choice. To say that we won’t send unopposed representatives to the Capitol anymore. To say that Missourians deserve representation and folks who will listen and work for them. For Democracy.”

Her mission, she says: “No more unopposed candidates. No more free rides. No seat uncontested.”

Presentation open to the public
Jess Piper will speak from 5 to 6 p.m. April 26 at the Courtyard by Marriott Salina, 3020 Riffel Drive, Salina, Kansas. The event is open to the public. Admission is $25. Reserve your seat at the KFDW website.

About the convention
The Kansas Federation of Democratic Women will gather for their annual meeting from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at the Courtyard by Marriott Salina, 3020 Riffel Drive, Salina, Kansas. The theme is “A Voice for Democracy.” Attendees will elect officers and hear keynote speaker Jess Piper talk about “How to Win in Rural Spaces.”

Join them for insightful discussions, networking opportunities and expert presentations about how Democratic Women can support the Democratic opposition to, as VP Cassie Woolworth puts it, the “current MAGA administration’s disastrous policy agenda.”

To learn more and to register, go to the KFDW website and click on 2025 KFDW Convention.