Democrats Court Rural Voters With Gun-Owner Credentials as Midterms Near

A group of Democratic candidates on the ballot next week is trying to change the conversation around guns, part of a broader effort to win back rural voters in red-leaning parts of the country.

In Wisconsin's 1st District, Democrat Mitchell Berman has built his advertising around his identity as a gun owner and hunter. One spot shows him fishing with a handgun holstered at his side. Another shows him skeet shooting, with clay pigeons labeled "Data Centers." When the target bursts in the air, his 6-year-old daughter shouts, "Great shot, Dad!"

Berman told NBC News the imagery reflects his real life. Where he is from, he said, wolves are common, bears emerge from their dens with cubs during spring trout season, and a mountain lion has even been caught on his trail camera. "When I go out into the woods, I carry a sidearm with me for protection," he said.

His contest against Republican Rep. Bryan Steil was not expected to be competitive. President Donald Trump carried the district in both 2020 and 2024, and Steil won re-election two years ago by 10 points. Polling, however, has indicated the race is within reach for Democrats.

In Texas' 15th District, Bobby Pulido, a Tejano singer turned Democratic congressional candidate, is equally open about his enthusiasm for firearms. He has posted videos of himself hitting a target a mile away, his rec room is lined with trophies from hunting trips, and he named his oldest son Remington.

"Listen, in the rural areas, firearms are a way of life," Pulido told NBC News. He said fundraisers in the Rio Grande Valley are more likely to be held at skeet shooting events than at golf courses.

Pulido is also running in territory Trump won in the last two presidential elections. The district was redrawn earlier this year to favor Republicans. Even so, a shift among Latino voters away from Trump, combined with a struggling economy, has put Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz at risk of losing her re-election bid.