Marcus Flowers decided to run against Georgia incumbent Marjorie Taylor Greene because of January 6, 2021.
“Accountability was at the core of my decision,” he said. “I felt we had to push against extremism. The citadel of our democracy was attacked.”
A Montanan, Penny Ronning was convinced to run against Republican Matt Rosendale when she attended the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. As she witnessed some Republicans making fun of the proceedings, she also counted thirteen empty Senate seats.
She was stunned.
“These senators didn’t show up for work. I served on the Billings City Council for four years and never missed a meeting.”
Both Flowers and Ronning possessed ample qualifications to serve in the House of Representatives, but both ran in districts where Republicans vastly outnumbered Democrats.
Nevertheless, Flowers and Ronning persisted. But they both lost.
Last Tuesday, NOW — the National Organization of Women — presented a one-hour webinar on running for office in a conservative district, featuring Flowers and Ronning discussing the takeaways from their experiences.
Until he declared his candidacy, Flowers’ career focused on defending the United States. First, he served as an active-duty member of the U.S. Army, followed by more than 20 years as a contractor associated with the State Department and Department of Defense.
He felt his work in combat zones around the world and assignments on four continents qualified him as a viable candidate. In addition, in Greene’s first run for Congress, the Democrat dropped out and she ran unopposed. Flowers did not want to see that happen a second time, so he ran.
Years before she considered running for office, Ronning took issue with the words of President Ronald Reagan, who mocked the federal government when he joked, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
“I’ve seen government work in a way no other organization can,” she said. “That’s why I hold tight to this guiding principle ‘People Over Politics.’ It’s a basic moral code, something too many have forgotten when we talk politics. It’s simple. It takes all of us.”
“I often say,” she went on, “that I’m a child who was raised by a village.”
Her working-class roots in her hometown, Billings, established Ronning’s values. Her father ran a small restaurant, The Happy Diner, and her mom dedicated her working life to federal service, working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and other agencies.
Penny Ronning’s work life covered a lot of territory, including advocating for victims of human trafficking. She co-founded the Yellowstone County Area Human Trafficking Task Force and secured funding from the Montana Legislature for additional state agents to investigate human trafficking crimes.
Both Flowers and Ronning agreed that listening was essential as they traveled their districts to meet prospective voters.
“I contacted over 70,000 people in the course of two years,” Flowers said, “and I won over people because I met them where they are. My approach was ‘Let’s work on things we can agree on.’”
Because of her varied career background, Ronning was used to working with large groups of diverse people. She had learned a lot by serving on the Billings City Council, around 90% Republican.
With three Democrats on an eleven-member Council, she learned “how to speak their language.”
In a huge Congressional District, second only to Alaska’s largest district, she could not knock on doors but found herself driving four, five or six hours a day to meet and greet prospective voters.
For both Flowers and Ronning, internet access and cell coverage were not available everywhere, a common issue in rural districts.
Ronning relied on advice by former Montana legislator Max Bacchus, who said, “Shake every hand, cold call small businesses, learn about the issues, the local economy.”
Flowers’ district was not as large as Ronning’s, but cell coverage was spotty in his campaign too. He decried the state of rural broadband, an ongoing issue in rural parts of Montana, Georgia, and many other states, including Kentucky.
Regardless of the obstacles, Flowers believes that progressive candidates need to run no matter what.
“Women’s rights, racial equality, they’re all human rights,” he said, adding that Democrats feel forgotten and are looking for someone to fight for them.
“We can’t let that go unchecked,” he insisted.
Ronning concurred. “We’re up against women’s rights, racial rights. If we don’t stand up we’re up against folks who want to destroy our republic, to take us back in time.”
“If we don’t have a progressive voice, do we really have a democracy at the local, state, or national level?” she asked.
Ronning answered her own question by saying the absence of progressive voices is akin to the Dark Ages.
Questions about fundraising were answered with candor. Flowers referred to the launch ad for his candidacy which attracted attention and donors. After that, the pipeline trickled.
“Fundraising takes up a huge amount of time,” Flowers said. “Be prepared to spend hours and hours asking for money.”
A staunch believer in Campaign Finance Reform, Ronning admitted that fundraising was a big challenge, “But I don’t think it’s always about the money. Yes, we have to raise money but I encourage candidates to get a brand.”
We need a national Democrat strategy,” she said. “That and a winning brand.”
NOW is non-partisan, but the organization has created a space where conversations like the one between Flowers and Ronning can happen. The last panel discussion from a series of three is scheduled for Tuesday, March 27, 7 pm eastern/6 central. The topic is Thank You Gen Z & Millennials – They Ran, They voted, & They Won.
Additional information is available at now.org.
