E53: Dirt Road Revival: A young politician works to rebuild rural politics by tackling polarization through conversation | Maine Senator Chloe Maxmin

This episode is sponsored by New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region, home of Keene Pride week; the Monadnock Arts Open Studio Tour and the Radically Rural Summit. Natural beauty and bustling downtowns await, just two hours from Boston. Every Urban Exodus begins with an Urban Escape, and yours is Within Thriving Distance. Visit MonadnockNH.com today.I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with State Senator Chloe Maxmin. At 28, Chloe Maxmin is the youngest woman ever to serve in the Maine State Senate. She was elected in 2020, after unseating a two-term Republican incumbent. In 2018, Chloe served in the Maine House of Representatives, after beating a Republican incumbent in her traditionally conservative leaning rural district. Chloe ran on a 100% positive campaign, choosing to reject political partisanship and toxic attacks on her opponent. She went on an epic door-to-door campaign, knocking on tens of thousands of doors in her district, committed to reaching her voters directly. Chloe grew up on her family’s farm in Nobleboro, Maine. From a young age, she has been a community organizer and dedicated climate activist. While attending Harvard, Chloe co-founded Divest Harvard, a campaign calling on Harvard University to divest from fossil fuels. The campaign drew hundreds of thousands of supporters and eventually pressured the university to divest the entirety of their multi-billion dollar endowment from fossil fuel stocks.Chloe is the recipient of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes and the Brower Youth Award. She was also named a “Green Hero” by Rolling Stone. Her work has been recognized by the Maine Women’s Fund, Washington Post, Rolling Stone, Real Time with Bill Maher, CNN, MPBN and more. This year, Chloe wrote and published Dirt Road Revival, along with her campaign manager, a how-to guide on rebuilding rural politics, and tackling political polarization from the ground up.This is a story about radical empathy, tenacity, and the power of humility in connecting with others.Support the showSign up for  Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book