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When most people think of Nebraska politics, they think of a conservative state, one that is mostly made up of Republican supporters. Forty-eight percent of registered Nebraska voters are Republican compared to 26 percent nationally. The membership of the Democratic party in Nebraska has also been on the decline. But these numbers arent stopping Democratic party members from including Nebraska on the list of states theyll visit in the month of April.

The newly-elected Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez, state Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb and Sen. Bernie Sanders will be at Baxter Arena in Omaha on April 20 to campaign for Democrat Heath Mello. Mello is running against the incumbent Mayor Jean Stothert, a Republican, in the May 9 general election. Mello, a Democrat, may seem to have no chance of winning a conservative state like Nebraska, but he served in the state legislature for eight years before reaching his term limit. He also came within three percent of Stothert in the April 4 primary.

While this may be only one city-wide election, the fact that these important figures in Democratic party politics are giving their support for Mello shows theres more to this election than meets the eye. Sen. Sanders was recently voted as the most popular politician in America and began a call for change in the way the Democratic party operates during his run for the partys presidential nomination last year. He has frequently spoken out against the way the party has ignored rural and conservative parts of the country and has advocated for a new strategy that stops conceding states and neglecting the people living in these states.

The states that Sen. Sanders and Perez will visit include Utah, Arizona, Florida and Kentucky, all states that handed their electoral votes off to President Donald Trump in last falls election. This tour is the first step in healing the wounds of the Democratic party. The defeat Hillary Clinton suffered was embarrassing to the party and, for many, a sign that the party needed new leadership and a new way of connecting with voters across America. Since then, Sen. Sanders has become one of the new faces of the party, even though hes an Independent, and has played a large role in reshaping the party and its agenda since President Trumps November victory.

Touring these states to campaign for one set of elections wont change the way the Democratic party is viewed in conservative states. But it can serve as the base layer for a renewed effort to connect with people from all walks of life on a grassroots level. By listening to people in areas Democrats normally dont win, the party can open a dialogue with people they had appeared to have forgotten. This can help build support for Democrats in these areas and begin the long, hard process of reforming Democratic politics.

Sen. Sanders built his campaign around small-dollar donations and a sense of people power rather than the power of large donations. This approach can be seen in this tour. By going to states that normally vote Republican, the top brass of the party on the national level can help the party on the state level. Large rallies can energize the Democrats already living in these states and create an enthusiasm that can transition into real grassroots efforts for change. This approach makes politics a more community-oriented, people-driven approach to gaining electoral power in states that have been tougher for Democrats to compete in traditionally.

If the rally helps propel Mello to a win next month, it will be a big win for Nebraska Democrats. While it may not transform our state into a Democratic stronghold, it will send a message that the Democratic party can win elections in conservative states. If the party can find a way to energize people and appeal to a wider base through outreach efforts like this multi-state tour, then the new strategy of the Democratic party may be born.

Sen. Sanders and Perez wont completely change the way the Democratic party operates, but they are laying the groundwork for a new way forward. It may be a crazy concept, but Nebraska can actually be part of the foundation for this new 50-state strategy. The goal isnt simply to turn people who normally vote Republican into Democrats, but to create a sense of excitement and optimism around the party. This effort to put time and resources into every state is one way to transform the hangover of the 2016 elections into a chance to rejuvenate the party going forward.

Riley Slezak is a junior journalism and political science major. Reach him at opinion@dailynebraskan.com or via @DNOpinion.

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SLEZAK: Democrat state tour is a chance to revitalize party - Daily Nebraskan