To the editor:

On April 12, the day after Ron Estes barely inched his way past grassroots Democrat James Thompson, CNN published an article wrought with painful familiarity and repeated mistakes. Titled “Forget Kansas. This Chart Shows Why Republicans Need to Worry about 2018,” the article echoed the same message we saw from 2016: Dems will surely win because look at this chart. I rolled my eyes at the content, but it was the title that irked me.

The apathy of the Democratic elites and their abandonment of red states is the reason why Thompson lost, why many of us don’t bother to vote and why Trump won. As I hear “your vote doesn’t matter” resonate in my head, I still drag myself to the polls to vote for a candidate who will likely lose. Still, I do it. As do thousands of other Democrats who have been cast aside by elitists who turn a blind eye. If Democrats refuse to acknowledge the power we have in red states, we will never be able to rally more voters and secure seats.

Thinking back to another article CNN published on Nov. 30 titled “Voter Turnout at 20-Year Low,” I chuckle at the irony. Trump won due to his seemingly empathetic message to my Kansas neighbors.

Democrats lauded a weak candidate, ignored voters, confirmed their dissonance for grassroots campaigns, and were still in awe at their failures.

To the Democratic elitists: We are here, in the red Midwest and South, wanting our voices to be heard. We are your voters. Don’t “forget” about us.