Cory Haala is a political historian of the Democratic Party, populism, and politics in the Midwest, especially the relationships between grassroots activists and the Democratic Party since the 1970s. His book, "How Democrats Won the Heartland: Progressive Populism in the Age of Reagan", is in editing stages with the University of Illinois Press. He teaches U.S. history and Museum Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Follow him on Twitter @Cory_Haala and on Bluesky @coryhaala.bsky.social.