After an hourslong Gulfport City Council meeting, newly elected councilwoman Carrissa Corbett would change out of her black dress and leopard-print coat and into a T-shirt and jogging pants before heading to a community center to host her weekly line dancing class.

Once there, Corbett collects canned goods the dancers bring to stock a food pantry for residents who lost food-stamp benefits after the government shutdown. And during dance breaks, she slips in questions: Are y’all getting out and voting? Are y’all talking to your nieces and nephews about voting?

Leaning into informal, unscripted settings like this one to connect with voters, she said, is helping Democrats along the Mississippi Gulf Coast gain traction in a traditionally red state.

“Just having casual conversation,” Corbett

See Full Page