The Return of the Democratic Manly Man
Democratic congressional candidate Brian Poindexter is attempting to win back working-class male voters by embracing a platform centered on traditional masculinity. The strategy reflects a broader party effort to address the significant gender gap that has persisted in recent election cycles.
Why it matters
The Democratic Party's struggle to connect with male voters is a critical factor in their electoral performance, prompting a shift in campaign rhetoric and cultural messaging.
The party has a new campaign strategy: masculinity.
Amy Lynn Powell for The Atlantic July 12, 2026, 7 AM ET Share Save B rian Poindexter had just finished wolfing down a Reuben sandwich in a deli outside Cleveland when he delivered a message that, coming from a Democratic House candidate in the year 2026, sounded almost provocative. “There’s nothing wrong with being masculine,” Poindexter told me. It’s okay, he said, to be “a manly man.”
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