After a strong performance in 2024, Democrats looked to Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) as a guide to recouping the party’s losses with Latino voters. But speaking to a center-left crowd at WelcomeFest in D.C. on Wednesday, the senator urged Democrats to focus more on reaching men writ large.
“The reason I think we are losing men is because we are ignoring them, and they feel it, they see it, they hear it,” Gallego said. “And sometimes when we do talk about them, we talk about them as if they’re inherently bad and toxic by nature, and then we’re surprised that they don’t want to listen to any of our other policy ideas.”
The senator may be an imperfect messenger. He has faced scrutiny for his past friendship with former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who resigned amid allegations of sexual assault. Gallego maintains he was unaware of Swalwell’s conduct beyond “flirty” behavior and told reporters in April he “fell for the lies.”
Should Gallego continue defending men against allegations of toxicity, his decade-long friendship with Swalwell could raise eyebrows. But male voters could also see the episode as a booster to the senator’s relatability.
As Democrats endeavor to overcome their reputation of weakness in some voters’ eyes and connect with disaffected male voters, they may need to embrace flawed male leaders. Oyster farmer Graham Platner (D) will test this theory in November. He is currently answering for his controversial online history, which includes downplaying sexual assault and most recently, sending sexual messages to other women while married. Gallego endorsed Platner in March, and the two share a military background.
For Gallego, concerns about character or conduct are secondary to economic issues, which he said contribute to men's feelings of instability.
“Americans are really hurt at the fact that gas is still high, food is still high, you can’t buy a home, can’t afford rent,” Gallego told Semafor earlier this week. “They’re not going to care about text messages.”
—Erika Filter
