Democratic Electeds Have Been Talking More about Men Since the Election

Gallego, Moore, Ryan…and Crockett

Since the election, there’s obviously been a tremendous focus on the Democratic Party’s deficit with men–young ones in particular–and debate about how they can be lured away from the right. The questions are highly relevant both to how the Democrats navigate the current policy fights, and to how they may approach 2026 and 2028 elections.

Some elected Democrats have begun to clearly lay out the problem and solutions, articulating a path forward for the party, and making clear that support for men’s well-being does not need to come at the cost of Democrats’ long-standing support for women. Sen. Ruben Gallego, Gov. Wes Moore and Rep. Pat Ryan have recently tried articulating a path forward. These leaders are geographically and racially diverse, but they are all in their 40s, and, notably, are veterans. And Sen. Chris Murphy was an early leader on the issue. Democratic leaders are looking for solutions. The Dads Caucus, a group of younger parents in Congress, recently hosted the Young Men Research Initiative to talk about these issues and how to break through with young men.

On the other hand, Rep. Crockett went viral for saying that the only people complaining about DEI policies were “mediocre white boys.” Aside from the lack of empathy for people who may be struggling, it’s hard to believe any elected official thinks it’s good politics to denigrate a large swath of the population, including their own constituents.

It would be a mistake to think that young, male elected officials are the only Democrats who can speak to what young male voters are looking for from their politicians and their government. Elected officials of all stripes, including women, need to speak to them as well. Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez notably played Madden on Twitch as part of a Harris campaign push for young men and addressed some of the challenges of reaching young men online. But these leaders are certainly staking out a distinctive perspective on the issue.

Sen. Ruben Gallego: “We Don’t Really Talk About Making The Lives Of Men Better”

Question: “What do you think Democrats have misunderstood about them?”

Gallego: “That we could be working to make the status of men better without diminishing the status of women. A lot of times we forget that we still need men to vote for us. That’s how we still win elections. But we don’t really talk about making the lives of men better, working to make sure that they have wages so they can support their families. I also think some of this is purely psychological — like we just can’t put our finger on it. During my campaign, I noticed when I was talking to men, especially Latino men, about the feeling of pride, bringing money home, being able to support your family, the feeling of bringing security — they wanted to hear that someone understood that need. And a lot of times we are so afraid of communicating that to men, because we think somehow we’re going to also diminish the status of women. That’s going to end up being a problem. The fact that we don’t talk this way to them makes them think we don’t really care about them, when in fact the Democrats on par are actually very good about the status of working-class men. [...]

I think Democrats should recognize that people want to understand that they matter. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re going to say the single mom is less important than the father. That’s not what we’re saying. But just saying, “Yes, you matter too." Because as Democrats, we’re supposed to be fighting for everybody.”

Gov. Wes Moore: “Targeted Solutions To Uplift Our Men And Boys” in 2025

“Investing in our people means following the data – And the data is telling us that we need to have a greater statewide focus on supporting and elevating our men and boys. And it’s not just that in Maryland, labor force participation for young men is nearly the lowest it has been in two decades…It’s also that suicide rates among men under 30 have risen by more than a third since 2010. Across the country, college attainment levels are the same now for men and boys as they were in 1964. And Maryland still sends youth under the age of 18 to our state prisons at twice the national rate.

The data is telling us a clear message: We need to better understand and address what’s happening with our men and boys. I want to be clear: This administration remains steadfast in our support for all Marylanders, regardless of their gender or background. As the father of a son and a daughter, I want both of my children growing up with all of their God-honoring and God-given opportunities – But if we want to truly unleash the power of Maryland’s labor force, we need to make sure our men and boys aren’t still falling behind. I strongly believe our mission to uplift men and boys isn’t in conflict with our values to leave no one behind – it’s in concert with them. [...] And in 2025, I will be directing my entire administration to begin implementing targeted solutions to uplift our men and boys.

Rep. Pat Ryan: “Show Our Fight More As Democrats”

“Republicans have grown excessively belligerent, Ryan said, while Democrats have gotten too soft, drowning in care and empathy that aren’t often backed by any teeth. ‘I think we need to show our fight more as Democrats,’ he told me—not as a pretense to impress men, but to put muscle behind the party’s ideals. ‘Even if we don't succeed, we need to be clear that we're hearing you, that we know what you want us to fight for and we’re willing to get bloodied up.’

[...]

Right now, Ryan’s top non-district priority right now is to craft a national service bill. It's been floated for decades—by both parties at different times—to engage young people in the future of their nation by funding an array of public-interest jobs. In Ryan's vision, that would include teachers, cops, firefighters, and physicians. A climate and conservation corps too. Basically, he hopes that young people—especially young men—might find what he had in the military: a sense that they belong, that their lives matter, that they can serve a greater good.

[...]

If he has any playbook at all, it’s this: Democrats should find out what’s important to voters and then fight like hell on their behalf. He figures if his party did that, they’d do better not just with men, but with basically everyone.”

Sen. Chris Murphy: “ I Don’t Think We Can Deny that a Lot of Men Are in Crisis Today.”

Sen. Murphy has been ahead of the pack talking about the issues of young men. Two years ago he wrote, “I don’t think we can deny that a lot of men are in crisis today. Men are committing suicide at a rate four times higher than women. Ten percent more women are enrolled in college today than men, and the gap is growing. Seventy percent of drug overdose deaths in America today are males. We can ignore these growing disparities, and decide that men have had it good for a long time and they don’t deserve any extra attention. Or we can decide that the projects of protecting the rights of women and LGBTQ individuals and helping men in crisis aren’t mutually exclusive.”

The reason to care about the plight of men

Rep. Jasmine Crockett: “Mediocre White Men”

“I am tired of the white tears. Listen, if you are competent, you are not concerned. When you look and you compare me to Marjorie Taylor Greene or me to Lauren Boebert, there is no comparison. And that is the life that we have always lived. So the only people that are crying are the mediocre white boys that have been beaten out by people that historically have had to work so, so much harder.”