Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Michigan candidate Abdul El-Sayed and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders at “The People v. The Powerful” rally at the Detroit Opera House on July 18, 2026. Sarah Rice/Getty Images

Democrats have a working‑class voter problem that progressives like Abdul El‑Sayed are still struggling to solve

Class-war rhetoric from Democratic candidates jams working-class voters into a prefabricated progressive agenda, an expert on rural and working-class communities argues.
Graham Platner at a town hall on June 7, 2026, in Portland, Maine. Laura Brett/Getty Images

Graham Platner’s campaign implosion highlights the hollowness of America’s political parties and how they can be hijacked by insurgents

Graham Platner’s Senate campaign has imploded amid credible accusations of rape. A Maine political scientist looks at what happened and how the populist Platner resembles Donald Trump in key ways.
Graham Platner, candidat démocrate au Sénat américain, prend la parole lors d’une étape de la tournée « Fighting Oligarchy » organisée par le sénateur Bernie Sanders au Collins Center for the Arts, sur le campus de l’université du Maine, le 24 mai 2026 à Orono, dans le Maine. Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP

États‑Unis : les raisons pour lesquelles les travailleurs votent moins qu’avant pour le parti démocrate

Si le parti démocrate ne fait plus autant recette qu’auparavant auprès des travailleurs, c’est en bonne partie du fait de son glissement vers la gauche sur un ensemble de questions.
Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks at an event hosted by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in Orono, Maine, on May 24, 2026. AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Democrats don’t get why they’ve lost most working class voters

Class-war rhetoric from Democratic candidates jams working-class voters into a prefabricated progressive agenda, an expert on rural and working-class communities argues.
Graham Platner, left, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, chats with his neighbor, Denis Nault, on Nov. 3, 2025, in Sullivan, Maine. AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Why rural Maine may back Democrat Graham Platner’s populism in the Senate campaign − but not his party

Whether Maine’s Graham Platner wins or loses, his campaign to knock off longtime GOP Sen. Susan Collins already points to a deeper question: Can Democrats do more than rent rural authenticity?

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