Democrats put forward two styles of American masculinity

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In Maine, oyster farmer and former Marine Graham Platner is the gruff, unshaven, blue-collar contender for the seat of longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who has never met a war she couldn’t vote for or a Supreme Court nominee who couldn’t gull her.

In Texas, state legislator and Presbyterian seminarian James Talarico is the boyishly clean-cut, soft-spoken contender for the seat of vanquished Republican Sen. John Cornyn, ousted by scandal-ridden Texas Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton, who has been described by Talarico as the most corrupt politician in America. (Personally, I would say Paxton has competition for the title.)

As different as the two men are, Platner and Talarico embody a pro-worker, pro-immigrant populism that is extremely appealing at a moment when inflation is rampant, wages are stagnant and unrestrained billionaires are calling the political shots.

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It seems that a flawed oyster farmer and a former seminarian are the country’s best hopes to take back the Senate. I’d vote for both if I could.

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2026-06-14/democrats-american-masculinity