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Nicholas Jacobs, Goldfarb Family Distinguished Chair in American Government, Colby College; Institute for Humane Studies

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

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

Since 2016, when Donald Trump shattered the Democrats’ blue wall by winning working-class voters across the Midwest, a cottage industry has sprung up on the left dedicated to answering a single question: How can Democrats win back the working class?

The answers come in different forms.

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