Democrats seek inroads with male voters after 2024 Trump gains
The NPR report aired as part of Morning Edition’s election coverage, with Fadel hosting the four fishermen at Upper Dam in Rangeley for one of the last fly-fishing trips of the season. The men identified themselves as a Republican, an independent, a Democrat and a progressive, and their politics differed. But after an afternoon of fishing and talking about the election, the men shared some of the same frustrations — they wanted change, and only a few were excited about the candidates asking for their votes.
Ken Beaulieu, a 64-year-old recently retired Republican who helps organize the outing, said he plans to vote for Jackson even though he does not think Jackson is the right candidate for the seat. “I’m all about change,” Beaulieu said. “I don’t think Troy Jackson is the right guy. But I’m voting against Susan Collins.” Beaulieu said fly fishing gives him a way to tune out politics. “If you need to forget bad stuff, just go fly fishing because it all goes away,” he said. “You’re so focused on the water.”
Beaulieu said rising costs, healthcare and politics have become harder for him to ignore, and that he has grown disillusioned with his party and with politicians more broadly.
Joel Anderson, who said he has voted for Collins in the past, said he will not do so again. “She seemed moderate. She seemed to be representing Maine pretty well,” Anderson said. “No longer is that the case.”
Paul Guernsey, 71, a retired writer and editor who describes himself as an independent turned Democrat, said he supports Jackson in part because he wants a change in Washington. “Politics is a team sport,” Guernsey said. “For anybody who wants a change in Washington right now, he’s the person to go for.”
Nearby, 28-year-old ski patroller Conor Bergin cast his line and talked about another concern shaping his politics: the rising cost of housing. “I live in a beautiful place. I work a fun job,” Bergin said. “But do I ever dream of owning a house? Probably not.” Bergin plans to vote for a Democratic candidate, as he usually does, but said the party has rarely produced a candidate he feels truly represents him. “There hasn’t been any other candidates I’ve been excited about,” he said.
The race is one Democrats have targeted as part of a broader effort to make inroads with male voters, a group Trump drew strong support from in 2024. Recent Marist and New York Times polls have shown the Collins-Jackson contest to be close, with the outcome potentially affecting the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.
The radio interview was produced by Lilly Quiroz and edited by Arezou Rezvani. The digital version was written by Majd Al-Waheidi and edited by Treye Green.