Men—especially young men in rural areas—are struggling socially and economically. A record number of men of prime working age, 18-65, are out of the workforce.  Boys are graduating from high school at lower rates than in the past.  Men enroll in college at a rate 15 percent lower than two generations ago. Rural economies offer few jobs for men and therefore offer fewer ways to find the respect and responsibility that has always been a part of the male identity.  As a result, alcohol, drug addiction, and suicide are more common for men in rural areas.  

Democrats can provide hope and help. Democrats support policies that help men get into apprenticeship training, help them graduate from high school and afford college, and give them increased access to mental health services to reduce the addiction, isolation, and despair that can lead to self-harm.  In addition, Democrats support veterans, the overwhelming majority of whom are men.  

Representative Angie Craig (D-Minnesota) recently worked with her colleague Pete Stauber (R-Minnesota) to create the 2023 Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act, which helps men gain workplace success that enables them to “earn and learn” for themselves and their families.  This legislation shows that Democrats are willing to reach across the aisle to solve problems that plague men especially.  “Apprenticeship programs provide Minnesotans with the tools and skills needed to build a successful 21st-century career, without the burden of student loans. We’re building momentum from both Democrats and Republicans and I look forward to working with Rep. Stauber to get this one passed,” said Rep. Craig.

Democrats consistently fund programs that help boys graduate and succeed in high school. Educational research shows that boys develop later than girls both emotionally and socially, leaving boys about 1-2 years behind girls by junior high. These tens of thousands of boys are not behind developmentally, but the average boy does not fit into our educational system as well as the average girl. Democrats’ support for public schools assists boys of all ages by ensuring smaller class sizes, putting more teachers in the classroom, and providing outside-of-classroom support for boys who have fallen behind in math and reading. These policies help boys stay in school so they can enter adulthood with education and the potential to contribute and build self-respect.

Democrats support affordable college for college-bound men and women alike. Governor Tim Walz earmarked a new bill in 2023 making college free for students whose families make less than $80,000 a year. Because men graduate nationally at a rate 14% less than women, and those men who are in college are 11% more likely to drop out than women, Walz’s bill helps Minnesota men enroll and stay in college, particularly men from families who fall short of paying for college. Due to Walz’s bill, college enrollment and community college enrollment, which includes trades and two-year hands-on career training, grew in Minnesota in 2023, reversing a decade-long decline. 

Democrats support veterans, most of whom are men who serve their country after high school graduation. When they return to civilian life, Democrats have their back. Not only do Democrats initiate and support veteran benefits in Minnesota, Democrats at the national level also support the veterans’ health benefits of the PACT Act as well as the GI Bill that helps veterans transition from the military into careers through technical and trade programs. 

Although we often associate Democratic politics with urban and suburban constituencies, Democrats in Greater Minnesota support the kinds of jobs that are especially attractive to men who do not have a college degree. Winona County’s own Gene Pelowski received the Legislator of the Year Award from the Minnesota Rural Electric Association for his work creating sustainable energy farms and accompanying jobs in rural Minnesota.

All the above suggest that Democratic policies return control to men’s lives by helping them get  real jobs that can pay the bills for themselves and their loved ones. Democratic policies help boys stay in school so they can enter adulthood with education and the potential to contribute and build self-respect. Democratic policies help men who are in crisis, who have fallen into the cracks of our society so that these men can find their way back into a meaningful life. They help men who have served their country find civilian employment.

This season, support men. Be a Democratic voter.