Working-Class Democrats Form Blue Collar Brigade to Target Swing Districts

Five labor-background Democrats have banded together in the Blue Collar Brigade, pooling resources to compete in key swing districts where they lack traditional donor networks.

A group of five Democratic hopefuls with blue-collar careers have created the Blue Collar Brigade, a joint fundraising effort designed to overcome the lack of affluent donor networks that typically benefit congressional candidates. The members—ironworker Brian Poindexter (Ohio-7), firefighter and union leader Bob Brooks (Pennsylvania-7), flight attendant Kaela Berg (Minnesota-2), smokejumper Sam Forstag (Montana-1) and farm-worker descendant Randy Villegas (California-22)—all belong to labor unions and run in districts where working-class voters are pivotal.

Their policy agenda pushes for billionaire tax hikes, stronger labor protections, a Medicare-for-all style health system, and a large-scale infrastructure rebuilding plan. Center for Working-Class Politics research suggests that such non-elite candidates can attract working-class support more effectively than wealthier rivals, and the Brigade’s messaging aims to speak directly to values like pride, loyalty and “Made in America.”

However, the candidates vary in communication style and social-policy positions: Brooks and Poindexter use plain, working-class language, while Berg’s messaging is more policy-driven, and Forstag and Villegas adopt more progressive stances on issues such as immigration and criminal-justice reform. If the Brigade secures victories, it could signal a broader shift toward economic-populist, labor-rooted politics within the Democratic Party’s swing-district strategy.