Senator Ruben Gallego

It's just how I communicate.

It's just who you are.

Like, I'm...

Yes, I went to Harvard, but most of my real collective experience is being in the Marines.

And, you know, and growing up on the south side of Chicago, like— You're from Pilsen.

Yeah, and Pilsen, every park, back of the yards.

I was always surrounded by working class people, right?

And working class people, you know, we are rough around the edges.

And I think I am representing—I think I'm, you know, just factually—

just being who I am.

But it doesn't mean, again, that, you know, as a human, we should obviously be trying to improve, and that's what I'm gonna try to do.

There needs to be a way to be masculine without being what people would consider toxic.

And I think there has to be a way for Democrats to understand that men—

can be part of our coalition.

We need to talk to them as like, we want you part of our coalition.

A lot of times we de-emphasize men in the democratic brand, in the democratic coalition.

And, you know, I think there's a way, and this is really talking from my experience running for Senate and running for Congress,

where we can make sure that women feel that they are protected in our community, that we are, as Democrats, that we are looking out for their status when it comes to rights, economics, growing their economics, things of that nature, and still also be able to do the same thing with men.

I don't think there is any, I don't think they conflate each other or they counteract each other.

when you talk to an everyday Latino or African-American, even woman, and you tell them like, you know, I'm going to make sure you have great wages.