Democratic Senate candidates like James Talarico in Texas and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan are breaking the partisan mold of how politicians and campaigns reach voters.
The Trump model, which has been adopted by politicians in both parties, is to appear almost exclusively on partisan-friendly media. The overwhelming majority of Trump’s media appearances during his second administration have taken place on conservative media.
Some Democrats in elected office won’t appear on Fox News. The strategy of going on Fox has been used by some Democrats running for office for a few decades. Almost every serious Democratic presidential candidate and nominee does at least one Fox News interview, but just as many Republicans avoid MS NOW, a lot of Democrats won’t go on Fox News.
For candidates like James Talarico and Abdul El-Sayed, going on Fox makes a ton of sense. Talarico is in a red state. El-Sayed is in a state that tilts blue, but Trump won twice. There are voters in Texas and Michigan who watch Fox News, and appearing on the network is a way to reach them.
Abdul El-Sayed went on Fox News and was asked questions designed to make him look extreme, especially on healthcare, but the Democrat turned the tables on the interview.