US midterm candidates use clothing to signal identity as ties disappear

As candidates campaign for the US midterm elections, many are using clothing to signal who they are and whom they want to represent — and the necktie is increasingly absent from the campaign trail.

Texas rivals Ken Paxton and James Talarico, despite their political differences, have both opted for relaxed blazers, open collars, jeans and cowboy boots. “The necktie is dead on the campaign trail in both parties,” says Robert Ordway, a public policy adviser and former owner of Capitol Hill Clothiers.

The election on 3 November will decide control of Congress, making candidates’ public image part of a contest fought not only through policy but also on television and social media. Fashion experts told the BBC that clothes can help politicians look both capable of holding office and connected to voters.

Some candidates lean into regional associations. Democratic congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, seeking re-election in Washington state, often wears work jackets, flannel shirts, jeans and practical shoes. Her style fits the Pacific Northwest’s outdoorsy image, Ordway says, while attorney and public policy expert Tashira Halyard says it supports a message focused on working people.

Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola also draws on outdoor clothing, including flannel and puffer jackets. She wore traditional Yup’ik boots at her 2022 swearing-in as a congresswoman. Her campaign’s “fish, family and freedom” slogan and clothing choices evoke her fishing-boat experience and Alaska roots, says journalist Bonnie Kristian.

Political signals in the details

Republican Ashley Hinson, running for the Senate in Iowa, has used more overtly patriotic touches, including a denim dress and high heels decorated with the American flag. Halyard calls the look “classic Americana”. Kristian says the clear visual identity may help Hinson stand out in brief social-media clips and appeal to rural voters.

In Texas, Talarico’s cowboy boots are a deliberate choice, says fashion critic Friedman, who argues they can speak across political lines. Former president George W Bush also wore cowboy boots, including a pair decorated with the Texas flag.

Paxton, meanwhile, has faced criticism over a luxury-branded polo shirt and a watch. Donald Trump urged voters to focus on Paxton’s record rather than his suit, while Talarico has criticised the Republican’s clothing amid debate over the cost of living. Stylist Joe Zee cautions that casual dress does not automatically convey an ordinary lifestyle: a resort-branded polo can still suggest luxury. The watch’s identity and value were not confirmed in the BBC report.

Other politicians have settled on recognisable personal uniforms. Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn, who is running for governor, is often seen in structured jackets and skirts, sometimes with pearls. Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat, favours a black V-neck shirt and jeans, describing the choice as “minimal look, maximal politics”. Zee says even an apparently unstylised outfit can be a deliberate form of branding.