Vulnerable Democrat turns to Zyn-style merchandise to boost her campaign

A vulnerable Democrat running for re-election in a district that voted for President Donald Trump is trying a unique way to win over Republican voters: selling branded containers of Zyn nicotine pouches. Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington’s 3rd district launched her campaign’s merchandise shop this week. Among the items included is a metal tin for nicotine pouches with the branding, “Marie Glue-ZYN-kamp Perez.” Zyn pouches of nicotine have become prominent in recent years, particularly across social media and TikTok.

Tobacco-free, they have become particularly popular among Republican men. Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that the pouches can be labeled as less harmful to human health than cigarettes.

They often come in flavors including coffee, cinnamon and spearmint. Influencers who support Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also regularly promote the products.

Kennedy has also called the pouches, “probably the safest way to consume nicotine.” Gluesenkamp Perez pulled off two surprising wins against right-wing Republican Joe Kent after he beat Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler in 2022 after Herrera Beutler voted to impeach Trump after his acts on January 6, 2021. A conservative Democrat, Gluesenkamp Perez is co-chairwoman of the Blue Dogs Caucus.

As a result, she has occasionally broken with the rest of the Democratic caucus. During Joe Biden’s presidency, she voted to roll back Biden’s student loan forgiveness program. More recently, she broke with the rest of the Democratic caucus last week when she voted for a rule to begin debate on multiple pieces of legislation when the minority party historically does not vote for a rule.

Washington’s 3rd district, which includes large rural swaths and a long strip of the coast on the Pacific Ocean, voted for Trump by 3.4 points, according to data analytics site Split Ticket. But Glusenkamp Perez won the district by 3.9 points. She is one of 23 Democrats who won a seat in a district that Trump won in 2024.