Colorado Voters on 2026: Fix the Constellation, Not One Star
Colorado voters are tired. Not disengaged - tired. When we ran a ...
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Tag: Election Insights
Election Insights Research Studies
Understanding what voters actually think - not what pundits assume - is the difference between winning and losing campaigns. Ditto's Election Insights research uses synthetic voter panels to test campaign messaging, track sentiment shifts, and uncover the real drivers behind electoral decisions.
These studies span Democratic and Republican campaigns, covering everything from healthcare messaging to tariff policy framing. Each study features verbatim voter quotes, demographic breakdowns, and actionable recommendations for campaign strategists.
What You'll Discover
- How voters respond to specific campaign messages and policy positions
- Which issues actually move swing voters vs energise the base
- Regional and demographic variations in voter sentiment
- Messaging frameworks that resonate (and ones that fall flat)
Explore our election research studies below, or book a demo to run your own voter panel.
Pennsylvania Voters on Shapiro: Fix the Bills, Park the 2028 Talk
Josh Shapiro has been governor of Pennsylvania for two years and the verdict from voters is: ...
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Georgia Voters on 2026 Governor: Boring Competence or Bust
Georgia has an open governor's race in 2026 and voters have ...
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Georgia Senate Voters: Ossoff Gets a B, Needs Receipts
Jon Ossoff won his Senate seat in 2021 by the skin of his teeth during one of the most watched elections in American history. Now he has to do it again. So what do Georgia voters actually th...
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Florida Voters on 2026: Insurance Is the Anxiety Tax
Florida is the state that never stops surprising you. You think you know the story - sunshine, retirees, theme parks - and then you talk to actual Floridians and realise the story is ...
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Ohio Voters on 2026: Stop Discovering Us Every Two Years
Ohio has a complicated relationship with national attention. Every two years, the TV cameras show up, the pundits discover the Rust Belt, and voters watch outsiders explain their state back ...
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Wisconsin Voters Want Boring Plans, Not Party Sweeps
Wisconsin is one of those states where voters take their politics personally - and seriously. So when we built a ...
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Pennsylvania Voters on 2026 House Races: Receipts Over Rhetoric
I have a soft spot for Pennsylvania. It is one of those states where politics is not abstract - it is the price of eggs, the cost of heating oil, the question of whether the factory down the...
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Michigan Voters on 2026: Governor Race Trumps Everything
Michigan in 2026 is a lot. You have got a wide-open governor's race, a Senate contest, a constitutional convention question that nobody asked for, and an economy that voters describe as 'dea...
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Arizona Voters on Katie Hobbs: Oatmeal Beats the Chili Bomb
Arizona is a state where politics and daily life crash into each other constantly - water rights, border policy, housing costs that make your eyes water. So when we ran a ...
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NC Voters on Roy Cooper's Senate Bid: Show Us the Receipts
Ask ten North Carolina voters what they think about Roy Cooper running for Senate and you will not get a single ...
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GOP Messaging Misses: What Swing State Voters Want to Hear
Republicans are going to make border security and inflation their core 2026 message. Everyone knows this. But does it actually work with swing state voters? And what would make them take fis...
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What Actually Gets Voters to Volunteer: Door-Knocking Study
Campaign volunteers are gold. Everyone in politics knows this. But most people have never knocked a door or made a phone bank call in their lives. So what would actually get them to do it?...
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Swing District Voters Want Receipts: Democratic Messaging Study
The 2026 midterms are going to be razor-thin in swing districts. Everyone knows this. What nobody agrees on is what Democrats should actually ...
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What Georgia Voters Actually Want from Senator Ossoff
Senator Jon Ossoff is up for re-election in 2026, and I wanted to know what Georgia voters ...
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Arizona Voters Want Receipts, Not Poetry: AZ-03 Study
I've been obsessing over what actually moves voters in competitive districts. Not the pundit takes. Not the Twitter discourse. The ...
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Michigan Workers Want Spreadsheets, Not Speeches
"If a candidate speaks like a foreman at the morning standup - what, when, who is accountable, how we will verify - I listen. If they speak like a commercial, I tune out."...
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Nebraska on Dan Osborn: Show Us the Caucus Plan
"Half yes, half side-eye." That is how Margaret, a 65-year-old Lincoln retiree, describes her reaction to Dan Osborn's independent Senate run....
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Georgia Voters on Collins vs Ossoff: Less Drama, More Math
"Steamroll the radical left" - that is the pitch. Here is how Georgia voters actually hear it: noise....
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NC Swing Voters Want Receipts, Not Rhetoric
Six swing voters. Three questions. One consistent answer: stop treating us like idiots....
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Ohio 2026: Can Democrats Win Back the Buckeye State?
Ohio 2026 presents Democrats with their best statewide opportunity in years. With term limits forcing out Governor DeWine and creating open races across the state, the question is whether De...
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Pennsylvania 2026: What Makes a Veteran Candidate Credible?
Pennsylvania has become the ultimate bellwether state, and 2026 will test whether veteran candidates can break through in a political environment that has become increasingly skeptical of al...
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Arizona 2026: Andy Biggs and the Swing Voter Problem
Arizona has become ground zero for American political realignment. After years of razor-thin margins and contested elections, the 2026 gubernatorial race will test whether the state's rightw...
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Texas 2026: What GOP Voters Actually Want in Their Senate Primary
Texas Republicans are heading into 2026 with a primary that could reshape the state's political identity. John Cornyn, the veteran senator seeking reelection, faces a challenge from Ken Paxt...
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What Suburban Voters Actually Want From Campaigns
Suburban voters are the swing constituency that decides elections. But campaigns often miss what actually moves these voters - treating them as a demographic to target rather than real peopl...
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Florida Voters Want Receipts, Not Slogans
Florida has been trending Republican in recent elections, and Democrats are struggling to compete. But what do actual Florida voters think? What would it take for Democrats to have a shot in...
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NY Voters Want Boring Competence, Not Cable-News Warriors
New York's congressional races are always competitive, but the 2026 midterms feel different. Several districts flipped from Republican to Democrat in recent cycles, and first-term representa...
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Nevada 2026: Lombardo vs Ford Through Voters Eyes
Nevada's 2026 gubernatorial race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the country. Governor Joe Lombardo, a Republican and former Las Vegas sheriff, faces Attorney General Aaro...
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What PA Voters Really Think About Josh Shapiro
Governor Josh Shapiro is running for re-election in Pennsylvania, and I wanted to know what actual PA voters think about his first term. Not the pundit takes, not the polling averages. The r...
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Minnesota Voters on Fraud Messaging: More Numbers, Fewer Soundbites
Rep. Brad Finstad recently made headlines with his statements on fraud investigations and ICE enforcement in Minnesota, including his claim that fraudsters 'played Minnesotans as chumps.' St...
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New York Voters on Greenland Messaging: Less Jargon, More Kitchen Table
Rep. Gregory Meeks recently called the Trump Administration's Greenland push 'colonialism' and warned it threatens NATO alliance safety. Strong words that certainly generated headlines. But ...
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California Voters on EPA Messaging: Drop the Drama, Show the Receipts
Here is something that has been bugging me about political communications: politicians keep using words that sound powerful in Washington but land flat with actual voters. Rep. Mike Levin re...
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What Voters Really Think About Women Candidates
When voters see a woman candidate announce her campaign, something interesting happens. There's an initial positive reaction - what one respondent called "a quick spark of hope." But that ho...
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What Colorado Voters Want From 2026 Candidates
When we asked Colorado voters what they want from 2026 candidates, one phrase came up repeatedly: "tired of theater."...
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What Voters Really Think About Digital Political Ads
We asked six battleground voters what makes them stop scrolling through their social feeds for political content. The answer wasn't what most campaign strategists want to hear....
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Nobody Clicks Political Ads (Here's What Works Instead)
'Political ads feel like pop-ups with bad cologne - pushy and probably tracking me.' ...
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Florida Voters Care About Transit, Not What You Think
'Florida is red right now. Not a vibes problem, not a tweak-the-slogan problem. It's math and muscle.' ...
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Congressional Voters Want Receipts, Not Chest-Thumping
'I'm worn out on chest-thumping that leaves us with the same potholes, spotty internet, and folks sweating medical bills.' ...
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Women Voters Won't Trade Values for a Pink Yard Sign
'Being a woman is not a golden ticket. I won't vote for a bumper sticker in heels.' ...
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What Actually Gets Progressives Off the Couch
'If it has a clock, a budget, and a name on it, I'll show up. If it's vibes and slogans, I'm out.' ...
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California Voters Want Receipts, Not Vibes
'It resonates if it comes with receipts. Otherwise, puro cuento.' ...
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NC Voters on Senate Messaging: Skip the Jargon, Show Receipts
When Democrats talk about "breaking the supermajority" in North Carolina, voters hear political jargon. That's the headline from our January 2026 study of six NC voters across Greensboro, Ch...
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PA Voters on Democratic Economic Messaging: What Works
Pennsylvania is ground zero for the 2026 midterms. Multiple competitive House races, a swing-state electorate, and voters who will decide whether Democrats take back the majority....
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Minnesota Senate 2026: What Suburban Voters Want from Angie Craig
Angie Craig just made it official - she's running for Tina Smith's open Senate seat. It's a crowded DFL primary with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Melisa Lopez Franzen also in the mix. For a m...
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What Texas Voters Really Want in 2026: Live Research from the Lone Star State
Texas Democrats have done something historic - they've fielded a candidate in ...
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Progressive Voter Engagement: What Actually Drives Action
What actually drives progressive voters from caring about issues to taking action? What makes people donate versus volunteer? Which grassroots tactics work and which feel like a waste of tim...
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What Voters Want from Governors in 2026: Boring Works
What do American voters actually want from their state governors in 2026? We asked six participants about gubernatorial priorities, and the results challenge conventional wisdom: voters want...
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Union Support 2026: What Workers Rights Messaging Resonates
How do American workers perceive unions in 2026? What political messaging around workers' rights actually resonates? We asked six participants ranging from healthcare workers to warehouse em...
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Jon Ossoff Georgia Senate 2026: What Voters Actually Want
What do American voters actually think about Senator Jon Ossoff heading into 2026? We asked six demographically diverse participants for their honest reactions, policy priorities, and deal-b...
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What California Voters Actually Want in 2026: A Boring Builder With Receipts
Everyone's talking about the California governor's race in terms of policy positions and endorsements. The voters? They want something entirely different: everyone's talking about ideology, ...
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How to Turn Michigan Voters Into Advocates
Here's something that's been bugging me about Democratic campaign messaging: we keep talking ...
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Water Is the Boss: Arizona Governor Priorities
Here's something that struck me the moment I read through this research: every single voter put water first. Every one. I was expecting a messy split between border security hawks and educat...
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Can Auto Credentials Win Michigan's Senate Race?
Every single participant in this study said the same thing, and I wasn't expecting it: in a study about a Democratic Senate candidate: in a study about a Democratic Senate candidate, ...
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What Swing Voters Actually Want from Democrats
Here's something I've been wrestling with: why do Democratic candidates keep losing swing districts they should win? The national polling looks decent, the issues poll well, but come Electio...
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Do Swing Voters Want Boring Politicians?
Here's something that surprised me: I asked swing state voters what they want from Republican candidates in 2026, and every single one of them said some version of the same thing. They want ...
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Can Iowa's Auditor Run the Machine? Midwest Voters Weigh In
Rob Sand, Iowa's State Auditor, is making a run for Governor. The question nagging at me: can a watchdog actually ...
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Do Voters Trust Veteran Candidates? Swing State Answers
Does wearing the uniform actually translate into voter trust? This question's been rattling around in my head for a while: does wearing the uniform actually translate into votes? I see veter...
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What Suburban Voters Want: Stay Moderate, Show Receipts
There's a consulting class debate that never ends: should Democratic candidates in competitive suburban districts move left to energise the base, or stay moderate to win swing voters? I've s...
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Why Voters Split Tickets: Lessons From North Carolina 2024
In 2024, North Carolina voters elected a Democratic governor while simultaneously voting for Donald Trump for president. This wasn't a fluke or an accident. It was deliberate ticket-splittin...
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Election Denial Is Disqualifying: What Voters Want in a Secretary of State
Here's a phrase that came up repeatedly in my research with voters about Secretary of State races: "Boring is good." Voters want election administrators who keep their heads down, run the pr...
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What Voters Really Think About Healthcare Messaging
In every political strategy conversation, the same topic surfaces: Democrats run healthcare campaigns on fear—'Republicans will take away your coverage'—while Republicans run on cost and cho...
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Tariffs Are "A Tax With a Flag On It": What Fiscal Conservatives Really Think
Here's a phrase that came up repeatedly in my research with fiscal conservatives: "Tariffs are a tax with a flag on it." That was Omar, a 39-year-old surgical technologist in Oklahoma, and h...
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Texas Suburban Voters to Democrats: "Show Me You Understand My Commute"
Texas Democrats just made history by fielding candidates in every race on the 2026 ballot. But can they win? That depends on what they say when they knock on suburban doors....
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GOP Primary Voters on Fiscal Conservatism vs Trump Loyalty - The Split Is Real
The 2026 Republican primaries will test a fundamental tension in the GOP coalition: fiscal conservatism versus Trump loyalty. Which matters more to primary voters?...
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"Protecting Democracy" Messaging Is Landing Differently Than Democrats Expect
Here's a messaging reality check for 2026: "protecting democracy" isn't landing the way Democrats think it is with swing voters....
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Progressive Voters Are Ready to Volunteer - But They Have Conditions
The 2026 midterms are shaping up to be pivotal. Democrats need volunteers. Progressives are motivated. But here's what our research reveals: they're done with performative politics....
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What Voters Really Think About Jonathan Nez
I got curious about something. Jonathan Nez, the former Navajo Nation President, is running for Congress in Arizona's 2nd District. If elected, he'd be the first Native American to represent...
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