Why ask winners for advice

Democrats keep worrying about winning working-class voters. Robin Johnson decided to interview the Democrats who actually do it.

A decade-long research project

Johnson, a rural Illinois consultant, has been interviewing state legislators who win tough districts since Trump's first victory in 2016.

28 legislators from swing states

The new report covers 28 state legislators who won heavily working-class areas in the seven main presidential battleground states.

Meet the unlikely winners

They include a retired union electrician, a construction business owner, a five-time college dropout with tattoos, and a former circus clown.

Not the socialist wing

These lawmakers differ sharply from the left-wing populists who've captured national media attention, the report's authors say.

“could hardly be more different from the left-wing populists who've captivated the national media this summer”

Common themes across regions

From rural Georgia to the Arizona border to Las Vegas and the Blue Wall states, the challenges and themes are remarkably similar.

“It's really interesting how common the themes and the challenges are from rural Georgia, right down to the border of Arizona, to Las Vegas”

Identity politics takes a backseat

Unlike past reports, this one included Black and Latino legislators. But none of them brought up their own identity in interviews.

“Nobody brought up their identity in these interviews”

No secret sauce needed

These legislators are deeply rooted in their communities, know the people and language, and work hard. That's the formula.

“There's no secret sauce. They're deeply rooted in their communities, they know the people that live there, they know the language, they work hard”

Real people, not Frankenstein candidates

The legislators come from varied backgrounds. You don't need consultants creating the perfect candidate, Johnson says. They already exist.

The big shift since 2024

Nevada's Elaine Marzola says her campaign moved away from leading with social issues to focus on affordability and economic concerns instead.

“My campaign's biggest adjustment in 2024 was shifting away from leading with social and cultural issues”

Voters want affordability, not culture wars

Marzola says voters across backgrounds increasingly want leaders focused on affordability, education, and safety rather than culture war debates.

“voters across backgrounds increasingly want leaders focused on affordability, education, and public safety rather than endless culture war debates”

The litmus test problem

Many legislators complained about groups demanding 100 percent allegiance. You can agree on nine out of 10 issues, but one disagreement makes you an enemy.

“you can vote with them on nine out of 10 issues, but on the tenth issue, if you're not with them, you're an enemy”

Room for regional differences

In the Bible Belt, older African Americans are more conservative on cultural issues. Legislators need room to vote their districts while staying unified on economics.

Economic unity, different approaches

All focus on affordability, but some take populist approaches while others are business-friendly. Most describe themselves as moderate.

Deep roots beat viral moments

These legislators still get hit on national issues, but their deep community roots help them overcome attacks better than any pithy social media slogan.

“It's really not. For these folks anyway, it just comes down to doing the hard work”

The Democratic bench for tomorrow

These state legislators have proven they can win tough districts. They're the bench Democrats need for future congressional and statewide races.

“this is the bench that the Democrats need”