Not Too Woke, Too Weak: Democrats’ Real Problem With Voters

Way to Win Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Jenifer Fernandez Ancona shares the organization’s research findings about where Democrats went wrong in 2024 and what it’s going to take to win in 2026 and beyond.

She explains what the data really shows about last year’s election and how her organization’s qualitative focus groups reveal a fundamental error in Democrats’ understanding of where the party goes from here.

Jen shares what she’s hearing from voters who sat out of the 2024 election, including how they perceive the Democratic Party and their opinion of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. She discusses the role of data-driven messaging vs. voter mobilization, and she breaks down why Democrats’ failure to fight back against Republicans caused them to lose voters who were looking for a break from business-as-usual politics. 

REFERENCES:

Jenifer Fernandez Ancona – @jenancona // @jenancona.bsky.social

Way to Win – waytowin.us // @WayToWinAF // @waytowinus.bsky.social 

Way to Win Substack – “Americans—And The Missing Biden Voters—Want Change“