On behalf of the entire team at GSG Political, we want to congratulate our Democratic colleagues, clients, and friends on an extraordinary night that saw Democrats score historic wins — taking back control of Congress and state governments across the country.
Two years into Donald Trump’s second term, working families are struggling, and Republican policies have made matters worse. While Republicans focused on protecting their majority through mid-decade redistricting, Democrats focused on the issues facing working families, running strong campaigns that helped them win competitive races across the country. These victories are a testament to the candidates, campaigns, and organizations that worked tirelessly to give voters a better choice and a path forward.
GSG Political is proud to have served as strategic research partners for Democratic candidates, committees, and progressive organizations across the country. Our work included polling for candidates and independent expenditures in nearly every Democratic Senate flip, for 10 Democratic gubernatorial wins, for 9 attorney general wins, and for 25 of the most competitive races across the House battleground, helping to push the Democratic majority to heights once thought unthinkable. We also supported efforts to protect and expand abortion rights in multiple states, advance voting rights, protect independent courts, and shape messaging on some of the biggest issues facing voters nationwide.
Across the country, GSG Political worked alongside the candidates, campaigns, and organizations that made these victories possible. While we optimistically await completed results in a handful of key races, here are some highlights from our work this cycle.
In governors’ races, GSG helped elect a new generation of Democratic leaders while protecting proven incumbents. We were the pollsters for four new governors, including David Crowley (WI), Rob Sand (IA), Aaron Ford (NV), and Cindy Holscher (KS). We were also proud to work with Governors JB Pritzker (IL), Josh Shapiro (PA), Kathy Hochul (NY), and Ned Lamont (CT) in their reelection efforts. Alongside last year’s winners — Mikie Sherrill (NJ) and Abigail Spanberger (VA) — GSG is now the pollster for ten Democratic governors. We also worked with the Democratic Governors Association Independent Expenditure in support of likely winner Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins in Alaska.
In the fight for the U.S. Senate, GSG’s research helped Democrats flip formerly red states to secure the victories needed to take back the majority. As of this writing, Democrats may flip up to nine Senate races, an incredible feat. We worked directly for Josh Turek’s campaign in Iowa and conducted Black voter research for Sherrod Brown’s campaign in Ohio. For Senate Majority PAC, we polled in support of Roy Cooper (NC) and Mary Peltola (AK). And for Lone Star Rising PAC, our research supported James Talarico (TX). Finally, we polled for several additional independent expenditures in support of Adam Hamilton (KS), Annie Andrews (SC), and what we hope to be a final, remarkable pickup in Mississippi by Scott Colom.
GSG played a critical role in Democrats’ fight to retake the U.S. House, conducting research in dozens of races and more than half of all toss-up wins. Our work spanned 25 competitive House battlegrounds, including some of the most challenging districts in the country. Despite Republican attempts to manipulate congressional maps through mid-decade redistricting, Democrats successfully flipped dozens of Republican-held seats, securing the majority and delivering a major victory for voters across the country.
Our research helped protect frontline Democrats facing some of the toughest reelection fights in the country. We were proud to work with the campaigns of Kathy Castor (FL-14), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), and with House Majority PAC in support of Jared Moskowitz (FL-25) and Emilia Sykes (OH-13), helping defend critical Democratic seats and preserve the coalition needed to win back the House.
GSG also helped elect a new class of Democratic representatives, turning Republican-held seats blue across the country. Our work included the campaigns of the following winners: Randy Villegas (CA-22), Jessica Killin (CO-05), Sarah Trone Garriott (IA-03), Christina Hines (MI-10), Cait Conley (NY-17), Kristina Knickerbocker (OH-10), Bob Harvie (PA-01), Bob Brooks (PA-07), Bobby Pulido (TX-15), Katy Padilla Stout (TX-23), and Shannon Taylor (VA-01). We also supported independent expenditure efforts on behalf of Lindsay James (IA-02), Zack Mullock (NJ-02), and Will Lawrence (MI-07) through our partnership with House Majority PAC. Finally, we want to congratulate four additional new members of Congress in safe Democratic seats who won big primaries earlier this year, but whose wins were codified last night — Donna Miller (IL-02), Dan Koh (MA-06), Brad Lander (NY-10), and Micah Lasher (NY-12). Together, these 18 new members of Congress will build the house majority and bring fresh perspectives to Congress.
Beyond Congress, GSG helped elect Democratic attorneys general who will be on the front lines of protecting Americans’ rights and holding the Trump administration accountable. Through our work with the Democratic Attorneys General Association, as well as directly with candidates and other partners, we conducted research in9attorney general wins across Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Wisconsin, and hopefully another win in Kansas. These offices will remain essential to defending democracy and standing up against Trump’s federal overreach.
Our work extended to other important statewide offices and state legislative races. GSG conducted research for Sandra Jauregui (NV) and Molly Gray (VT) for lieutenant governor; Sean Scanlon (CT) and Margaret Croke (IL) for comptroller; and in support of retaining State Supreme Court Justices Eric Rosen and Larkin Walsh (KS). We also supported efforts to strengthen Democratic representation in the Michigan state legislature through our continued partnership with Two Peninsulas Research Group and the Michigan Senate Caucus.
GSG was proud to help advance and protect fundamental rights through ballot measure campaigns across the country. We conducted research supporting efforts to protect and expand abortion rights in Nevada and Virginia, as well as campaigns in Virginia to protect voting rights and marriage equality. In Kansas, our work helped defend the independence of the state’s courts. In Colorado, we supported efforts to protect clean energy and the environment and await completed results on our work to advance a fairer tax system.
Throughout the cycle, GSG partnered with leading progressive organizations to shape the national conversation on the issues that mattered most to voters. Our research provided critical messaging guidance on immigration, transgender rights, the costs of corruption, affordability, crime, clean energy, and redistricting. We worked with partners including Senate Majority PAC, House Majority PAC, the DCCC, SOMOS Votantes, ACLU, SEIU, FWD.us, Giffords, Third Way, Environmental Defense Fund, Climate Power, the Energy Foundation, the Institute for Responsive Government, and others. Through our continued partnership with Navigator Research, we also helped Democrats understand the evolving political environment and develop effective messages on the most important issues facing Americans. These partnerships helped the Democratic ecosystem navigate difficult issues, push back against Republican attacks, and make a compelling case for change.
We are incredibly proud of the role we played in this historic election and grateful to the candidates, campaigns, and organizations who trusted us with their work. These victories represent an important step forward, but there is much more to do. We look forward to continuing our partnerships and building on this momentum in the fights ahead.
Thank you, and congratulations to all!
— GSG’s Political Research Team