|
September at HIT: Talker Call Takeaways, Gen Z Findings & Substack Features
|
|
|
|
|
|
URGE & HIT Strategies: Young Voter 2026 Survey
|
|
|
This past summer, we teamed up with URGE (Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity) to find out what’s really on the minds of Gen Z heading into the midterms. The findings show a generation squeezed by cost of living, alarmed by immigration enforcement, and personally invested in reproductive rights, even as they land all over the map ideologically.
-
Housing costs are the #1 worry, with 78% of Gen Z voters seriously concerned.
-
63% are concerned about ICE tactics, making Trump’s deportation agenda a top issue.
-
Gen Z spans socialist to MAGA, but agree on the same issues: housing, access to healthcare, AI’s threat to jobs, and the power of billionaires.
-
Reproductive rights hit close to home, especially for LGBTQ+ voters (71%), Latinas ages 25-29 (72%), and Black women (69%).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Substack on Left-Liberals Rising: Lessons Learned from the 2026 Democratic Primary Season
|
|
|
This past primary season, five Democratic incumbents lost to challengers from the insurgent left. That’s more than the Tea Party managed in 2010. In his latest Substack piece, HIT Strategies Research Manager, Ross Miletich, looks at what’s behind the shift. Frustration with Democratic party leadership has given the progressive movement new life, and its coalition now reaches beyond college-educated progressives to voters under 45 across racial groups.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ross draws three lessons from the 2026 primaries:
-
Voters want big changes, not small fixes. In a K-shaped economy, 81% of Black voters and 59% of Latino voters say the country needs “major, disruptive changes.”
-
Being anti-Trump is simply not enough. Several well-known impeachment figures, including Al Green, Dan Goldman and Diana DeGette, lost their primaries badly.
-
AIPAC money has become a liability. Abdul El-Sayed beat Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Senate primary even though AIPAC spent nearly $30 million against him and he was outspent more than ten to one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
September Talker Call: “The Democratic Establishment Problem”
|
|
|
Our final Talker Call of the year brought together Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer, Roshni Nedungadi, Senior Managers Ross Miletich and Jamel Love for a conversation on “The Democratic Establishment Problem.” They broke down what’s fueling the rise of anti-establishment candidates this cycle and how the Democratic Party can rethink their strategy coming out of the learnings from 2022 and this past primary season. This research builds on a year of polling and field observations as we head into the midterms and start thinking about the preparation for 2027.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Watch for: One Year Later from HIT Strategies’ Partners
|
|
|
A year ago, our partners made the case for meeting the socio-political moment. Now they will return with a new Substack essay on what the past year has taught them, from both the research at HIT and the field. Expect a candid look at what it will take to get strategy right and how to read today’s evolving electorate, what we call the “Deciding Electorate.” Read their first piece and subscribe to get the follow-up straight to your inbox.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Research You Can Commission: QualBoards & Trackers for November
|
|
|
We are introducing three new research programs that are ready to field. Here’s how each one gets you ahead of what’s coming for the Midterm elections and also post-elections.
|
|
|
|
|
Real-time signal heading into Election Day and in the critical days after. Daily qual boards paired with a tracking poll so you know what’s moving, and why — while it’s still moving.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The elections are over, the learning shouldn’t be. A full read on what happened, why, and what it means for 2028 — fielded while voters’ reactions are still fresh, not eighteen months later.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AI is already reshaping who gets hired and who gets pushed out. This program gives you the future of work data on who’s exposed, who’s overlooked, and how to talk about it before the AI policy fights catch up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HIT Strategies was proud to be part of this year’s Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference, connecting with advocacy leaders, partners, and organizations working to understand and advance the priorities of Black communities. HIT Strategies’ Founding Partner Terrance Woodbury participated in several events throughout the week, including the Omega Network for Action’s 4th Annual James E. Clyburn Leadership Institute, where he served as a speaker, and the HBCU Achiever Awards, where he was recognized as an honoree.
Terrance also joined conversations on the future of Black leadership, civic engagement, and political participation as a panelist alongside Stacey Abrams, for “The Fight for Our Future” hosted by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. HIT also participated in the 49th Annual Symposium Town Hall hosted by The Black Women’s Agenda, Inc. programming, continuing our engagement with the researchers, advocates, and leaders shaping conversations about the future of Black communities and Black political participation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 What We Are Reading at HIT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Cook Political Report | Battleground District Poll
A new Cook Political Report poll examines voter attitudes across 37 of the country’s most competitive House districts, highlighting views on the economy, cost of living, political institutions, and the upcoming midterm elections. The findings point to broad dissatisfaction with both parties and growing interest among voters in candidates who address systemic concerns alongside immediate political conflicts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Elliott Morris | What Voters Really Mean When They Say Democrats Should “Fight” More
G. Elliott Morris examines what Democratic voters mean when they say they want their party to “fight” more, drawing on an August 2026 Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll of 1,514 U.S. adults. The analysis finds that while many Democrats prioritize opposing Trump, voters also emphasize affordability, political accountability, and putting the needs of ordinary people at the center of the party’s long-term direction.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fortune | AI, Gender + Perceptions of Competence
A new study highlighted by Fortune examines how perceptions of AI use can differ based on gender, using identical AI-assisted résumés for male and female candidates. The findings suggest that women may face greater scrutiny over their use of AI, with reviewers more likely to question a female candidate’s trustworthiness and competence despite identical qualifications and materials.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Follow HIT on New X Account
|
|
|
|
|
Stay connected with HIT Strategies on X for the latest research, insights, events, and updates from our team. Be sure to follow as we share new findings and timely perspectives on voters, communities, and the issues shaping our political landscape.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Partner with HIT.
|
|
|
HIT Strategies is proud to work with advocacy groups, campaigns, brands, and organizations shaping the future. If your team is looking for reliable, culturally competent insights this year, we’d love to talk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
