Shared research study link

New Governor Perceptions & 2026 Senate Race Priorities

Understand how voters perceive new Democratic governors and their priorities for 2026 Senate races

Study Overview Updated Jan 15, 2026

Research question: How voters assess new Democratic governors, what they want in 2026 Senate candidates, and why/when they split tickets in swing states like North Carolina.
Research group: Six U.S.-based participants (ages ~39–63) from OR, MN, and CA; a mix of rural/urban working-class and service-sector voices, including one permanent resident non-voter. What they said (governors): voters reward "boring competence"-fast, visible service fixes (roads/plowing/transit), shorter permit/licensing/DMV waits, immediate utility/junk-fee relief, early treatment capacity and wildfire/grid prep, plus plain-English 60/90/100-day dashboards and a balanced public-safety approach.
What they said (Senate): they want a practical workhorse focused on constituent service, kitchen-table costs, and local infrastructure, with a slight edge for candidates who have run agencies or programs and can show operational receipts; business/non-profit backgrounds are acceptable only with verifiable delivery and no sweetheart deals.
On NC’s split, respondents saw voters hiring a steady, local manager for governor while casting a national identity/protest vote for president, implying Democrats must de-nationalize, respect local culture, and show measurable results to win swing states. Main insights: operational competence, transparency, constituent service, and cost-of-living relief are cross-cutting; rural inclusion and practical environmental rules avert backlash; incentives must carry wages/benefits metrics and clawbacks.
Takeaways: run a receipts-first playbook-announce three 100-day wins with weekly dashboards, stand up constituent-service SLAs (phones answered, multilingual casework), execute a utility/junk-fee audit with public rate hearings, conduct no-donor rural listening tours, and pair body-cams/de-escalation with targeted enforcement-while Senate candidates foreground prior delivery, publish scorecards, and commit to enforceable contracts.

Participant Snapshots

Stack all

6 profiles

Christopher Valencia

1) Basic Demographics

Christopher Valencia is a 47-year-old Black (Non-Hispanic) man living in an urban neighborhood of San Diego, California (near the City Heights/North Park border). He is male, never married, and a non-citizen permanent reside…

John Cruz

John Cruz, 63, Denver-based Hispanic married renter and administrative assistant earning under $25k; frugal, DIY-minded, values community, durability, clear pricing, dependable service, and hands-on problem-solving.

Billy Smith

Billy Smith is a disabled former line cook in Duluth with zero household income, married, faith centered, and frugal. Pragmatic decision maker using cost, durability, and accessibility heuristics. Values community support, simple tech, and low friction serv…

Elizabeth Switzer

Elizabeth Switzer, 40, divorced Akron renter on disability, frugal and community-minded. Faith-centered, cozy crafter, careful budgeter. Seeks transparent, accessible, low-friction products and services that respect her limited energy and prioritize comfort…

Patricia Thompson

Patricia Thompson: Gresham, Oregon nail salon lead and shift manager, 42, single, renter, no kids. Budget disciplined, e-bike commuter, community oriented. Pragmatic progressive, faith rooted, risk aware. Aims to open a micro studio with measured growth.

Adriana Williams

Adriana Williams is a rural Oregon mom of three, married, faith-centered, and budget-focused. Not in the labor force; past work in local amusements. Chooses reliable, low-cost solutions, avoids contracts, and values local referrals, clear warranties, and co…

Christopher Valencia

1) Basic Demographics

John Cruz

Billy Smith

Elizabeth Switzer

Patricia Thompson

Adriana Williams

Overview 0 participants

Sex / Gender

Race / Ethnicity

Locale (Top)

Occupations (Top)

Demographic Overview No agents selected

Age bucket	Male count	Female count

Participant locations No agents selected

Participant Incomes US benchmark scaled to group size

Income bucket	Participants	US households

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 ACS 1-year (Table B19001; >$200k evenly distributed for comparison)

Media Ingestion

Connections appear when personas follow many of the same sources, highlighting overlapping media diets.

Questions and Responses

Stack all

3 questions

Response Summaries

Stack all

3 questions

Word Cloud

Persona Correlations

Overview

Voters coalesce around demonstrable, fast operational competence from new Democratic governors and expect 2026 Senate contenders to have similar delivery track records. Across geographies and income levels the top demands are: visible, short‑window fixes (60–100 day wins) on everyday frictions (roads, permitting, utilities), plain‑English transparency (dashboards, timelines, SLAs), and strengthened constituent service (local offices, answered phones). Cost sensitivity (utilities, junk fees, insurance) and pragmatic public‑safety reforms (body cams plus targeted enforcement) are cross-cutting. Persona differences shape which concrete issues signal competence: rural and small‑town voters emphasize wildfire, forest work, and in‑person presence; suburban service‑industry women emphasize permitting/licensing and caregiver supports; older low‑income renters want kitchen‑table protections and casework; immigrant working‑class residents prioritize multilingual access, utility audits and ADU/permit clarity; seasonal/working men in cold regions prioritize winter services (plowing, heating assistance). Overall, operational “receipts” (state/local admin, nonprofit or business ops experience with measurable outcomes) outperform pure fundraising/brand backgrounds for Senate hopefuls.

Total responses: 18

Key Segments

Segment	Attributes	Insight	Supporting Agents
Rural / small‑town, mid‑40s, lower‑to‑middle income	Rural or rural‑leaning; ages ~40–50; household incomes often $25–49k; blue‑collar or stay‑at‑home; evangelical/protestant frequently noted	Competence signals are physical and present: miles of treated forest, active wildfire crews, local trooper coverage, and candidates showing up without media entourages. They reject one‑size‑fits‑all environmental rules that increase heating/transport costs and reward governors who demonstrate respect through regular, local engagement.	Adriana Williams, Billy Smith, Patricia Thompson
Urban/suburban, female service‑industry or office managers, early‑mid 40s	Suburban (e.g., Gresham); female; some college/AA or vocational training; small‑business or personal‑service orientation (licensing experience)	Permitting and licensing turnaround times are crisp, tangible competence tests (e.g., cosmetology/licensing backlogs). They favor measurable SLAs, fee refunds or penalties for missed timelines, and caregiver/paid‑leave policy clarity tied to administrative performance.	Patricia Thompson, Elizabeth Switzer
Older, low‑income urban renters / working‑class seniors	Age 60+; household income <$25k; urban; reliant on benefits and stable service networks	Priority is on kitchen‑table protections and fast casework: consumer protections from insurer gouging, winter readiness, pothole repair, and reliable benefits processing. These voters reward visible constituent services and practical infrastructure fixes over rhetoric.	John Cruz, Elizabeth Switzer, Billy Smith
Immigrant / permanent‑resident, working‑class, coastal metro	Permanent resident/non‑voter; coastal metro (San Diego‑type); warehousing/blue‑collar background; homeowner	Although less likely to vote, they follow budgets and appointments closely and prioritize multilingual constituent service, immigrant legal aid, utility rate audits, and clear ADU/permit rules. These issues magnify how administrative competence affects daily finances and legal stability.	Christopher Valencia, Elizabeth Switzer, John Cruz
Unemployed / service‑industry men in cold regions	Late 30s–40s men; upper Midwest / Great Lakes context; seasonal/utility stressors (snow, ice, heating)	Operational competence is judged by winter readiness: plowing regimes, salt strategies, bus reliability in storms, and rapid benefit processing. Presence in outstate towns during winter and targeted temporary fee relief are highly valued signals.	Billy Smith, John Cruz

Shared Mindsets

Trait	Signal	Agents
Operational competence ('boring' wins)	Across segments voters prefer quick, measurable fixes (pothole/paving blitzes, permit timelines, treatment beds opened) within a 60–100 day window as the primary credibility test for governors and Senate candidates.	Patricia Thompson, John Cruz, Elizabeth Switzer, Christopher Valencia
Plain‑English transparency	Regular dashboards and simple progress metrics (dates, dollars, contacts, missed targets) build trust across demographics and help voters translate abstract promises into concrete accountability.	Patricia Thompson, John Cruz, Elizabeth Switzer
Cost sensitivity and opposition to 'junk fees'	Utility rate hikes, administrative fees, and insurance gouging are universal pain points; voters want freezes, audits, and consumer protections that show the government is on their side.	Christopher Valencia, Elizabeth Switzer, Billy Smith, Adriana Williams
Constituent service & local presence	Staffed field offices, phone‑answer SLAs, mobile office days and predictable casework outcomes are persuasive, especially for older renters and rural voters who equate accessibility with accountability.	Billy Smith, John Cruz, Christopher Valencia, Adriana Williams
Balanced public safety with accountability	Voters commonly support body cameras, de‑escalation training, and timely footage release while also demanding targeted enforcement for repeat violent offenders-indicating a pragmatic middle ground rather than purely punitive or purely reformist positions.	Christopher Valencia, John Cruz, Adriana Williams
Workforce/trades and small‑business supports	Paid apprenticeships, CTE funding, micro‑grants, wage‑theft enforcement and reduced permitting red tape are seen as practical investments that demonstrate an administration can deliver economic relief and skills pipelines.	Christopher Valencia, Patricia Thompson, Adriana Williams
Skepticism of corporate incentives without enforceable strings	Voters want incentives tied to wages/benefits and clawbacks if job commitments fail-showing that economic development credibility is as much about contract enforcement as it is about deals.	John Cruz, Patricia Thompson, Elizabeth Switzer

Divergences

Segment	Contrast	Agents
Rural / small‑town vs. Urban older renters	Rural voters prioritize wildfire mitigation, in‑person presence and cost impacts of environmental rules, while older urban renters prioritize immediate consumer protections, benefits access and neighborhood blight-both judge competence on delivery but expect different first wins.	Adriana Williams, Billy Smith, John Cruz, Elizabeth Switzer
Immigrant / permanent‑resident vs. Voting suburban service workers	Immigrant permanent residents emphasize multilingual services, immigrant legal aid and utility/permit clarity even though they may not vote; suburban service workers emphasize licensing/permitting SLAs and caregiver supports as daily competence indicators.	Christopher Valencia, Elizabeth Switzer, Patricia Thompson
Unemployed/service men in cold regions vs. Coastal homeowners	Cold‑region respondents prioritize winter operations (plowing, heating) and temporary fee freezes; coastal homeowners focus more on long‑term utility audits, ADU/permit clarity and housing administration competence.	Billy Smith, John Cruz, Christopher Valencia
Rural pragmatists with social conservatism vs. other segments	Some rural respondents (e.g., Adriana Williams) blend demand for pragmatic operational wins with socially conservative signals (religious liberty, parental rights, responsible gun ownership), indicating opportunities for crossover messaging that highlights delivery while respecting local values.	Adriana Williams, Patricia Thompson

Recommendations & Next Steps

Overview

Voters reward boring competence, not rhetoric. Across the three questions, respondents want fast, visible fixes (roads/plowing, permitting/licensing, utility/junk-fee relief), constituent service that answers the phone, balanced public safety (body cams + de‑escalation with firm enforcement), and plain-English transparency (weekly dashboards, 60/90/100‑day plans, clawbacks). Rural credibility requires showing up without cameras and avoiding one‑size‑fits‑all environmental rules that raise heat/transport costs without practical alternatives. Senate preferences mirror this: a workhorse with receipts who prioritizes kitchen‑table economics, infrastructure, and measurable accountability.

Quick Wins (next 2–4 weeks)

#	Action	Why	Owner	Effort	Impact
1	Message kit: 'Boring competence' and 100‑day receipts	Directly reflects dominant voter demand for operational wins over speeches; creates immediate consistency across candidates.	Comms Director	Low	High
2	Plain-English weekly dashboard + 60/90/100‑day template	Transparency is an expectation; voters want to see what got fixed, what slipped, what’s next.	Digital/Analytics Lead	Low	High
3	Constituent service SLA pledge	Top Senate quality: answered phones and casework with posted wait times and multilingual help.	Field/Constituent Services Director	Med	High
4	Cost-of-living pledge: utility/junk-fee audit + public rate hearings	Voters judge early by utility bills and surprise fees; hearings and audits show immediate alignment.	Policy & Regulatory Affairs Lead	Med	High
5	Rural listening tour (no-donor rooms) calendar	Outstate voters value showing up without a camera crew and practical environmental pragmatism.	Rural Outreach Director	Low	Med
6	Permitting/licensing fast-lane pilots (e.g., ADUs, cosmetology)	Backlogs (DMV, ADUs, occupational licenses) are salient competence signals across segments.	Policy Operations Lead	Med	High

Initiatives (30–90 days)

#	Initiative	Description	Owner	Timeline	Dependencies
1	Operational Delivery Agenda	Launch 3 concrete 100‑day wins: Permitting SLAs with automatic fee reductions when deadlines are missed Clear ADU one‑stop checklist that matches inspections Targeted licensing backlog clearance (e.g., cosmetology) Publish weekly progress with dates, dollars, contacts.	Policy Operations Lead	Kickoff in 2 weeks; 100-day delivery window	Agency data access, Process mapping, Union/HR staffing for surge capacity
2	Cost-of-Living Relief Program	Bundle immediate, local wallet wins: Utility rate audit + public roadshow hearings Junk-fee crackdown (rental apps, towing, medical billing) Insurance engagement to prevent drops/gouging Communicate in plain English with before/after bill examples.	Policy & Regulatory Affairs Lead	Design 3–4 weeks; roll-out months 2–6	PUC/AG coordination, Consumer protection partners, Data-sharing agreements
3	Constituents-First Service Program	Stand up local offices with posted SLAs: Phone answer ≤10 minutes; callbacks within 1 business day Mobile office days in every county Multilingual access; casework CRM with public queue times Report weekly case resolutions.	Field/Constituent Services Director	Pilot in 30 days; statewide in 90 days	Hiring and training, CRM configuration, Language access vendors
4	Rural/Outstate Credibility + Environmental Pragmatism	Operational presence and policy fit: Quarterly town halls in small counties (no donor events) 90‑day wildfire/forest thinning blitz with weekly acres treated No blanket rules that penalize wood stoves/older pickups without alternatives	Rural Outreach Director	Tour calendar in 2 weeks; forest blitz months 2–4	Forestry contractors, County partners, Comms scheduling
5	Public Safety + Treatment Balance	Implement both-and approach voters want: Body cams and de‑escalation standards with timely footage release Expand 24/7 detox/stabilization capacity and raise frontline pay Focused enforcement on repeat violent offenders Publish monthly outcomes.	Public Safety & Health Policy Leads	Policy finalization 4 weeks; phased roll-out 1–6 months	Labor/union agreements, Provider contracts, Legal/privacy review
6	Transparency and Accountability Stack	Build the communication infrastructure voters expect: Weekly plain-language dashboard (what fixed, what slipped) Scorecards with deadlines and clawbacks for failed incentives Publish schedules, meetings, and contract summaries	Digital/Analytics + Comms Director	MVP in 3 weeks; iterate continuously	Data pipelines/APIs, Legal and procurement, Design/content ops

KPIs to Track

#	KPI	Definition	Target	Frequency
1	Perceived Operational Competence	Share of persuadables describing candidate as competent/steady/workhorse in message testing	+15 pts in 6 months	Monthly
2	100‑Day Delivery Rate	Percent of promised 60/90/100‑day wins delivered on time	≥80% on-time	Weekly
3	Constituent Service SLA Compliance	Calls answered ≤10 minutes; median case resolution days; multilingual coverage	≥90% calls ≤10 min; ≤7 median days; ≥3 languages	Weekly
4	Cost-of-Living Trust Index	Voter agreement that candidate will keep costs down (utilities, groceries, insurance, fees)	+12 pts among swing voters	Monthly
5	Rural Presence and Engagement	Percent of small counties with quarterly town halls; avg attendance; follow-up actions logged	100% coverage; ≥50 attendees; action log within 14 days	Monthly
6	Transparency Engagement	Unique dashboard visits and update email open rate	≥5,000 visits/month; ≥40% open rate	Weekly

Risks & Mitigations

#	Risk	Mitigation	Owner
1	Overpromising early wins and missing deadlines	Limit to three 100‑day wins with buffers; publish slips with new dates and reasons	Policy Operations Lead
2	Regulatory limits on utilities/insurance constrain cost relief	Coordinate with PUC/AG; emphasize audits, hearings, and consumer protections visible to voters	Policy & Regulatory Affairs Lead
3	Backlash from either police unions or reform advocates	Co-design body-cam, de-escalation, and release timelines with chiefs, unions, and civil-rights groups; publish joint FAQs	Public Safety Policy Lead
4	National party brand contamination in swing areas	De-nationalize messaging; take public, specific positions where local common sense diverges; lead with receipts	Comms Director
5	Rural skepticism of environmental and cultural posture	Show up without cameras; avoid one-size rules; pilot practical alternatives before proposing changes	Rural Outreach Director
6	Data quality/privacy issues in dashboards and scorecards	Set data governance, anonymize sensitive data, legal review before publish, add correction channel	Digital/Analytics Lead

Timeline

Weeks 0–2: Quick wins live (message kit, SLA pledge, dashboard MVP); schedule rural tour; announce cost-of-living pledge.
Weeks 3–6: Launch permitting/licensing fast lanes; begin public rate-hearing roadshow; stand up pilot field office with posted SLAs.
Weeks 7–12: Forest/wildfire 90‑day blitz; expand detox/stabilization capacity; publish first clawback-ready incentive scorecard.
Months 4–6: Scale constituent service statewide; iterate dashboards; monthly outcomes on safety/treatment; report 100‑day receipts.
Months 6+: Maintain cadence; deepen rural presence; refresh cost-of-living actions based on KPI readouts.

Research Study Narrative

Objective and context

Claude commissioned qualitative research to understand how voters evaluate new Democratic governors and what they want in 2026 Senate candidates. Across three prompts, respondents consistently prioritized boring, measurable competence over rhetoric-fast fixes to everyday frictions, clear transparency, and cost-of-living relief. As Patricia Thompson put it, “I watch for boring competence, not speeches.”

What voters watch first from new governors (Q1)

Visible operational wins in 60–100 days: Road clearing, pothole blitzes, reliable transit. Billy Smith: “If I-35 and the side streets get cleared by sunrise and the buses keep rolling, that tells me they mean business.”
Service delivery and permitting: Faster DMVs/benefits and cleared licensing backlogs (e.g., cosmetology) signal competence to service-industry workers (Patricia Thompson).
Cost sensitivity: Freeze surprise fees; audit utilities. Christopher Valencia: “SDG&E is already high. Any hike or funny math, I’m out.”
Homelessness/addiction capacity: Fund 24/7 detox and raise frontline pay so beds don’t sit empty (Patricia Thompson).
Plain-English transparency: Weekly dashboards, 60/90/100-day plans, and clear metrics (John Cruz: “Weekly plain-language updates: what got fixed, what slipped, what’s next.”)
Accountability and public safety: Body cams, de-escalation standards, timely footage release alongside reliable rural policing (Christopher Valencia).
Rural presence and environmental pragmatism: Show up without cameras; no one-size rules that penalize wood stoves/older pickups (Adriana Williams).

The 2026 Senate profile voters prefer (Q2)

Workhorse temperament, not showmanship: John Cruz: “Treats the job like fixing a stubborn sink, not chasing microphones.”
Constituent service that answers the phone: Staffed local offices, posted wait times, real casework-SSDI/VA/passports (Billy Smith).
Kitchen-table economics: Fight hikes in energy, groceries, insurance, junk fees. Adriana Williams: “If a vote raises my heat bill, say it out loud and vote no.”
Local infrastructure and presence: Roads, ports, transit, rural outreach beyond metro cores (Billy Smith).
Receipts over résumé: Slight edge to candidates who’ve run agencies/programs; business/nonprofit acceptable with verifiable operational outcomes (Patricia Thompson).
Notable divergences to capture crossover appeal: Immigrant legal aid and multilingual service (Christopher Valencia); parental rights/religious liberty/responsible gun ownership (Adriana Williams); hyper-local consumer protections like predatory towing (John Cruz).

Ticket splitting in NC and the swing-state playbook (Q3)

Voters separated presidential identity politics from gubernatorial management. Billy Smith: “President is TV noise… Governor is roads, schools, storms, and your light bill.” To win, Democrats should de-nationalize: run as steady operators, lead with cost-of-living and service delivery, respect local culture, and pair safety accountability with treatment (Patricia Thompson; Adriana Williams; John Cruz). Outliers reinforce pragmatism with clarity: Christopher Valencia’s resident lens (multilingual access, utility audits) and John Cruz’s practical tone on abortion.

Persona correlations and nuances

Rural/small-town pragmatists: Want wildfire/forest work, in-person presence, and no blanket rules that raise heating/transport costs (Adriana, Billy, Patricia).
Suburban service-industry women: Judge by permitting/licensing SLAs, fee refunds for misses, and caregiver policy clarity (Patricia, Elizabeth Switzer).
Older low-income renters: Prioritize consumer protections, winter readiness, potholes, and fast casework (John, Elizabeth, Billy).
Immigrant/permanent residents: Emphasize multilingual constituent service, legal aid, utility audits, and clear ADU/permit rules (Christopher, Elizabeth, John).
Cold-region working men: Winter operations-plowing, buses in storms, heating assistance-and temporary fee relief (Billy, John).

Recommendations anchored in evidence

Launch “boring competence” 100-day agenda: Permitting SLAs with automatic fee reductions; ADU one-stop checklist; targeted licensing backlog blitz (Q1 evidence).
Publish weekly plain-English dashboards: What got fixed, what slipped, what’s next (John Cruz).
Constituent service SLA pledge: Answer calls ≤10 minutes; 1-business-day callbacks; multilingual access; mobile office days (Q2 core ask).
Cost-of-living package: Utility rate audits and public hearings; junk-fee crackdown; insurance engagement (Christopher, Adriana).
Public safety + treatment: Body cams and timely footage release; de-escalation; expand 24/7 detox/stabilization with frontline pay bumps (Christopher, Patricia).
Rural credibility: Quarterly small-county town halls (no donor rooms); wildfire/forest thinning with weekly acres treated; avoid one-size rules (Adriana, Billy).

Risks and guardrails

Overpromising early wins: Limit to three 100-day commitments; publish slips with reasons and new dates.
Regulatory limits on utility/insurance relief: Coordinate with PUC/AG; emphasize visible audits/hearings and consumer protections.
Public-safety backlash: Co-design standards with chiefs, unions, and civil-rights groups; publish joint FAQs.
National brand contamination: De-nationalize; take specific local positions; lead with receipts.

Next steps and measurement

Weeks 0–2: Release message kit; announce SLA pledge; launch dashboard MVP; schedule rural tour; unveil cost-of-living audit/hearings.
Weeks 3–6: Stand up permitting fast lanes; clear priority licensing backlogs; open pilot field office with posted SLAs.
Weeks 7–12: Run wildfire/forest thinning blitz; expand 24/7 detox capacity; publish first incentive/clawback scorecard.
Months 4–6: Scale constituent service statewide; iterate dashboards; monthly safety/treatment outcomes; report 100-day receipts.

KPIs: Perceived operational competence (+15 pts among persuadables in 6 months); 100-day delivery rate (≥80% on time); constituent service compliance (≥90% calls ≤10 min; ≤7 median days; ≥3 languages); cost-of-living trust (+12 pts among swing voters); rural presence (quarterly in 100% small counties; ≥50 attendees; 14-day action logs).

Recommended Follow-up Questions Updated Jan 15, 2026

Which types of proof are most credible when judging a new governor’s performance? (e.g., independent audits, before/after service metrics, real‑time dashboards, site visits, third‑party media verification, citizen satisfaction surveys)

maxdiff Identifies the proof formats to feature in 60/90/100‑day communications and ongoing dashboards to maximize credibility.
What performance targets should a new governor meet in the first 12 months? Please enter expectations for: average DMV wait (minutes), business license processing (days), pothole repair timeframe (days), acceptable utility rate change over 12 months (%), initial placement into services for homeless residents (days), response to constituent inquiries (days).

matrix Sets concrete SLAs and first‑year goals for operations plans and public dashboards.
If improving services requires funding changes, which ways of paying for them are most acceptable? Rank options such as reprioritizing existing spending, clawing back underperforming incentives, cutting waste, targeted fees, bonds, or higher taxes on top earners.

rank Determines politically viable funding mechanisms for service improvements and cost relief.
Thinking about your 2026 U.S. Senate vote, which policy areas would most influence your choice? Consider items like drug and insurance costs, energy prices, infrastructure funding, immigration/border, public safety grants, housing, reproductive rights, and broadband.

maxdiff Prioritizes Senate issue agenda and message emphasis for swing voters.
Under what circumstances, if any, would you vote for a Senate candidate from a different party than your presidential choice? Select all that apply.

multi select Maps crossover triggers to guide persuasion and contrast strategies in swing states.
What are your minimum expectations for a U.S. Senator’s constituent service and in‑state presence? Please enter targets for: email reply (days), phone answer time (minutes), casework resolution (days), in‑person town halls per year (count), days in‑state per month (days).

matrix Informs field staffing, office SLAs, and scheduling to match voter service expectations.

Use state‑specific benchmarks where possible to make numeric targets realistic. Provide clear definitions for each metric to avoid ambiguity.

Study Overview Updated Jan 15, 2026

News & Media

Source	Weight

New Governor Perceptions & 2026 Senate Race Priorities

Christopher Valencia

1) Basic Demographics

John Cruz

Billy Smith

Elizabeth Switzer

Patricia Thompson

Adriana Williams

Christopher Valencia

1) Basic Demographics

John Cruz

Billy Smith

Elizabeth Switzer

Patricia Thompson

Adriana Williams

Sex / Gender

Race / Ethnicity

Locale (Top)

Occupations (Top)

Summary

Themes

Outliers

Overview

Key Segments

Shared Mindsets

Divergences

Overview

Quick Wins (next 2–4 weeks)

Initiatives (30–90 days)

KPIs to Track

Risks & Mitigations

Timeline

Objective and context

What voters watch first from new governors (Q1)

The 2026 Senate profile voters prefer (Q2)

Ticket splitting in NC and the swing-state playbook (Q3)

Persona correlations and nuances

Recommendations anchored in evidence

Risks and guardrails

Next steps and measurement

Distinct Market Research Groups

Marketing Reports Generated

Digital Twin Synthetic Personas

Questions Answered