A new survey conducted by Blue Rose Research confirms that The States Project’s 2025 Policy Agenda offers a promising path forward — and it starts in the states.
First, we want to acknowledge the tragic events that took place in Minnesota this past weekend. Violence against public officials has no place in a functioning democracy. This doesn’t just endanger individuals — it threatens the foundations of representative government. On behalf of our team, our network of state lawmakers, and our broader States Project community, we commemorate and honor Leader Hortman’s incredible commitment to public service, and join Minnesotans in mourning her, her husband, and this tragic loss. We’re also keeping Sen. Hoffman and his wife in our thoughts for a full and quick recovery.
The work of state lawmakers has never been more urgent. That’s why we’re so galvanized by findings from a new survey conducted by Blue Rose Research that tested 33 messages about a variety of policy proposals — including many drawn from The States Project’s 2025 Policy Agenda that offers model policy packages for state lawmakers.
The results are clear: 6 of the 7 top-testing messages came from TSP’s policy agenda — providing a strong signal that it is possible for Democrats to embrace policies that reflect the party’s core values in ways that are responsive to the voters they most need to win elections and build governing power.
The top-performing policy proposals include:
- Cutting red tape and making necessities affordable — including food, healthcare, utilities, and childcare, all while reducing fraud and saving taxpayers millions in red tape costs every year — tested in the 100th percentile.
- Investments in mental health, specifically making sure no one is turned away because of insurance status (tested in the 99th percentile), and making sure students can receive mental health services to live full lives (91st percentile).
- There is also high support for transparent pricing (tested in the 96th percentile), protecting privacy from federal overreach (93rd percentile), and protecting kids online (90th percentile).
This research shows that there’s a clear path to both supporting policies that reflect real shared values and winning elections — that path starts in the states.
But successfully walking that path will require us to finally invest in state legislatures with the seriousness they deserve, not as an afterthought. The States Project has attempted to fill this void in recent years — including investing record amounts in both the 2022 and 2024 cycles — but seizing the opportunities that lay ahead in the states will require the dedication and focus that the states deserve.
With major state legislative elections in Virginia this November, and the 2026 election cycle already underway, Democrats have the opportunity to regain control chambers in states like Michigan and Minnesota where they lost ground in 2024, while also going on offense and continuing to gain ground in states such as Wisconsin and Arizona, where legislative majorities continue to be within reach.
The lessons learned through this research should be front of mind for anyone who wants to advance impactful policies and build governing power — up and down the ballot.
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About The States Project
The States Project connects the importance of state legislatures to every aspect of our lives and brings together communities to help build a healthy, sustainable, and prosperous future for all. Our electoral work focuses on winning governing majorities in the states by making state legislative campaigns more effective and better funded. We do it because we believe that state legislatures are the strongest force for change in this country.
