Research Reports
Reports, surveys, and focus-group findings on the audiences shaping our politics.
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All reports
Black VotersClimate Equity Action Fund: Black and Latino Voters in Battleground States
This report, produced by HIT Strategies in partnership with The Climate Equity Action Fund, highlights findings from a September–October 2026 survey of 2,003 Black and Latino registered voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The findings show that while cost of living dominates voters’ priorities heading into the midterms, strong majorities want candidates to prioritize lowering energy costs, reducing air and water pollution, and addressing climate change, with the most motivating messages tying climate to everyday needs like safe food, water, and air, and calling out politicians and corporations that put profit over people’s health.
LGBTQ+Transgender Freedom Alliance: Messaging on Transgender Issues in the 2026 Election Cycle
This memo, produced by Global Strategy Group, HIT Strategies, and Equis Research in partnership with Transgender Freedom Alliance, draws on March 2026 focus groups with House battleground swing voters, including Hispanic voters, Black men, and white women, and an April–May 2026 survey of 1,010 likely voters in battleground congressional districts, with oversamples among Black and Hispanic voters, alongside ad testing. The findings show that Democrats lose ground when they stay silent on anti-transgender attacks but gain when they go on offense, especially by framing Republicans’ fixation and spending on transgender issues as coming at the expense of cost of living, and by broadening child safety conversations to focus on protecting all kids from sexual predators.
Young Voters
URGE Young Voter Survey: Findings Among Gen Z Registered Voters
This report, produced by HIT Strategies in partnership with URGE (Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity), highlights findings from a June–July 2026 national survey of 2,950 registered voters ages 18 to 29, including oversamples among Black, AAPI, and LGBTQ+ voters and in Texas, Georgia, and Alabama. The findings show that Gen Z voters are not apathetic but politically engaged, economically stressed, and institutionally skeptical, dissatisfied with the direction of the country and doubtful the midterms will be conducted fairly, while facing significant concern over housing costs, job security, and the power of billionaires and the ultra-wealthy heading into the 2026 elections.
Young MenSeen, Not Spoken To - A Narrative Report on Young Men, The New Swing Voters
Drawing on more than a dozen HIT Strategies research projects conducted since 2024, Seen, Not Spoken To challenges the conventional narrative about young men and American politics. Rather than finding that young men have shifted sharply to the right, the report shows they remain highly persuadable and represent the country's newest swing voters. The research finds that Democrats' challenges with young men stem less from policy disagreements than from perceptions of authenticity, relatability, and trust. The report offers practical recommendations for engaging young men across communities by addressing their lived experiences, communicating through trusted platforms, and connecting progressive policies to the economic and social realities they face.
Voting
Third Way Research Memo: Survey Findings Among Young Male Voters
This report, produced by HIT Strategies in partnership with Third Way, highlights findings from a December 2025 national survey of 1,462 registered male voters ages 18 to 29. The findings show that young men are driven more by concerns around economic stability, authenticity, and accountability than by rigid partisan ideology. The research finds that young men favor candidates and parties they see as genuine and connected to working people, express broad concern about economic affordability and democratic norms, and are seeking leaders who speak plainly and treat their concerns as real heading into the 2026 elections.
VotingJasmine Crockett and the Path to Rebuilding the Texas Democratic Coalition
This report, produced by HIT Strategies, highlights findings from a January 2026 statewide survey of likely Texas Democratic primary voters. The results show Representative Jasmine Crockett retains a decisive lead among Texas’ likely Democratic primary voters, outpacing Representative James Talarico by 13-points. She holds a commanding lead among key Democratic constituencies, generates significant enthusiasm among voters that a Democratic nominee will need in November, and is seen as the most electable choice by likely Democratic primary voters.
Young Men
Young Men in 2025: Winning Back a Disconnected Electorate
This report, produced by HIT Strategies in partnership with Third Way, draws on a series of in-depth focus groups with young Black, Latino, and non-college white men across presidential battleground states. The research explores why Democratic support among young men has sharply declined, uncovering themes of economic strain, cultural alienation, and a search for authentic leadership. The findings provide actionable insights for rebuilding trust with this pivotal electorate through a working-class economic agenda and culturally resonant messaging grounded in real research with the voters themselves.
Young Voters
Walton Family Foundation: Black Gen Z Survey Results
This report, produced by HIT Strategies for the Walton Family Foundation, draws on a national survey of more than 1,000 Black Gen Z respondents ages 13–20. The research explores how young Black people define success, assess their preparedness for life after high school, and experience support systems in their schools and communities. The findings uncover disparities across environment, gender identity, and sexual orientation, highlighting the importance of cultural learning opportunities, supportive adult relationships, and mental health resources. This work provides actionable insights into how institutions can better equip young Black Gen Zers to thrive academically, emotionally, and financially as they transition into adulthood.
AbortionPart Two of Advancing Equity in 2025 and Beyond: Health, Abortion Access & LGBTQ+ Rights
Following our powerful in-person roundtable, HIT Strategies is hosting a follow-up virtual Talker Call to continue conversation on the themes and strategies discussed in part one of our series on health equity. This series brings together changemakers, strategists, and organizational leaders who are working to advance health equity , abortion access , and LGBTQ+ rights under the current political conditions.
HealthcareCommunity Catalyst Healthcare Survey 2025 – Public Perceptions on Healthcare Costs, Government Role, and Policy Priorities
Community Catalyst commissioned HIT Strategies to conduct a national survey to better understand public attitudes toward healthcare affordability, the government’s role in the system, and top policy priorities. The research revealed a growing bipartisan consensus that the U. S. healthcare system is unaffordable, untrustworthy, and in need of major reform. Voters across party lines want the government to play a greater role in lowering costs, expanding access, and treating healthcare as a public good rather than a profit- driven industry. This study underscores the urgency of pursuing equitable healthcare reforms that reflect the lived realities of the American public.
AbortionAdvancing Equity in 2025 and Beyond: Health, Abortion Access & LGBTQ+ Rights
This HIT Roundtable will bring together leading organizations working in Health Equity, Abortion Access, and LGBTQ+ Rights for an inspiring, strategy-forward evening of discussion, connection, and collaboration. At a time when many are tempted to pull back or play it safe, we’re creating space for bold, values-driven dialogue grounded in data and lived experience.
Black VotersBlack Ops 2025: Where We Go from Here?
Black Ops 2025: Where We Go from Here?
Young VotersMemo: HeadCount Post-Election Young Voter Research 2024
HeadCount commissioned HIT Strategies to conduct a post-election poll with the goal of understanding what made young registered voters decide whether or not they would participate in the election this year. Our survey showed that young registered voters across the U.S. are not a monolith, with gaps in perspective, priorities, and ideology by gender, race, generation, and media source. Young registered voters need to be convinced of their vote’s power to make change on the issues that matter most to them, or we risk losing their participation in the electoral process. Young registered voters in this survey and throughout the report are defined as registered voters under the age of 35.
Black VotersHIT Black Values Clusters Research 2024
Understanding the priorities, values, and perspectives of the Black electorate is essential for building a more inclusive democracy. The Black Values Survey —conducted by HIT Strategies, Sojourn Strategies, and the Democracy and Power Innovation Fund—delves into these insights, highlighting issues that matter most to Black communities. Dive deeper into the findings and their implications by reading more in Reckon .
- Public Safety
District Residents’ Support for a Gun Violence Reduction Plan
HIT Strategies in collaboration with The Public Welfare Foundation conducted a quantitative survey that consisted of 602 adult residents of D.C. The survey was conducted via web panel from May 28 – June 6, 2024 and the overall margin of error is +/- 4%. We described to D.C. residents a gun violence reduction plan that has been delivered to Mayor Muriel Bowser to gauge public opinion and support for the overall plan, as well as its specific components. We also asked how this plan would impact residents’ feelings of safety and their feelings towards leaders such as Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Black Voters
We Are Rally - Black voters’ attitudes toward transgender acceptance and transgender messages 2024
We Are Rally commissioned HIT Strategies to survey Black voters on transgender acceptance and messaging. The research found most voters prioritize economic and safety issues, with many neutral on trans rights, revealing room to grow support. Messages focused on inclusive education, safety, and Christian values resonated best, while sports and identity-based appeals were less effective. The findings underscore the importance of empathetic, values-driven messaging tailored to audience concerns.
Black VotersCBC 2024 – Black Men Vote
Black Men Vote and HIT strategies collaborated to research the opinions of Black voters in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan , and Wisconsin. Th is document (created August 1 4 th, 2024) outlines the final analysis of N=600 respondents who se opinions were collected from August 5th - August 13th.
- Abortion
Women's Reproductive Rights: Men of Color's Perspective and How They See Themselves in the Movement
This Talker Call will focus on women’s reproductive rights in the U.S. It will feature our partner All* In Action Fund - Catalysts for Abortion Justice, a dynamic women of color-led powerhouse that restores and sustains public insurance coverage of abortion by educating policymakers and the public about the harm of bans and the impact on those unable to make ends meet. All* In Action Fund will share the pivotal research on their reproductive rights work and their insight into what compels policymakers and donors towards actionable decision-making.
WomenIntersections of Our Lives 2024 Poll
HIT Strategies in collaboration with Lake Research Partners conducted a poll for Intersections of Our Lives – a coalition of three women-of-color led national reproductive justice organizations - looking at the connections across Black, Latina/x, and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) women voters and their motivations and issue priorities in the 2024 election.
Public SafetyCountering Racialized Politics About Crime in 2024: Why ‘Serious About Safety’ Works Better Than ‘Tough on Crime’
HIT's first Talker Call of the year explored public safety and crime in the U.S., where attendees heard from HIT Research Manager Ashley Aylward, HIT Chief Research Officer and Founding Partner Roshni Nedungadi, and Vera Action Director Insha Rahman about how "Countering Racialized Politics About Crime in 2024: Why 'Serious about Safety' Works Better Than 'Tough on Crime.'
AbortionTop Priorities for Georgia Voters in 2024
HIT Strategies partnered with Climate Power to conduct polling in six key states (MI, WI, AZ, NV, PA, GA) to better understand public opinion and potential messaging frames for the Biden Administration’s Clean Energy Plan, which includes legislation such as the IRA and IIJA.
ClimateMobilizing Toward Climate Justice
In August 2023, HIT Strategies partnered with We Make the Future, ASO Communications, and Lake Research Partners to answer three research questions using quantitative and qualitative research.
ClimateClimate Power Six-State Clean Energy Plan Messaging Poll
HIT Strategies partnered with Climate Power to conduct polling in six key states (MI, WI, AZ, NV, PA, GA) to better understand public opinion and potential messaging frames for the Biden Administration’s Clean Energy Plan, which includes legislation such as the IRA and IIJA.
AbortionPackard Foundation: 2023 Qualboards Abortion Research
This report summarizes the key findings and strategic guidance from Qualboards conducted from February 28th-March 7th. Participants are likely voters, separated into two groups: those who live in states with protected abortion access, or “safe states”, or those who live in restricted or hostile abortion access, or “restrictive” states.