Republicans need a new election-winning strategy

The GOP‘s recent shellacking in New Jersey and Virginia was not a failure of effort. Republicans had the ground game. They invested in turnout operations. They knocked on doors, built lists, and localized their messaging. Tactically, the party did the work. Strategically, however, it didn’t focus on the right voters.

In the first major election since President Donald Trump’s landslide victory and the GOP’s trifecta win last November, Republicans leaned heavily on last year’s winning strategy: coaxing low-propensity base loyalists back to the polls. Meanwhile, Democrats focused on, and won, the persuadable middle.