Understanding the Voter A Research Strategy for Winning the 2026 Midterms and 2028 Presidential Election Pete Bogda Marketing & Strategic Planning Consultant As a lifelong Republican and a marketing and strategic-planning consultant, I am concerned about the possibility of Republicans losing control of Congress in the 2026 midterms and the presidency in 2028. Throughout my consulting career, I have faced a similar challenge with products and services: when consumers choose a competing alternative, the first question should be why. Before developing a strategy to change their behavior, we need to understand what is driving their decision. I believe Republicans should apply the same discipline to today's electorate. Start by Understanding the Voter Rather than assuming we already know why some voters are increasingly attracted to progressive or socialist policies, I recommend conducting in-depth, one-on-one interviews with members of this audience, along with independents and other persuadable voters. The objective would be to uncover the underlying motivations behind their attitudes: What are they concerned about? What do they believe government should do? What do they feel Republicans don't understand? Which issues are most important? What causes them to trust—or distrust—a Republican candidate? These interviews would generate testable hypotheses about the actual drivers of voter attitudes. Then Quantify What We Learn The next step would be a professionally designed quantitative survey based on the hypotheses developed through the interviews. Two fundamentals are essential: • Representative probability sampling: The sample must accurately represent the population being studied. • Unbiased question design: Questions must be written objectively so respondents are not led toward a predetermined answer. This research could identify the real drivers of voter attitudes, distinguish persuadable voters from voters who are firmly committed, and determine which issues, policies and candidate characteristics have the greatest influence. Turn Intelligence Into Strategy The goal should not be another political poll that simply tells us what voters currently think. The goal should be actionable intelligence that helps Republicans develop a stronger political positioning strategy for 2026 and 2028. The research should answer: • Why are voters attracted to progressive policies and candidates? • What concerns are driving those choices? • Which concerns can Republicans address credibly?

• What do voters believe Republicans misunderstand? • Which voters are persuadable? • Which Republican policies and messages resonate with them? • What should the Republican Party stand for in the minds of these voters? The Bottom Line Before spending millions of dollars telling voters what they should believe, we should invest in understanding why they believe what they believe. That is fundamental marketing strategy. I believe this research could provide Republicans with the intelligence necessary to develop a more effective message, stronger candidates, and a more compelling vision for the future. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this concept with the appropriate Republican political strategy, polling, or voter-research team. Pete Bogda Marketing & Strategic Planning Consultant [Phone] | [Email]