After the global backlash against incumbents in 2024, a prevailing narrative hardened fast: populism was inevitable, and establishment campaigns were on borrowed time.
That’s not what we’re seeing today.
Over the past decade, we’ve worked alongside democratic leaders in competitive races around the world, and the results tell a more actionable story. In key elections, candidates who disciplined their message, defined the terms early, and drew a clear contrast with populist opponents didn’t just survive—they won.
In a new piece on The Messina Memo, Tara Corrigan, our COO, lays out three lessons emerging from those campaigns. Not theories, but what’s actually working in real races right now—and what campaigns that want to compete can’t afford to miss.
Photo Credit: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons