The Winston Group

09/02/2026

In their latest take on education, David Winston and Caitlin Peartree argue that as conversations about what schools should be doing evolve, we should not lose sight of an equally important question: what is it that we want our schools to be producing?

In other words, what is a successful student outcome?

There are positive developments related to school choice happening all over the country. But even as choice expands, central questions remain.

09/01/2026

Recent Senate primaries have revealed some interesting trends about campaign ad spending, write David Winston and Myra Miller. In Florida, Minnesota, Michigan and Texas, there are signs that spending millions on campaign ads may be reaching its limits.

Recent Senate primaries have revealed some interesting trends about campaign ad spending. As we have seen in Florida, Minnesota, Michigan and Texas, there are

08/31/2026

Why is Washington obsessed with fundraising? And are voters fed up with the status quo?

In the latest episode of Discussion Points, Myra Miller and David Winston lift the lid on DC’s fundraising obsession and its impact on the political system. Four recent Senate primaries have shown the limited effects of money in campaigns, signaling potential change coming to the political system.

In this episode, Myra and David lift the lid on Washington DC’s fun...

08/28/2026

This week from The Winston Group

-Myra Miller and David Winston analyze the recent socialist momentum and outline three reasons we are seeing socialist candidates gaining ground.
https://www.winstongroup.net/2026/08/24/socialists-on-the-march-3-reasons-they-are-gaining-momentum/

-Myra Miller and David Winston discuss the growing trend of voters not identifying with either of the two political parties and what that means for this fall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22P4j52WppE&t=3s

-David Winston discusses what Republicans need to be talking about as the midterms approach in a new article from The Atlantic.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/08/trump-midterms-ads-maga/688409/?utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

For more analysis, visit winstongroup.net

08/26/2026

Heading into the midterms, "Republicans need to be talking about what actions they took in terms of the economy to at least get things moving in the right direction, and what the outcome has been,” says David Winston in The Atlantic. "It can’t be a laundry list of 35 talking points. This has to be one or two key things.”

The key: whether voters feel they can manage the cost of living at least a little better than they could before Trump took office.

The president has come up with a simple plan to win the election: more Trump.

08/25/2026

How do independents compare to Democrats and Republicans as a percentage of the electorate in competitive states?

In this short segment from Episode 8, Myra Miller and David Winston discuss the rising trend of independents in competitive presidential states in the 2024 election. In 5 out of 7 competitive presidential states, independents outnumbered Republicans and Democrats, signaling a growing trend of voters not identifying with either of the two political parties.

In this short segment from Episode 8, Myra and David discuss the ri...

08/24/2026

Socialist candidates are having success in many Democratic primaries across the country. The latest shock for Democrats was in Florida with Resistance hero Alexander Vindman losing to socialist Angie Nixon, despite his 37:1 campaign ad spending advantage.

Is this movement a new development? From the perspective of Myra Miller and David Winston, the contributors to the socialist momentum have been in the works for years. In their latest analysis, they outline three reasons we are seeing socialist candidates gaining ground.

Socialist candidates are having success in many Democratic primaries across the country. There are three reasons socialist candidates are gaining ground.

08/21/2026

This week from The Winston Group:

-Myra Miller and David Winston discuss the rise of socialist candidates in US politics in the latest episode of Discussion Points.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWDANWx7TNc

-David Winston and Caitlin Peartree analyze the preliminary findings from the National Center for Education Statistics study mapping state academic standards to NAEP.
https://www.winstongroup.net/2026/08/17/how-do-state-standards-map-to-naep-standards/

-David Winston and Myra Miller spotlight the Maine Senate race and describe how, while the current environment is challenging for Susan Collins, she was able to achieve a stunning victory by appealing to crossover voters in a similarly difficult environment in 2020.
https://www.winstongroup.net/2026/08/17/senate-battleground-maine-the-secret-to-success-for-susan-collins/

And ICYMI, be sure to check out our Discussion Points podcast episode on the Maine Senate race.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LHVunNxi9w

For more analysis, visit winstongroup.net.

08/20/2026

Yesterday’s news that Moderna and Merck’s mRNA cancer vaccine was successful in a late-stage trial for treating melanoma was a major win in the arena of cancer research. As Caitlin Peartree and David Winston argue in their recent essay for Education Next, the breakthroughs leading up to this moment resulted from seeing connections others might miss. This skill results from a broad-based, well-rounded education—such as the education the liberal arts provide.

At a minimum, colleges should be delivering a broad-based education that fosters critical thinking to restore public trust in higher ed

08/20/2026

Earlier this month, the National Center for Education Statistics released the preliminary findings of its analysis mapping state academic standards to NAEP.

How do states compare to the Nation's Report Card? The Winston Group's David Winston and Caitlin Peartree analyze what the research found.

Earlier this month, the National Center for Education Statistics released the preliminary findings of its analysis mapping state academic standards to NAEP.