This was clearly a good set of elections for the Democrats. What are the takeaways for organisations committed to solving some of society's biggest challenges?
Corporate purpose was a material part of the election
After watching numerous debates and speeches this cycle, it was hard to ignore how central data centres were to the broader political argument. Voters clearly have concerns about the impact of data centres on water quality and household bills, but it's deeper than this. Beneath it all is a story about corporate purpose and how instrumental it is to a company's social licence to operate.
Rupert Younger, an Oxford academic and a former colleague of mine, has a very useful way of approaching reputation. His model splits reputation into two: capability reputation and character reputation.
Companies seeking to build data centres could have done a far better job of articulating their social purpose, arguing why data centres align with that purpose, and ensuring that existing sites are established in ways that promote it. Without this, data centres became an easy target for politicians. It's a clear-cut example of how corporate purpose can materially affect business success.
Voters rejected virtually every ballot initiative on data centres, in part because of a lack of trust between the public and these companies, rooted in a poor character reputation. This might also portend a future where large coalitions of voters become increasingly anxious about the role that AI plays in their lives, and we don't see this disappearing anytime soon.
Persuasive speaking is back in fashion
This cycle saw the rise of a new generation of politicians, many of whom are praised for their public speaking and command of language. Their humour, energy, and use of emotion excited many. Keisha Lance Bottoms, Jon Ossoff, and James Tallarico, to name just three, are leaders who clearly see the value of effective speech delivery.
At Purpose Union, we have long argued that modern leadership requires the ability to convey ideas strategically and persuasively to achieve outcomes that create wins for business and society. As we all face a deluge of AI slop and the saturation that comes with it, effective human storytelling becomes more valuable. Again, this should serve as a blueprint for leaders of organisations looking to act as catalysts on the issues that matter to them.
Sustainability was central because progressives made it relevant
The word "sustainability" barely featured in the campaign. Water, energy, and nature preservation did. Democrats told a compelling story about how the current administration's attacks on clean energy materially affected people's cost of living.
This should be unsurprising. In October this year, a Pew Research Centre survey found that 74% of Americans were very concerned about fuel and energy prices, which is up from 43% in January. More than half of Americans now believe data centres are mostly bad for the environment, up from 39% earlier this year.
Our own work with the Grantham Institute has shown that the public is more likely to be persuaded of the merits of progressive climate policy when it is linked to concrete everyday outcomes in their lives. That's why so many candidates succeeded by committing to expanding clean energy and linking it to people's personal fortunes. Sustainability became real for people, and there is a lesson in this.
Diversity and the Zeitgeist
Conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion is often highly susceptible to the zeitgeist. There is not one blueprint. It is a fluid discipline that constantly evolves with the times. The news, the atmospherics, and the vibes all shape how much attention organisations pay to it and how they engage with it. For example, this was true after the murder of George Floyd. It was also true after Donald Trump's second election in 2024. It now feels as though people may be looking past the Trump era and recognising the importance of this agenda, not just to social outcomes but to business performance and wider economic growth.
Did some of the companies overreact after Trump's win in 2024 when they cut DEI programmes or moved away from the inclusion agenda altogether? We believe so. The companies that kept driving the agenda understood how important it was to their performance, and over the medium term, consumers, voters, and employees will still expect their organisation to stand for something.
It's also worth noting the number of historical firsts in this election:
The first Muslim senator
The first openly gay male senator
Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman ever elected governor
Five Black governors will now serve at the same time
The first Native American woman to be elected to the Senate
Alabama elected its first transgender legislator
Of course, these politicians have their own politics and personalities, and no group is a monolithic block. But commentary can often get lazy when it assumes that a particular candidate is unelectable because of their identity or background.
What is remarkable about this set of elections is how powerful these moments in history still are in terms of inspiring people to keep opening up institutions and supporting the agenda of widening access for all. Symbolically, this was an important night for the inclusion agenda.
By Lewis Iwu | Founding Partner, Purpose Union