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Opposition Research

Know what's coming before anyone else does.

Races are won and lost on definition. We assemble and analyze the public record, on your opponent and on you, so the contrast is yours to draw and nothing surfaces that you have not already planned for.

The reality

Every race now turns on what voters, donors, and reporters can find, and on who organized that information first.

Opposition research is not about dirt. It is preparation: a disciplined, fully sourced read of the public record that shows where you are exposed, where your opponent is, and exactly how the contrast should be drawn. Everything is built from what is already on the record, and built to hold up.

When you need us

What the work prevents, and what it makes possible

Self-research

Before you announce

Find your own vulnerabilities before your opponent does, so there are no surprises in your own file in October.

The opponent

Define the contrast

A complete, sourced picture of an opponent’s record, statements, and votes, ready to deploy the moment it matters.

Vetting

Before an endorsement

Parties, PACs, and donors vet before they commit. Make sure the record supports the bet they are about to make on you.

Rapid response

When a file drops

When opposition research lands on you, we already know what is in it and how to answer, because the work was done first.

How we work

Sourced, defensible, and built to deploy

Assess

Vulnerability assessment

A candid audit of your own record, public footprint, and search results, so you walk in knowing every line of attack before it is used.

  • Record, statements, and voting history review
  • Public-footprint and search-result audit
  • Threat ranking and response planning
Research

Opponent research

A thorough, fully cited profile of an opponent built entirely from the public record and lawful sources.

  • Record, finance, and public-statement analysis
  • Issue and contrast mapping
  • Verified, source-linked findings
Deploy

Contrast & readiness

Research is only useful if it is ready when the moment comes. We package findings so your team can move in minutes, not days.

  • Message and contrast frameworks
  • Rapid-response briefing books
  • Coordination with your search and PR strategy

All findings are drawn from the public record and lawful sources. We do not engage in unlawful surveillance, intrusion, or deception, and we advise clients to operate within the law and platform rules.

Proof, in public

Research you can see, live

Our research holds up because it is built like a case file. IdahoExtremism.org is a public accountability platform we built and operate on primary-source records, with a published methodology ("three or more records agreeing is how we hit publish") and a public corrections policy. Every claim links to a court record, filing, or sworn statement.

When the record warrants taking it public, ChadChristensen.org shows the standard: fact pages cited to deposition page numbers and case numbers, the subject's own words doing the heavy lifting, and a standing page that hosts his response. Expose with facts, lead with evidence.

That discipline is not decoration. Documented facts are defamation-proof, credible to journalists, and impossible to dismiss as a smear. Research that cannot survive that test is not research.

Questions, answered

What campaigns ask about opposition research

What is opposition research?

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It is the disciplined gathering and analysis of the public record, on an opponent or on yourself, so you know exactly what is defensible, what is exposed, and where the contrast lies before anyone else surfaces it.

Is opposition research legal and ethical?

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Done properly, yes. Legitimate opposition research relies on the public record and lawful sources. We do not engage in hacking, unlawful surveillance, or deception, and we keep clients on the right side of the law and platform rules.

Do you research your own clients?

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Almost always. Self-research is the single best way to avoid an October surprise. We find your vulnerabilities first, so you are never caught off guard.

How fast can you turn research around?

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It depends on scope, but we work to the cycle. For active races we move quickly and prioritize the findings most likely to move a vote.

Insights

From our Insights

Start the conversation

Never be caught off guard again.

Tell us about your race. We will tell you, candidly, what we would want to know before you do.

Book a Confidential Consult