Washington ( CNN ) -- The vote was 53-44 , and Sen. Barbara Mikulski was on the losing side : Democrats did not have enough votes to advance Senate legislation designed to guarantee women equal pay . `` So I say square your shoulders , put your lipstick on , and let 's fight another day , '' the always-colorful Maryland Democrat said . It was one vote in April , and there was never any doubt Democrats would lose . But they held the vote to make a political statement , one many Democratic strategists think is central to the party 's chances of improving its midterm election odds . As the Senate was voting , veteran Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg and his Democracy Corps project distributed a memo outlining the stark numbers and what Greenberg insists is an opportunity to improve them by Election Day . The downside , in his view : `` Unmarried women are the key to 2014 , but are underperforming now on vote margin and turnout . ... These voters are critical to Democratic fortunes , but they are unlikely to vote , and less likely to give Democrats big margins , if Democrats are not laser-focused on issues that matter most to them . '' This `` intensity '' question is paramount . History suggests that key pieces of the Democratic coalition will turn out in lower percentages in this midterm year , including Latinos , African-Americans , younger voters and unmarried women . Then , add in the Republican belief that a focus on President Barack Obama 's health care plan helps their 2014 intensity advantage . `` This will be a challenge for Democratic candidates this cycle , '' GOP strategists Elizabeth Harrington and Bill McInturff wrote in a recent memo . `` Voters who say a candidate 's position on the law will be a greater factor in determining how they vote are more opposed to the law . '' The chart to the left illustrates their point . The question is how much of a factor the health care law will be in your 2014 vote . The challenge for the Democrats , Greenberg and his colleagues argued this week , is to generate new Democratic interest -- and intensity -- around economic issues that he says can be used to increase turnout if framed appropriately . In his surveys , Greenberg finds that 72 % of 2012 voters say they are `` almost certain '' to vote in 2014 . But only 66 % of unmarried women say that . And at the same time their interest in voting is down , Greenberg warns -- as you can see in the chart to the left -- that the unmarried women who are planning to vote in November are not as supportive of the Democrats as they were in 2012 ( Though the current 2014 numbers are better than in GOP midterm rout of 2010 ) . Greenberg and his client for this survey -- the Women 's Voices Women Vote Action Fund -- assert that Democrats can motivate more women to vote if party candidates push an agenda that includes equal pay , equal treatment by insurance companies and more affordable child care . The Greenberg memo makes frequent references to the opportunity to motivate Democratic voters and change the current midterm dynamics . If they do n't , his numbers and charts suggest a tough midterm year , especially when his assessment is matched with the previously cited GOP look at intensity around the health care issue . In addition to unmarried women , Greenberg looks at voting sentiment among a broader group he labels the `` Rising American Electorate '' : unmarried women , young voters and people of color . Many `` RAE '' voters are not planning to participate in 2014 , and that dropoff is a big GOP advantage . `` Democrats could leave a lot of deciding votes on the table , '' Greenberg argues in urging a sharper and more consistent economic focus . `` Among voters likely to vote in 2014 , the generic ballot is tied . Among those who voted n 2012 but who are not likely to vote in 2014 , Democrats hold a 16-point margin . This is a big deal . '' And , if it does n't change , a big Republican advantage .
Democratic strategists believe equal pay is central to winning midterm odds . Democrats must focus on issues important to unmarried women , a key bloc . Democrats ' goal is to increase enthusiasm around economic reform .