Strategists say the party is trying to learn from its mistakes when it comes to Alabama: How does it support a viable candidate in a tough race while not going in too heavily and ruining his chances?

Democrats say one key lesson is avoiding what happened in the special election in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District. There, Democrat Jon Ossoff ran against Republican Karen Handel in a June election. Although the wealthy suburban district is traditionally Republican, it seemed Democrats could win there in light of Trump’s unpopularity. The race garnered a significant amount of enthusiasm and funding from Democrats nationwide.

Ultimately, the money didn’t matter ― and potentially hurt Ossoff. Republicans successfully tied him to the national party and fear-mongered about how he would be a tool of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and her liberal California politics. The race became all about Ossoff and the national Democratic Party.