Case studies Campaigns and civic participation

A Promise Made at the Kitchen Table

A first-time candidate for governor faced a well-funded incumbent with every structural advantage. We helped build a campaign around values voters already shared.

Client
First-time gubernatorial candidate
Engagement
Statewide candidate campaign
Our role
Message strategy and campaign planning

Results

Won

Upset over a well-funded incumbent

Decade high

Rural crossover rate for a Democratic candidate, highest in over ten years

#1

“Trust” and “honesty” were the top words voters used for the winner

Background

The incumbent had name recognition, party infrastructure, and money. Voters were tired of partisan conflict and skeptical of promises from either side.

Research showed many voters wanted a candidate who reflected values they saw in their own communities.

Our work

  1. Message research

    Focus groups and message testing showed voters responded most to family, fairness, and follow-through.

  2. Local stories

    Ads, speeches, and digital content featured families, teachers, and community leaders, not political tropes.

  3. Field organizing

    Field organizing and trained local messengers reached voters through shared experience rather than party identity.

  4. A plan for attacks

    A contrast plan focused on the candidate’s record of keeping commitments.

Outcome

The candidate won an upset that ran against the polls. The campaign posted the highest rural crossover rate for a Democratic candidate in more than a decade, and after the election voters most often described the winner with “trust” and “honesty.”

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