How to Win a Campaign

Personal contact is what drives voters to the polls. That’s why in this Tools Episode, Joe speaks with Sangeeth Peruri about how your campaign can use OutreachCircle to best take advantage of relational organizing. OutreachCircle integrates multiple platforms so that you can have an easy to use, streamlined process to connect with your friends, and their friends, and even their friends. If you wan...

The full, raw interview with Amie Kershner of AKM Consulting and former finance director of Priorities USA PAC. Amie has had over fourteen years of fundraising experience for major progressive Democratic organizations like Priorities USA and Emily’s List, so when she starts to spill her insider tips and tricks, you will want to take notes! Learn where to find out background research on your donors...

The full, raw interview with Carmen Berkley of Dancing Hearts Consulting. Carmen has participated in and led door-knocking efforts for a range of issues from political campaigns to census awareness, and she has knocked on doors across America from the Mid-Atlantic to Mexico, Missouri. Learn everything you need to know from writing scripts to training canvassers to standing firm and not running awa...

The full, raw interview with Annise Parker, current CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund and Institute, and former Mayor, Controller, and Member of the City Council of Houston, Texas. Hear her thoughts on how to survive campaign life, how to separate work and personal life in politics, and how to deal with conflict on the campaign trail. Listen to her stories of what it was like campaigning during the ho...

After months of door knocking, ad buying, hand shaking, picture-taking and town hall-ing, you might be tempted to think there’s nothing else to do come election day. False! You need to run an effective get out the vote campaign! Even if you convince your whole district to vote for you, it won’t matter unless they turn out at the polls on election day. That’s why in this episode, Joe and Martín tea...

In order to win your campaign, you need voters to know your name as well as your campaign message. That’s why it's important to invest in paid communications, and if you can afford it, a media consultant to guide you through media strategy and help produce advertising spots for TV, radio, and social media. But what makes eye-catching creative work and how many spots do you need to buy so your mess...

If you think it’s hard asking strangers for money, imagine asking your own friends and family! Fundraising isn’t easy, but it’s essential to win your campaign. Most candidates will do anything to get out of calling donors, but Joe and Martín have some foolproof strategies to make fundraising easier for everyone on the campaign trail. This week, Joe and Martín discuss fundraising myths, where to fi...

There is no better way to get to know the constituents in your district than going right up to their door and talking to them. Canvassing is essential, and it often becomes the most fun part of any campaign! Getting to know your neighbors, listening to the issues they care about, and telling them how you can help are key to not only convince them to choose you over your opponents, but also to conv...

When you run for office, you need to surround yourself with people you trust and people who believe in you. Choosing a campaign manager is one of the most important decisions you will make. You may have a plethora of campaign managers waiting to work with you, or you may only have a few friends or family members to choose from. This decision is going to be tough, and so this week, Joe and Martín c...

In today’s digital world, any candidate without a robust digital communications operation is sorely lacking. Your campaign needs a healthy mix of in-person and online contact with voters to win. But with the ever changing landscape of digital media, as well as the constantly evolving rules surrounding political ads on social media, it is important to keep up to speed with digital campaign best-pra...

In 2020, the global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic struck the United States. Campaigns up and down the ballot had to start moving their operations online as social distancing became the norm. This period challenged us all to think outside the box to come up with new practices for voter outreach and deploy new fundraising tactics. In this Special Episode of How to Win a Campaign , Joe and Martín dis...

A campaign, like any business, needs to have streamlined and coordinated HR practices. Everything from onboarding to writing an employee handbook is essential, but can take time away from the campaign trail if you don’t do it right. This week Joe and Martín discuss the unique HR details of campaigns like having volunteers and full-time employees, union and non-union employees, and why campaign ins...

Your campaign needs to have a winning message—one that resonates with voters and stays true to your values. How do you make one? Using a Tully Message Box of course! This week, Joe and Martín will walk you through how to use a Tully Message Box to come up with a winning message for your campaign.  Joe interviews Margie Omero of  The Pollsters , the only bipartisan women podcast about polling, to t...

Mayor Parker has run in 11 races and won nine in a row, so she knows a thing or two about what it’s like to win and lose. She has served as an elected legislator, an administrator, and as an executive, and now she works to help elect other LGBTQ+ candidates across the country.  Martín was super excited to interview Mayor Parker this week and we hope you are super excited to take a listen! Joe and...

In this episode, Joe and Martín discuss how to determine if it is financially feasible for you to run, how to harness your core values to craft a compelling campaign narrative, and how to make that difficult decision of whether to run for President of the United States or start a little closer to home. Anthony Robinson of the National Democratic Training Committee joins Joe this week to discuss th...

In this trailer, Joe and Martín talk about how they got started in politics and their inspiration for making a podcast. This trailer for the brand new How to Win a Campaign podcast gives you a taste of what’s in store for Season 1.   Connect with us! If you have campaign questions or want to learn more, reach out to us using the contact information below. The Campaign Workshop :  Twitter: @cmpwrks...