+
The Project
Tech for Campaigns (TFC) is a non-profit organization that pairs tech-savvy volunteers with progressive political campaigns, harnessing digital tools to help candidates engage voters and win elections. Their mission is to leverage the expanding reach of technology and digital communications to build electoral power for down-ballot Democrats throughout the United States. For the 2022 midterms I volunteered and was selected to join the TFC team working on Judy Seeberger’s Minnesota State Senate campaign to represent the east Minneapolis/St.Paul metro area (MN SD-41). With Minnesota’s low campaign spending limits, the Seeberger campaign turned to TFC and their volunteers to achieve their digital needs, allowing precious campaign dollars to be spent on voter outreach efforts. My team was tasked with executing a multi-faceted digital ad campaign to highlight the rich experience Judy would bring to the role, while combating the misinformation from her opponent with facts about her actual values and ideas. It was also imperative to not alienate independent or conservative voters, so testing was crucial to see what messages were best connecting with those voters.
The Results: Judy Seeberger Won!
In order to complete against a far-right extremist opponent with outside money funneled in to support his campaign, the TFC team executed a holistic digital strategy through Social Media, Display, Search, Online Video, Connected TV, and Digital Audio to ensure that voters heard the truth about who Judy Seeberger is and what she stands for. The approach efficiently increased the campaign’s reach so when knocking on doors, people were already familiar with who she was. The team tested images, messaging, video lengths, and GOTV tactics to increase Judy’s name recognition and drive voter turnout. We found that consistently messaging Judy’s support of women’s reproductive freedom and public safety were successful in connecting with constituents and winning over independent and conservative voters. A women’s right to choose was the most successful message overall, and Judy’s selfie videos were found to be engaging and efficient.
The campaign served more than 3.8M digital ad impressions in a district with under 90k people. A highly competitive seat in a red-leaning district, Judy defeated her extremist opponent by 321 votes. Her predicted chances of winning were 1 in 10. This win was critical for Minnesota, helping flip the Minnesota State Senate blue with a narrow margin of 34 D - 33 R, and creating a Democratic trifecta in the state.
