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Campaign Data 101: Successful Data Case Studies & Helpful Resources (Part 4 of 4)
Welcome back to Campaign Data 101, where we break down the what, how, and why of using data to run an innovative and efficient campaign. Earlier this week, we covered how to use Data in your campaign in finance & internal operations in part 3 of our blog series. Here, we’ll highlight some examples of successful data-driven projects and some great resources to empower you in your data science journey.
Missed our previous Campaign Data 101 articles?
Part 2: How to use Data in Your Campaign in the Field, Messaging, & Policy
Part 3: How to use Data in your campaign: Finance and Internal Operations
Let’s finish strong!
PART 4
Successes: Data Case Studies & Helpful Resources
Data alone does not win or lose a campaign, but it can inform and propel campaign efforts to reach more voters and, potentially, turn the tides of an election. In the following examples, Bluebonnet Data teams worked with their campaign partners to enhance campaign strategy using data.
Data alone does not win or lose a campaign, but it can inform and propel campaign efforts to reach more voters and, potentially, turn the tides of an election.
Case Studies in Data
Case Study #1: Chloe Maxmin’s Victory in Maine
How a Data-Driven Mindset Led to Democratic Success
Maine Senate District 13, located along the coast between Portland and Bangor, looked similar to many of the other promising down-ballot districts in 2020: it was nestled in between blue districts and was held by a Republican who just barely kept the seat during 2018’s Blue Wave. However, unlike many of the similarly promising districts in 2020, District 13 stood out in 2020 because it actually did flip in an extremely tough election cycle for down-ballot Democrats.
Case Study #2: Flipping Wisconsin
Why Deep Red Districts are Worth Our Effort
From July through November 2020, a Bluebonnet team worked with Tom Palzewicz’s campaign in Wisconsin's 5th Congressional district, providing much-needed data support to an under-resourced campaign. Even though the WI-05 district was extremely red, it was ripe for Democratic vote gain. If Democrats could hold or even reduce that margin, it would most likely flip the state for Joe Biden in 2020.
Bluebonnet Data doesn't shy away from red districts. We can make the biggest gains in the districts that are typically ignored.
Case Study #3: Paulette Jordan’s Run for the Idaho Senate
Promoting Data Infrastructure Where it's Needed Most
While there is a growing population of strong Democratic supporters in hubs like Boise, and Medicaid expansion passed in 2018 displaying general support of progressive policy, the state remains obstinately Republican, cycle after cycle. Paulette Jordan ran in 2020 to unseat Republican Senator Jim Risch, looking to prove that these trends in Idaho could be realized in the form of Democratic votes at the ballot box. Paulette’s Bluebonnet team helped her build a campaign strategy, find donors, and integrate voter contact data.
“There’s a lot of potential in Idaho for progressive issues and we saw that evidenced by the passage of Medicaid expansion in 2018. Building on that momentum, our Bluebonnet team brought value to the campaign and helped strengthen our digital infrastructure in a truly substantial way.”
- Paulette Jordan
Resources We Love
Political Tools & Training:
Arena Toolbox: Toolkits, tutorials, and templates for building winning campaigns.
National Democratic Training Committee: Free training for all Democrats and Progressives, in-person and online.
Down-Ballot Analysis Tool from TargetSmart and Way to Win.