Campaigns

Why You Should Start Your Signature Gathering Effort Early

May 23, 2022 by Ben Holse (he/him)

It Pays Off to Start Signature Gathering in Advance 

For groups and organizations that are interested in getting a measure on the ballot, signature gathering can be a costly, time-intensive, and pain-staking affair. You’ll need to raise the money to pay an expensive field consultant to manage the process for you. There’s a steady unease about hitting your numbers, and all of this is compounded with the stress of knowing that the success of your effort hangs in the balance. 

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IssueVoter - Maria Yuan Answers 7 Questions

Aug 30, 2021 by The Campaign Workshop

IssueVoter: Maria Yuan discusses civic engagement

IssueVoter founder Maria Yuan decided to start the nonpartisan platform after working on a successful political campaign in one of Iowa’s swing districts and for a Texas State Representative. The organization seeks to increase civic engagement and communication between constituents and their members of Congress. In this interview, Maria discusses her experience running IssueVoter and how her platform connects constituents with their Congressional representatives. 
 
 1. Why did you start IssueVoter?

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The Case for Campaign Unionization

Dec 06, 2018 by Claire Regan

Campaign unionization is important. Just because you work on a campaign doesn't mean you can't unionize.

Campaign unionization, is it right for your campaign? It seem obvious that Democrats should be supportive of campaign unionization… right? Not necessarily.

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Social Pressure in Your GOTV Program

Oct 29, 2018 by Elena Veatch

Social Pressure To Get Out The Vote.

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Recommended Reading from Political Pros

May 21, 2018 by Elena Veatch

A recommended reading list from TCW interviewees

We always try to ask the political pros we interview in our “7 questions” blog series what they’re reading. As a result, we’ve gotten some great recommended reading ideas from these folks. Some of these reads help shed light on the state of the American electorate; others will give you the break you deserve from the state of our politics. Behold, our latest recommended reading list, brought to you by experts in Democratic polling, messaging, political science, decision-making, fundraising, and beyond. Happy reading!

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7 Questions with Joshua Kalla on Political Persuasion

Jan 29, 2018 by Elena Veatch

Is persuasion still possible? Political scientist Joshua Kalla answers our questions

Joshua Kalla is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley whose research focuses on American political behavior and opinion. Along with Stanford’s David Broockman, Joshua Kalla co-authored a study on voter persuasion that made a splash in the media and in progressive circles in September 2017. In this study, Kalla and Broockman argue that voter persuasion through traditional campaign communication methods (such as direct mail, canvassing, and digital advertising) have essentially no persuasive effect on voters during general elections. We asked Kalla about his recent work and its implications for campaigns.

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7 Questions with Nancy Leeds

Nov 09, 2017 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

7 Questions with Nancy Leeds

Nancy Leeds is the one woman operation behind CampaignSick, a popular political blog and Tumblr account. She is a Democratic campaign manager, having worked on everything from local campaigns to being the Political Director of Clean Water Action. Nancy has an MPA in Social Policy and Management from Columbia University.

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7 Questions with Pollster Anna Greenberg on Campaign Strategy

Oct 26, 2017 by Elena Veatch

TCW Talks Campaign Strategy With Pollster Anna Greenberg

Anna Greenberg is no stranger to campaign strategy. She is a Democratic pollster with over fifteen years of experience in the field. She’s worked on everything from research for NGOs to polling for Mayor Bill de Blasio’s campaign, which won her “Pollster of the Year” in 2014. We asked Anna Greenberg about her work, and what every campaign should know about polling.

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5 Books to Consider When Shaping Your Campaign Strategy

Jul 31, 2017 by Elena Veatch

Read up to inform your Campaign Strategy 

A summer lull in campaign action means extra time to gear up for the electoral battles ahead of this fall, in 2018, and beyond. As Democrats across the country deliberate party priorities and the best ways to communicate our values after a series of losses, you can sit back and do the same with these porch reads. Whether you’re a casual observer of the circus that is the Trump administration or a seasoned strategist plotting next steps, these five books can help inform your campaign strategy.

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6 Political Memoirs to Inspire Positive Social Change

Jul 13, 2017 by Elena Veatch

Not every political memoir is just an excuse to remind people you’re running for office; some help inspire positive social change.

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