Campaign Planning

As you plan for the 2026 midterm elections with everything going on in the country, it may seem like things are out of your control. However, elections have consequences, and so does the work you do leading up to them. We are political realists, and a lot can happen between now and Election Day 2026. In this post, we will detail the historical trends of midterms, talk about contributing factors, and go through what Democrats and progressives can do now to make a difference in election outcomes this year.

Running an effective advocacy campaign demands more than just passion and good intentions. It takes skill, strategy, planning, and a whole lot of hard work. 

So, how do you cut through the noise, build support for your cause, and create real, lasting change? The following will give you some of the essential tips for running a winning advocacy campaign and building a roadmap for success.

Learn effective legislative advocacy strategies with our step-by-step guide and discover how to influence policy in your community. 

If you’re running for office, you’re going to need a campaign plan. With these 9 campaign plan tips, you will give yourself the best chance of winning your race:

While it’s true that the world of online advertising is fast-paced- banking on instantaneous programs is a good way to fall short of your goals. Planning for a digital program will give you time to really define your goals and make sure your campaign has the right components, creative, and timeline to achieve them.

Can you spot mistakes in your campaign? As a trainer and consultant for over 20 years - Here are some warning signs to help you spot and course-correct a losing political campaign.

As you plan for midterm elections, especially if you’re progressive democrat, you may not want to leave your house. With all the things going on in the country it may seem like the midterm elections are a forgone conclusion and not in a good way. Historical trends come to a similar conclusion.

Supply chain issues are real for political campaigns and nonprofit organizations. So, if you are running any kind of campaign in 2022 or 2023 be prepared. The supply chain issues will cause stress when it comes to voter and member outreach in 2022.

Canvassing rural areas present a unique set of challenges. You want to door knock as many homes in these areas as you can. Grassroots canvassing is the most effective method of volunteer voter contact so plan for the door-to-door canvas program to take time and resources. You also want to be conscious of your resources and canvas in a way that makes sense for both you and your canvassers.

Your campaign is finally over and you might be feeling a bit of that post-campaign emptiness inside. We understand that feeling and have a lot of insight on what to do after a win or a loss. Like for most things in your campaign you’ll want to be thinking about a plan for your campaign shutdown at the beginning of the campaign as part of your overall campaign plan.

The advertising world is well-versed in using and exploiting the visual language of typography to convey messages that go beyond the overt, verbal language on the page. Cal Swan, author of Language and Typography, says, “These two distinct areas often come together in practice as there is clearly a very strong relationship between the conception of the words as a message and their transmission in visible form.” Nowhere is this more important than in political messaging.