GOAL
To develop and execute a communications plan that would enable the candidate to win the support of voters in every region of Missouri and win election in a state that had been trending Republican.
STRATEGY
Soapbox developed and executed a communications strategy designed to tap into voter resentment of partisan rhetoric and political gamesmanship by developing a campaign message that promoted the candidate’s stature as a different kind of Democrat with the ability to rise above partisan politics and promote a positive plan of action for the state. Tactics included early advertising and heavy travel in media markets in rural Missouri, the development of a major policy proposal – “A New Direction: the Carnahan Plan for Missouri Secretary of State” – and a coordinated push for the endorsement of newspaper editorial boards in Republican-leaning areas of the state.
RESULT
Robin Carnahan was the only Democrat in a competitive statewide race to win, defeating the powerful Speaker of the Missouri House Catherine Hanaway by a significant margin. In a year where Democratic candidates for President and Governor lost by 100,000 and 200,000 votes, respectively, Robin Carnahan carried over 40 counties on her way to a 121,000-vote victory.
