THE MELLMAN GROUP CONGRATULATES OUR CLIENTS’ VICTORIES
Election Day was tough for all of us to take, but occasional shoots of blue shot up through a too red map, and we were proud to be part of winning campaigns from coast to coast, up and down the ballot, in both red and blue states.
Even in a challenging year, we continued providing accurate polling and winning strategies. We’ve picked up Republican seats every cycle for over three decades, and we maintained that record this year, despite Democrats’ difficulties.
Of course, winning comes down to great candidates and great campaigns. From City Council and county initiative campaigns to US Senate races and statewide referenda, we’d like to congratulate the candidates and teams who gave us reason to rejoice:
STATEWIDE:
Senator-Elect Catherine Cortez Masto
Working with the DSCC IE team, led by Mindy Myers and aided by the creative genius of media consultants Brandon Hall, Dan Kully, Jason Ralston and John Lapp, we helped Catherine Cortez Masto emerge victorious and become the country’s first Latina Senator.
Governor Steve Bullock
Together with coalitions involving state allies and the DGA IE, led by Joe Shafer and Emma Anspach, we helped protect two important Democratic gubernatorial chairs. In Montana, we helped the Good Jobs Montana coalition provide a boost that enabled Governor Steve Bullock to withstand a self-funding opponent who ran more ads than any statewide candidate in the country. Ads from GMMB’s Harper Lawson, Frank Greer and David Smith brilliantly and credibly drove home the point that our opponent was neither from Montana, nor for Montana. Bullock won with 50% — as our final poll showed – despite Trump winning the state by 22-points.
Governor Jay Inslee
Under the steady hand of Ken Morley and Sterling Clifford, with on-point, creative ads by Rich Davis and David Dixon, we’re glad to have aided the Our Washington coalition’s work again this cycle in support of Governor Jay Inslee, who won with 55% of the vote-exactly what our last poll reported.
Everytown For Gun Safety
In Nevada, working with Everytown For Gun Safety, we helped pass a background check initiative in a state where nearly 4 in 10 own a gun and nearly half live in a gun-owning household. A disciplined strategy led by campaign manager Joe Duffy, the media gurus at SKDKnickerbocker (Bill Knapp, Karen Olick and Julie Norton), poignant mail from Ed Peavy and his team at Mission Control, modeling from Civis Analytics, as well as Everytown staff including John Feinblatt, Joanna Belanger and Brina Milikowsky, enabled us to withstand a vicious flurry of late ads from the NRA and pass an initiative that will save lives.
CALIFORNIA INITIATIVES:
We congratulate the California Teachers Association, Gale Kaufman, her team, and their coalition partners on passing Proposition 55 to extend tax increases on the wealthy and Proposition 58 to bring back bilingual education. Both will help ensure that all children throughout the state thrive by getting the quality education they deserve.
In addition, we congratulate California’s “Yes on 56” Campaign. Their well-run effort to raise tobacco taxes means fewer kids will become addicted to smoking, smokers will pay their fair share of healthcare costs, and lives will be saved. We’re pleased to have played a small part in helping it pass, working with NextGen California, Campaign Chair Tom Steyer, Chris Lehman, and Rose Kapolczynski to run statewide ads, beautifully produced by Mark Armour, that successfully beat back tobacco company attacks and refocused on the core message that even if we can save a few lives, the tobacco tax hike is worth it.
CONGRESS:
Congresswoman Annie Kuster
In New Hampshire, we’re pleased to have continued being part of Congresswoman Annie Kuster’s re-election team. Led by campaign manager Jerry Parshall, media from Ralston-Lapp, and mail from Mission Control’s Ed Peavy and Maren Hesla, Congresswoman Kuster became the first Democrat to win a third term in New Hampshire’s Second Congressional seat since 1853.
We’re also proud to have helped a number of excellent House Members return for another term: Whip Steny Hoyer, Congressmen Dan Kildee, Ted Deutch, James Langevin, Sandy Levin and Seth Moulton.
STATE LEGISLATIVE:
North Carolina
In North Carolina, where the gubernatorial and some legislative results are still under recount, it appears we have taken four Republican districts and netted at least one more seat. This is on top of the four pick-ups last cycle-more than any chamber in the country. We were proud to be a part of a great team under the leadership of Caucus Directors Casey Wilkinson and Ryan Deeter, and working alongside Jon Anderson of Mad Dog Mail, Morton Brilliant of The Strategy Group, Ken and Terry of Snyder – Pickerel Media, Peter Cari of Prism Communications, Geoff Mackler of Blueprint Interactive and Marisa Nickols of MB Political Research.
LOCAL:
Mara Elliott
In San Diego, we’re proud to have helped elect two great women to office: City Attorney-Elect Mara Elliott defeated her challenger by 13 points thanks to the efforts of general consultants Dan Rottenstreich and Rose Kapolczynski, as well as Mark Armour who put together beautiful and effective ads, campaign manager Marco Briones and a committed, passionate candidate who cares deeply about protecting people.
Georgette Gomez
Community organizer Georgette Gomez defeated the sitting Councilwoman’s Chief of Staff to represent District 9 on the San Diego City Council thanks to campaign manager Roberto Torres, Dan Rottenstreich, Rose Kapolczynski and a tireless candidate whose commitment to taking on the powerful, downtown special interests will mean real improvements for the people that need it the most.
Fix The Roads Campaign
Tax measures are always tough to pass. Working with the Fix the Roads Campaign in Clark County, Nevada, we helped pass a county-wide initiative for Fuel Revenue Indexing to provide funding for needed road and safety projects. The team, led by Gail Tuzzolo and Paul Mandabach, did an extraordinary job in a tough year with limited resources.