Case Study
How Targeted Voter Texting Helped Overcome a Nine-Point Deficit
Girmay Zahilay for King County Executive
The Challenge
Running countywide means communicating with hundreds of thousands of voters across dozens of communities.
Early polling showed Girmay Zahilay trailing his nearest competitor by nine points while name recognition remained below 25%.
The campaign needed a way to increase visibility, build credibility, and persuade key audiences without spending millions on broad, untargeted communication.
Here’s how targeted voter texting helped close the gap and ultimately win the race.
The Solution: Political Texting
The campaign tailored outreach to specific audiences based on the issues, endorsements, and priorities most likely to move them.
Regional Endorsement Targeting
Instead of building credibility from scratch, the campaign borrowed trust from respected validators within each region of King County. Voters received messages featuring local elected officials and community leaders they already knew and trusted.
Strategic Voter Segmentation
Each audience received a different message designed specifically for them including:
Seniors voting early by mail
Women voters
Progressive Seattle voters
High-propensity Democratic voters
Reach Voters Directly
When Voters Need Audience Tailored Messaging
Zahilay finished first with 44.04% of the vote, making history as the youngest person, first immigrant, first refugee, and the first newly elected King County Executive since 2009.
Audience-Specific Voter Texting
Voter outreach through text messages allows campaigns to tailor their message based on:
Geography
Voting history & turnout likelihood
Age, gender, & race
Partisan support
Issues & interests
Ballot status, language preference, & more
Common Uses
Name ID/Recognition
Endorsement amplification
Independent expenditure campaigns
Ballot measure campaigns
Issue advocacy