Case Study
Using Voter Texting Outreach to Respond to Attacks from Outside Spending
Carmen Rivera for Renton City Council
The Challenge
Carmen Rivera's campaign faced two very different challenges during her race for Renton City Council in Washington State.
In the primary, a well-funded opponent outspent the campaign nearly four-to-one while presenting himself as a progressive Democrat to voters.
In the general election, an outside PAC launched a series of misleading attacks designed to damage Rivera's reputation and shift the conversation away from the issues.
Here’s how the campaign used texting to respond to both moments and why it worked.
The Solution: Political Texting
The campaign used targeted voter texting at two key moments.
Primary Election Rapid-Response Voter Texting
Democratic and independent voters were sent credible third-party reporting about the opponent's political affiliations with Trump, which directly contradicted his public campaign persona.
The goal wasn't to attack. It was to make sure voters had information they may not have otherwise seen in a low-information local election.
General Election Rapid-Response Voter Texting
Voter text messages highlighted endorsements from leaders and organizations voters already respected to counter the outrageous and untrue accusations PAC mailers were spreading.
Reach Voters Directly
When You Need to Respond Quickly
Rivera went on to win the general election with 57% of the vote, improving on her 2021 performance by nearly five and a half points.
Why Rapid-Response Voter Texting
When something important happens, you need a way to get the right message in front of the right voters before the moment passes.
Rapid-response voter texting gives campaigns a direct line to voters at the exact moment they need it.
Instead of hoping voters see a news story, open a mail piece, or hear about an endorsement secondhand, campaigns can deliver information directly to the people they need to reach most.
Common Uses
Countering negative mail
Responding to media stories
Correcting misinformation
Endorsement amplification
Last-minute persuasion efforts
Independent expenditure response programs