Background

Six months after Hurricane Katrina scattered the residents of New Orleans across the country, the city council elections went forward as planned. Upper-middle class Ward A was not spared from the storm. Seventy percent of the homes had flooded and many voters had been displaced, twice as many Democrats than Republicans. It would seem almost impossible to challenge an incumbent Republican in such a situation. Shelly Midura was a diplomat turned homemaker who was frustrated by the slow pace of recovery in New Orleans. The incumbent was the only Republican on the city council, sitting in the seat held by Republicans for over twenty years. He was a favorite of the local utility company and had stashed away a $300,000 campaign warchest.

With her supporters spread throughout the country, Shelly needed a tool to identify her supporters and make sure they voted by mail.

In response to the displacement caused by Hurricane Katrina, state officials granted a one-time relaxation on absentee ballot requirements. What started as a city council race was now in essence a national election. We planned nationwide calls based on FEMA relocation records and NCOA updates. Earlier calls allowed us to purge and update our initial call list. After careful data mining and targeting, we began a series of calls. The first was an ID call that questioned the support of the incumbent and helped to create a pool of persuadable voters. Subsequent calls were paired with direct mail pieces to the identified persuadable voters. The final push came with help from the state party. They sent a massive absentee ballot mailing, and we complemented it with calls to persuadable voters.

The incumbent outspent Shelly almost four to one, relied on a voter base that was less affected by Hurricane Katrina, and was defending a solidly Republican seat. Our voter identification and contact effort eliminated these significant advantages. On Election Day, Shelly Midura won with 52 percent of the vote. Her supporters displaced by the Hurricane made their voices heard and demanded a new future for New Orleans.

Careful attention to database building. Multiple contacts with persuadable voters. The resources and knowledge to turn a city council election into a national race. And a little bit of creativity that transformed this race from a one-sided blowout Republican victory to a shocking win for Shelly Midura. When the situation calls for unique solutions, Zata3 delivers unprecedented results.