Author: Nick Mildebrath

Clients Also Victorious in SC, VA

Convergence clients had a strong Election Day on Tuesday. In Maine, Raegan LaRochelle won by a significant margin in the special election for House District 86 in Augusta. A top-tier race highlighted by the DLCC, HD 86 hadn’t been held by a Democrat in nearly a decade. Convergence created a multi-media campaign that combined direct mail and digital advertising highlighting LaRochelle’s background as the hometown small business owner and community leader ready to represent her community in the State House. 

In South Carolina, Mayor Will Haynie was re-elected in the fast-growing town of Mount Pleasant. Mayor Haynie’s direct mail campaign highlighted the accomplishments of his first term, specifically targeted to different areas of the town of 95,000 residents.

Convergence also congratulates longtime client, Virginia Del. David Bulova. Del. Bulova is a fighter for education and played a major role in keeping Virginians safe during COVID-19 – work we highlighted in a direct mail program that helped drive his campaign to a convincing victory.

Congratulations to these candidates and to newly elected and re-elected Democrats and progressives across the country!

Irene Shin, a proud progressive with a background in defending voting rights, became the Democratic nominee for Virginia’s 86th House of Delegates district last week, defeating an incumbent in a competitive race.

Convergence created direct mail and digital advertising for an independent expenditure in this race, highlighting Shin’s record and vision and addressing the problematic voting record and other controversial issues associated with the incumbent. We’re proud of the role we played in this election, and congratulate Irene Shin on becoming the Democratic nominee for this district in November.

On Tuesday, a diverse group of Chattanooga voters came out strong for Tim Kelly during the city’s mayoral runoff election. Tim Kelly defeated Kim White by a commanding 60-40 margin. Kelly and White are newcomers to the local Chattanooga political world as the current Mayor Andy Berke is termed out. The general election was tough for all the candidates, White securing enough votes to force a runoff, the first Mayoral runoff in Chattanooga since 2005.

Convergence was proud to provide direct mail services for the Kelly campaign during the runoff. We had the privilege of working with the wonderful Kelly campaign team, and together we successfully communicated both policy and Kelly’s “One Chattanooga” unity message to Chattanoogans far and wide.

Kelly’s success in Tuesday’s election adds to our long history of successful Mayoral elections, including Mayor Kate Gallego – Phoenix, AZ, Mayor Gavin Buckley – Annapolis, MD, Mayor Quinton Lucas – Kansas City, MO, and Mayor John Tecklenburg – Charleston, SC.

On Tuesday, voters in California’s 79th Assembly District chose Dr. Akilah Weber to serve as their representative in Sacramento, giving her 52% of the vote in a five-candidate field. Convergence was proud to serve as the direct mail consultant for the only significant independent expenditure in the race. Our direct mail communicated Dr. Weber’s experience as a health care professional and physician, and her plans to address COVID-19 recovery directly.

Congratulations to Dr. Weber!

On Tuesday, Kansas City voters overwhelmingly voted to protect a vital source of funding for city services, voting to renew the city’s one percent earnings tax by a 77-23 margin, a top priority for Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, another Convergence client.

Convergence was proud to serve as the general consultant on the renewal effort, as well as providing direct mail services. Working with a coalition of community groups, business groups, faith leaders, unions, elected officials, and first responders, we communicated the earnings tax’s value in a difficult financial environment.

We were fortunate to work with a great campaign team, and were gratified by the result!

After two hard-fought primary contests, CTC clients Mayor Heidi Campbell and Nikki Merritt are now the Democratic nominees in two of the most flippable State Senate districts in the south.

Heidi entered the race in February at a significant disadvantage to her opponent, who had been campaigning for over a year. Her campaign was run almost exclusively during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Convergence was a key partner in shifting our strategy to meet the moment at hand. From advising COVID-specific methods of voter engagement early on in the pandemic to adjusting our targeting to meet increases in voter turnout and the shifting methods of voting, we built a campaign that met the voters where they were at a challenging time in our history.

Nikki Merritt’s campaign had to pivot hard once COVID-19 became a reality in our race. Nikki had a robust field program already working in preparation for the primary election, and we had to adjust our plans for voter contact to take door-to-door contact off the table. Nikki’s team stayed nimble and was able to outwork her opponents, coming just shy of winning her three-way primary outright on June 19 and trouncing her runoff opponent, winning close to 66% of the vote.

We’re looking forward to continuing to work with these incredible candidates and their talented teams to flip these seats in November!

Convergence is proud to celebrate the following recent client wins:

Continue reading “Spring 2020 Client Wins”

While all the votes have yet to be counted, Mondaire Jones is poised to win his primary in NY-17, replacing retiring Rep. Nita Lowey. Convergence partnered with Fight for the American Dream PAC to boost Mondaire’s bold progressive credentials, including his exclusive support of Medicare for All in a crowded primary field to voters.

Mondaire, along with fellow Democrat Ritchie Torres, are poised to become the first openly gay Black men elected to Congress. Mondaire’s life story of growing up in Section 8 housing and using access to great public schools to lift himself out of poverty is unique to Congress, and his experiences will be a valuable asset to moving policies that benefit all Americans.

Congress needs more Mondaires. We’re thrilled for his victory and the unique and needed perspective he will bring to Congress when he is sworn in. Congratulations Mondaire!