We did it!
On March 5th, we won our re-election -- and our voice -- on City Council. And when I say "we" that includes all of you, because it took all of us to achieve this victory. I am so grateful for your support. Whether you walked with us, made phone calls, dropped door hangers, placed lawn signs, encouraged a neighbor to vote, or donated (or all of the above!), you helped make this a winning campaign.
We received over 3,600 votes with a campaign that spent under $50,000... that is outstanding -- and is a true testament to the power of community!
This is what the numbers look like:
What the numbers tell us:
- We estimated we would need around $50,000 to run a winning campaign -- and we proved that $50,000 was sufficient to do just that. Not only did we win, but we received over 3,600 votes! Looking back at past elections, you'd have to go all the way back to 1988 to find a total over 3,600.
- You CAN run a successful campaign efficiently (with less money) with strong community support. Community members are willing to volunteer for a candidate they know represents them. Our campaign had a volunteer treasurer, volunteers who made calls to voters, volunteers who walked neighborhoods and volunteers who put up signs in their front yards or at their businesses. We did not have a campaign manager.
- You CAN win an election in the City of West Hollywood without money from big developers who have projects coming before Council.
We were able to get out 15,000 door hangers, 6 mailers (totaling over 46,000 postcards), and 325 yard signs. In addition, we were able to hire a professional Get Out The Vote field consulting team for the last 4 weeks to reach voters both by phone and on the ground -- and they were terrific too!
It is also interesting to note that virtually three-fourths (73%) of our contributors were West Hollywood residents and businesses, representing 66% of total contributions.
This was a tremendous victory for all of us! Thank you for your support and your confidence in me.
Lauren and 4-legged, furry volunteer, Spike Meister