| Featured Case Study |
 John Yarmuth
(D-Kentucky)
2008 Re-Election
In 2006, first-time candidate John Yarmuth defeated 10-year Republican incumbent Anne Northup, 52%-48%, despite being significantly outspent and receiving virtually no help from the DCCC. In 2008, Northup sought to reclaim her seat. Polling initially had the two candidates only 4 points apart, but Yarmuth was aggressive about telling his own story. The 2008 campaign ran 8 TV spots, 7 of which were positive. In the end, despite Northup spending more than a million dollars, Yarmuth coasted to a 60% victory.
 Yarmuth TV Ads
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The 60-second ad, Listening, was the first ad of the 2008 Yarmuth campaign. It shows how we defined the race by emphasizing John's many accomplishments in office. |
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"Darryl" |
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"New Day" |
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"Exceptional" |
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"Everything" |
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John talks about
Dave Heller
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“In challenging a five-term incumbent in 2006, I knew I had to make the case for change, but without sounding offensive. Dave Heller's ads allowed me to do that with humor, uniqueness, and a great visual quality.... I would not have won the election without the very distinctive and gorgeous ads that Dave Heller produced for my campaign.” |
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 Yarmuth Radio Ads |
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| Featured Videos |
"Unfair Tax"
U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) |
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In October 2008, Congressman David Scott's internal polling showed his vote share at just 41% -- clearly vulnerable to Republican attacks. Rep. Scott hit back hard, running a dual-track program of positive and negative spots in the final weeks. His GOP opponent was one of many who had endorsed the Republican "Fair Tax" package; this ad helped Rep. Scott discredit both that approach and his opponent. With the help of an excellent GOTV program and aggressive negative radio, David Scott cruised to an easy 69%-31% victory on Election Night.
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"Anna Kirk"
U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) |
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Polling showed Congressman McIntyre with an opportunity to put his race away early, despite the district voting solidly for Republican John McCain in the presidential race. The key was to reach out to African-Americans and younger women. To reach both, we ran an ad featuring a local nurse who had graduated nursing school with the help of federal student loans and had trained at a local medical center that the Congressman had helped fund. The ad is a good example of how using real people talking about real situations can cut through the clutter of a crowded media market and effectively deliver a message. Rep. McIntyre won with 69% of the vote in November, 2008.
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"Soul & Spirit"
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tn.) |
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U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen is currently the only white to represent a congressional district that is majority African-American. In fact, while 60% of the C.D.'s residents are African-American, in a Democratic primary they comprise 75% of the electorate. So when the black community put up a single African-American candidate against Steve in the 2008 Democratic primary, and EMILY's List quickly endorsed her, many in Washington felt Cohen's days in Congress were numbered. From the outset, however, Steve was determined to show that his stewardship transcended color. This first spot set the tone for the entire race by making it clear that Steve was running on his record of delivering for the people of Memphis. It worked -- in the end, Steve went on to defeat his opponent 79%-21% -- the biggest margin of victory against any EMILY's List-endorsed candidate in the entire country!
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John Yarmuth "Different Direction"
Campaign Plan Development 