City Council Campaign
Pamela Campos
Pamela Campos is a rising progressive leader in her hometown of San Jose, CA. In 2023, she launched a grassroots campaign for City Council to tackle persistent challenges like rising youth homelessness and housing instability for working families.
Her opponent was a retired law enforcement officer. In an election year favoring “law-and-order” candidates, she needed to turn potential vulnerabilities (her youth and first-time candidacy) into strengths.
The Challenge:
Establish unifying and authentic campaign narratives to build visibility and close an 11-point primary deficit.
Strategy & Execution:
Our work started with a communications and political landscape audit.
I reviewed demographic data and public opinion research and spoke with campaign leaders who had done extensive canvassing to craft a messaging plan.
Key strategies included:
Building Credibility: We positioned Pamela as a policy-savvy advocate and educator, leveraging endorsements from the Democratic Party, unions, and elected officials.
Boosting Name Recognition: We built a drumbeat of personal stories and campaign promises across digital, print, and field outreach reinforced cohesive key messages and closed the visibility gap.
Countering Misinformation: I developed a message framework to coordinate responses across public channels. This tool addressed false information head-on and provided facts and solutions to neutralize opponent attacks.
Mobilizing Resources: Through storytelling-driven emails with strong calls-to-action, we energized a grassroots base of volunteers and donors.
Content
Email Campaigns
Mailers
Before
After
Impact:
Pamela out-fundraised her opponent and defied statewide trends to win the race, becoming the first Latina and youngest Councilwoman in San Jose City Council history.
Our strategic, research-driven messaging turned potential weaknesses into decisive strengths, proving the power of narrative consistency and audience-driven messaging in driving electoral success.
