[GPSCC-chat] [Fwd: [GPCA-CCWG] How Dan Hamburg Won]

[Tian Harter]

Dan Hamburg is the only Green politician I know that I first got to know
as a talking head on TV. He was a semi regular on the News Hour for a 
while during his days in Congress. I was surprised when he started 
showing up at Green Party meetings, back in the later part of the '90s.
Several times I've seen him say "I just don't like the fundraising 
required to get anywhere in Washington, DC" or words to that effect.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[GPCA-CCWG] How Dan Hamburg Won
Date: 	Thu, 9 Dec 2010 14:51:36 -0800
From: 	William P. Meyers <bill at iiipublishing.com>
To: 	CCWG <gpca-ccwg at cagreens.org>



How Hamburg Won

Analysis by William P. Meyers; does not necessarily reflect the views of
Dan Hamburg or his campaign committee. Created for the Green Party of
California.

Dan Hamburg won his 2010 campaign [with 57.4%] to become 5^th District
Supervisor of Mendocino County California. This is an extremely liberal,
mainly rural and small town, and geographically large district.

The key elements of the campaign were:

1.  Dan decided he wanted to be County Supervisor and started
campaigning at least a year before the filing date. His early campaign
consisted mainly of re-introducing himself to activists, which helped
him launch with a large campaign committee and initial list of
endorsers. That made Dan the frontrunner, and likely headed off
endorsements of other candidates by people who knew and liked several of
the candidates.

2. His campaign team was large and relatively experienced. Many on the
team had worked together on previous campaigns for or against local
propositions or candidates. The team included an overall coordinator, a
coastal and an inland campaign manager, a database person, treasurer,
and other advisors.

3. Dan ran a non-partisan, issues-based race. He always admitted to
being a Green Party member when asked, and refused to re-register
Democrat when pushed, but campaigned on issues and his capabilities.
Many of his campaign workers were decline to state or registered
Democrats, in addition to registered Greens.

4. After the incumbent announced he would not run for re-election, the
Democratic Party machine  that dominates the district failed to unify
voters around their candidate. Having three Dem candidates may have
prevented Dan from winning outright in the primary, but the machine
candidate came in third and the most conservative Democrat came in
second [Primary vote: Dan Hamburg 35%; Wendy Roberts 28.5%; Jim Mastin
21%; Norman De Vall 15%].

5. Dan stuck to the high road, and for the most part his followers did
as well. Dan did not make personal attacks on his opponents, including
Wendy Roberts, even when she made such attacks on him. He always
answered questions honestly and consistently (while admitting a learning
curve). He stuck to the issues. After the primary, this made it possible
to get the endorsement of the 3^rd placed candidate.

6. Dan was a highly-available candidate. He went anywhere in the
district he was invited, only missing events when there were scheduling
conflicts. He made a point to personally talk to as many voters as
possible, and I don’t just mean shaking hands, I mean engaging in real
conversations. And Dan is a very good listener, making people feel that
they have input.

7. Dan was not shy about raising money. Wendy Roberts was backed by
real-estate and other moneyed interests. Dan about matched her in
fundraising, with over $50,000, mainly in “small” donations of under
$1000.

8. The campaign team gathered a huge number of endorsements, working on
that all through the campaign. People who have endorsed are not likely
to switch candidates, and become the grassroots of the campaign.

Other than that, the campaign did all the usual: calling voters,
mailings, radio ads, debates, events. But in our district most votes are
won in face-to-face discussions.

People who don’t know our district may believe that Dan won because he
is a former congressman. His opposition included a former district
supervisor and a former mayor of Ukiah, both better known to the average
voter in much of the district at the beginning of the campaign. His head
start came more from decades of non-profit work for the environment and
justice.


-- 
Tian
http://tian.greens.org
Latest change: Added a picture of 2010's quarters culled from junk mail.
The manga video pin I got in '04 is on a Hawaii quarter right now.
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