Persuading Suburban Voters in Summit, NJ
In 2024, Great Society Strategies served as General Consultant for the Summit Democrats' Common Council Slate, including Michelle Kalmanson for Ward 1 and Claire Toth for Ward 2. During a year where a current Republican majority was at stake, it was vital for us to secure these two seats for Democrats. Despite a challenging statewide political environment—where New Jersey shifted rightward in the presidential election and Republicans gained ground in key districts, like NJ-7—our strategy delivered exceptional results in Summit. In a politically mixed suburb like Summit, our focus was on both persuading moderate Republican and Independent voters and encouraging base Democrats to complete their ballot.
Project Details
Targeting & Engaging Summit Voters
- Knocked a total of 12,320 doors and made 2,293 calls
- Sent a total of 7 text messages out to voters, focused on Vote By Mail and GOTV efforts
- Hosted two Weekends of Action during critical GOTV period, with over 80 volunteers
- Utilized a contrast focused mail program with 6 pieces of mail sent to voters
- Refined messaging to focus on kitchen table issues, like taxes
- Produced a full-scale video and photoshoot for our candidates
- Included a rich digital program with ads on platforms including META, Programmatic, CCTV, and Static Display Ads.
Tactics
Results
We Thrived, Despite Larger Losses
In a year when New Jersey experienced a dramatic shift to the right, our work in Summit yielded incredible results. Both Toth and Kalmanson won their respective races, with Kalmanson securing 52.98% of the vote in Ward 1, and Toth winning 53.58% in Ward 2. This victory was particularly impressive given the broader political climate and the Republican dominance in the area, marking a significant achievement for Democrats in a competitive race. Due to our robust outreach plans on multiple platforms, our candidates were seen and heard throughout Summit. In suburban towns like Summit, we are experts at reaching voters through refined messaging that works.
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