Case Studies: Text Messaging in Local and Municipal Elections
For municipal elections and county-level campaigns, establishing direct line-of-communication with voters is essential. Modern political campaigns frequently turn to SMS and peer-to-peer (P2P) text messaging to drive voter engagement, boost turnout, coordinate volunteer efforts, and raise critical grassroots funds.
Below are seven case studies demonstrating how local candidates successfully leveraged text messaging to win city council and county commission races across the country:
2019 Dallas City Council Election
In municipal races, direct outreach can make all the difference in candidate visibility. During his successful campaign for Dallas City Council, Lee Kleinman utilized SMS text messaging as a dual-action engagement tool. His team sent targeted text campaigns to solicit grassroots campaign contributions and recruit dedicated volunteers to help organize on the ground.
2019 Nashville Metro Council Election
Local council races often depend heavily on mobilizing core supporters during narrow voting windows. In his bid for Nashville Metro Council, candidate Russ Bradford deployed peer-to-peer texting to directly ask key advocates for their help and votes. This persistent, personal SMS strategy played a major role in driving turnout and securing his election victory.
2019 Jacksonville City Council Election
A well-rounded SMS strategy supports every phase of a political campaign. Running for Jacksonville City Council, candidate Randy DeFoor integrated text messaging across her entire strategy—using it to engage early supporters, process campaign donations, and send critical get-out-the-vote (GOTV) reminders to ensure high voter turnout on election day.
2020 Miami-Dade County Commission Election
In high-profile county elections, text messaging provides the speed and scale needed to reach thousands of voters instantly. Daniella Levine Cava implemented text messaging to connect directly with constituents, mobilize donors, and execute robust GOTV drives, ultimately winning her Miami-Dade County Commission seat handily.
2020 Austin City Council Election
To cut through digital noise, municipal campaigns require channels with high open rates. During her campaign for Austin City Council, Natasha Harper-Madison effectively deployed text messaging to connect with constituents. Her campaign utilized SMS to boost voter engagement, generate fundraising revenue, and execute targeted GOTV pushes through Election Day.
2020 Orange County Commission Election (Florida)
County-level races require widespread community engagement across diverse voter segments. Winning candidate Emily Bonilla used political text messaging as a primary touchpoint to stay in touch with supporters, collect campaign contributions, and deliver crucial voting location and deadline information during her successful run for the Orange County Commission.
2021 San Antonio City Council Election
In municipal elections where early voting plays a crucial role, timing is everything. Candidate Clayton Perry won his San Antonio City Council race by deploying text messages to inform voters about key platform issues, send timely reminders regarding early voting locations, and drive campaign fundraising efforts.