Realtors® PAC – “Lift”

In 2010, Congressman Joe Donnelly faced one of the nation’s toughest re-elections in Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District. The National Association of Realtors® Congressional Fund hired TBW to produce a substantial direct mail independent expenditure program to help Donnelly hold his seat. In the mid-September survey, 72% of voters in this northern Indiana district believed the nation was “seriously off on the wrong track” and Donnelly held a slim 2% lead over his challenger. With economic concerns clearly foremost in voters’ minds, TBW created “Lift” on behalf of NAR’s Congressional Fund as part of a five-piece mail program to inform voters about Donnelly’s efforts to help bring jobs, improve the economy, and benefit housing in Indiana. Die cut in order to help it stand out from the other mail in a crowded mailbox, "Lift" hit all likely voters in the expensive Chicago and Indianapolis media markets and targeted subsets of voters in the South Bend media market where the Realtors® also made a substantial television buy. On Election Day, TBW’s independent expenditures helped Donnelly secure re-election by 1.4% of the vote in a year in which many similarly positioned Democratic incumbents lost their seats.