Governor Bill Richardson
After a long history as a party stronghold, the advantage for Democrats in New Mexico began to disappear in the early 1990s as it became a true swing state. Democrats there watched Republicans hold the governorship for two terms, while dealing with division and infighting caused by a splintered leadership, which hurt the party's image. In 2000, Al Gore carried the state by less than 400 votes, and the Party held no advantage entering the 2002 election cycle.
But that year Bill Richardson and his gubernatorial campaign brought an energy and enthusiasm that had been missing for the past decade. Richardson seized control of the debate, blunted an aggressive effort on the part of Republicans and notched the largest margin of victory for a governor in the state in 40 years. In a year in which Democrats struggled in many states, Richardson prevailed by 17 points, defeating Republican opponent John Sanchez 56 to 39 percent.
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But early research demonstrated that Richardson faced significant obstacles. The Bush White House was aggressively promoting Sanchez as the fresh, new face of the Republican Party and both Bush and Cheney campaigned and headlined fundraisers on his behalf. In 2000, Sanchez made a name for himself and earned a reputation as a giant killer when he upset longtime House Speaker Raymond Sanchez. A telegenic candidate armed with a personal story that resonated with voters, Sanchez gained favor by airing early ads highlighting his successful business career and his modest background.
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From the outset, GQR President Al Quinlan helped the Richardson campaign develop a strategy and message to not only win but to provide a mandate for Richardson as Governor. Quinlan's research and strategic advice guided the campaign from start to finish, and enabled the campaign to successfully adjust their strategy to political changes along the way. The campaign capitalized on the stature gap between the veteran statesman Richardson and the less experienced Sanchez.
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The Richardson campaign's central challenge was to persuade voters that he would put his ability and vast experience to work for them in New Mexico. In the end, the vast majority of New Mexican's believed that Richardson was the one candidate who would get the state moving again and most important, make a difference for them.
The Richardson campaign never allowed Sanchez to gain any real momentum. GQR's early and thorough research identified many of Sanchez's weaknesses and, in mid-September, the Richardson campaign raised questions about Sanchez's record that he was never able to adequately answer. Subsequent attacks on Richardson failed to score because Sanchez had lost credibility. The result was a double-digit advantage for Richardson throughout the fall.
Richardson opened up a lead and never looked back, while putting together the sort of coalition Democrats needed to win in the state. Richardson's victory margin is even more impressive considering the presence of a Green Party candidate, who peeled off 5 percent of voters, nearly all of whom were liberal. And Richardson held the Hispanic base, winning a large majority of the state's Hispanic voters. Richardson also won a plurality of whites and, perhaps most impressive, overturned previous partisan trends in the vast rural areas of the Northwest, South and Eastern parts of the state.
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The Richardson campaign captured a convincing majority of the state's votes by connecting with New Mexicans on a personal level. GQR research and strategic advice helped Richardson prove that he would put his experience and vast ability to work for average New Mexicans and help get the state moving again
http://www.greenbergresearch.com/campaigns_us/case_studies_richardson.html
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