After following Ben Brown’s local activism, our Victory team went to meet with him about running for the open senate seat he lived in. He first rose to prominence during the early COVID-19 shutdowns occurring in St. Louis County.
As a restaurant owner, Ben found his business being forced to close by the heavy-hand of the government and put his ability to provide for his family in jeopardy. He quickly gained statewide attention for his opposition to the closing of small businesses while big box chains were allowed to stay open. After the pandemic shutdowns, Ben began working on legislation with his local elected representatives to put restrictions in place on what unelected government bureaucrats can do without a vote.
We quickly recognized Ben as a hard worker. His diverse background as a business owner, conservative activist, and a champion MMA fighter proved he was someone willing to take on tough fights, making him the perfect candidate for a tough primary.
From the beginning, we knew this campaign would be outspent at every turn. The competition between three candidates and outside PAC spending would be intense. He worked hard to raise funds, but with contribution limits, we had to prepare for a long game on a budget.
We started spending money early to build his narrative and profile in the community, which helped mitigate the influence of outside spending later in the campaign. Additionally, he built a powerful grassroots army that had been on his side since before the campaign. He and his volunteers knocked on more than 20,000 doors in the final weeks of the campaign. We worked hard to create a GOTV program that helped turn out more than 10,000 identified supporters.
The early spending, robust digital program, coupled with Ben’s work ethic and grassroots program really made the difference in the race. It was a true case study on the role grassroots and a good ground game still has to play in modern day races.
Winning any campaign starts with treating each race as unique. There is no cookie cutter formula. In some scenarios, it would be best to hold as much cash as possible until the end, but during Ben’s race we knew mailboxes and airwaves would be full as Missouri was in the middle of a competitive US Senate primary. Tailoring a campaign plan and strategy to the specific client and race is essential. It requires more time, energy, and creativity but it will pay dividends in the end.
In the end, Ben Brown showed an incredible aptitude to take a hit and keep working hard on a campaign he believed in. No matter how much money was spent against him, no matter who opposed him, or what the polling said, Ben kept rolling with the punches, maintained a positive attitude, and never stopped working. That made a difference.
At Victory, we were proud to partner with Ben and his incredible campaign. If you’re looking for a powerful strategy to back up your hard work, reach out to us at info@victoryenterprises.com and we’ll get started.