Every off year we take time to evaluate the previous elections and its results. That said, some pretty amazing things happened during the 2016 election:
- A major U.S. party nominated the first woman to the top of its presidential ticket. She went on to garner over 65 million votes — enough to win a popular election.
- A man with the word “socialist” associated heavily with his name throughout his entire political career made waves in the democratic primary. Despite losing, he forced the conversation throughout the election cycle.
- A first-time politician with no public service in his background won the Electoral College and ultimately the presidency.
In the background, the FBI was investigating candidates and the proposition that a foreign entity might be trying to sway the election. Despite all of that, over $1 billion was raised from individuals — 75 percent of it in contributions smaller than $200.
What does it all mean at the end of the day? Individuals can be moved as a block, but to get the extra dollar or vote to win, candidates have to know their supporters and donors:
- Are they a registered for one party but have party-switching in their history?
- Have they given more to candidates who talk and act like your client?
- Is it their birthday?
- How many kids do they have?
- What kind of magazines do they subscribe to?
Any of these things could make the difference between winning and losing the individual. Win enough individuals, win the voter block, win enough blocks and you just might win the election.
Chuck Harris
Sr. Vice President, Product and Service
[email protected]
