Personal Connection in Voter Turnout
By Derek Dufresne (Partner)
Cutting through the noise to mobilize conservative voters is more challenging than ever. While campaigns have long relied on traditional outreach—television, digital, phone calls, mailers, and peer-to-peer texting—a new study underscores a more effective approach: relational organizing.
The Center for Campaign Innovation recently conducted a field test in Florida, focusing on low-propensity Republican voters. The results were striking: voters who received text messages from someone they personally knew were 8.6 percentage points more likely to vote than those in the control group. Meanwhile, traditional peer-to-peer texting, a staple of many campaigns, showed no measurable impact on turnout.
This confirms what many of us in Republican politics have long understood—personal relationships matter. When a trusted contact reaches out, voters are significantly more likely to engage. Campaigns must rethink their voter contact strategies to reflect this reality.
Lessons from the Field: Trust Wins Elections
I started in politics, working the ground game in New Hampshire, where I learned firsthand how trust moves voters. Long before digital and text messaging became central to campaigns, endorsements from local leaders—town councilors, business owners, and sheriffs—played a major role in shaping elections. People turned to trusted figures in their communities to help them decide, especially in primaries where candidates held similar positions.
This lesson has stuck with me: in politics, trust wins. Voters may align with multiple candidates ideologically, but they ultimately support the one backed by someone they know and respect.
Blending Traditional Political Philosophy with Modern Technology
At Ascent Strategic, we’ve built our approach around that principle: trust wins elections. While the tools have evolved, we remain committed to blending time-tested strategies with cutting-edge tactics.
That’s exactly what we did in Congresswoman Kat Cammack’s 2020 primary campaign in FL-03, a crowded 10-way race where nearly every candidate held similar policy positions. While others chased national endorsements, we prioritized local voices—mayors, sheriffs, small business owners, and even the guy who ran the local farm stand.
We didn’t just collect endorsements; we turned them into a targeted messaging strategy. Our team recorded hundreds of short video clips and gathered direct quotes from local leaders. As early voting approached, we delivered these endorsements strategically—through hyper-targeted digital ads, text messages, and mailers—to the voters most likely to know the local leader.
It worked. Even as opponents spent millions attacking Kat on the airwaves, we had built an impenetrable wall of trust. When a trusted local leader vouched for Kat, voters believed them more than another candidate’s attack ad. The result? We won decisively, overcoming the odds in a race where others outspent us significantly.
Proven Success Across Campaigns
This strategy isn’t limited to one race—it’s a core principle of Ascent Strategic.
For example, Ascent Partner Kory Wood deployed the same trusted messenger strategy in Carmel, Indiana, helping Sue Finkam win the mayoral race. Instead of relying solely on mass media, we leveraged local endorsements, micro-targeted messaging, and relational outreach to move voters.
This approach has also helped deliver major wins in presidential campaigns. Our partners, Mike Biundo and Andrew Boucher have used relational organizing strategies to secure massive victories in key states across the nation. Whether building a grassroots network for a presidential primary or helping win a down-ballot race, our approach remains the same—trust moves voters, and trust wins elections.
A Core Mindset for Ascent Strategic’s Growing Team
As Ascent Strategic has expanded, this philosophy has only become more ingrained in our approach. As we’ve grown and added new members to our team, we have reinforced the mindset that personal connection and trust are the most potent tools in political campaigns. It’s not just about adapting to new technology—it’s about integrating modern tools with time-tested principles that actually move voters.
Winning the Next Election with Personal Connection
Looking ahead to 2026, Republican campaigns must embrace a complete strategy—one that combines mass media with relational organizing. Television ads, mail, and digital remain critical for broad messaging, but the most effective campaigns go further, reinforcing those messages through trusted messengers and targeted outreach.
At Ascent Strategic, we integrate both. Our blended approach ensures voters aren’t just hearing from a candidate—they’re hearing from people they trust. That’s how we win, and that’s how Republican campaigns will win in 2026 and beyond.
