| Featured Case Study |
 John Yarmuth
(D-Kentucky)
2008 Re-Election
In 2006, first-time candidate John Yarmuth defeated 10-year Republican incumbent Anne Northup, 52%-48%, despite being significantly outspent and receiving virtually no help from the DCCC. In 2008, Northup sought to reclaim her seat. Polling initially had the two candidates only 4 points apart, but Yarmuth was aggressive about telling his own story. The 2008 campaign ran 8 TV spots, 7 of which were positive. In the end, despite Northup spending more than a million dollars, Yarmuth coasted to a 60% victory.
 Yarmuth TV Ads
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The 60-second ad, Listening, was the first ad of the 2008 Yarmuth campaign. It shows how we defined the race by emphasizing John's many accomplishments in office. |
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"Darryl" |
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"New Day" |
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"Exceptional" |
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"Everything" |
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John talks about
Dave Heller
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“In challenging a five-term incumbent in 2006, I knew I had to make the case for change, but without sounding offensive. Dave Heller's ads allowed me to do that with humor, uniqueness, and a great visual quality.... I would not have won the election without the very distinctive and gorgeous ads that Dave Heller produced for my campaign.” |
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 Yarmuth Radio Ads |
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Pollie Awards
Main Street Communications has compiled the best won-loss record in the Democratic Party. In 1996, our clients won 14 of 15 congressional general election races, including a perfect five out of five open seat races, and one statewide race. In 1998, our clients won 12 of 13 general elections for Congress (including two of three open seat races) and three of three statewide races. We did not handle any open seat races in 2000, but in 2002, our clients again won two of three open seat races for Congress and ten of eleven races overall.
Main Street has not only amassed the best won-loss record in the Democratic Party at the congressional level, we have done so by helping our clients win some of the Party’s toughest races:
- In 1992, we helped Minnesota attorney David Minge win an open seat in a district that had not elected a Democrat in 12 years, despite being heavily outspent.
- In 1994, we helped Maine State Senator John Baldacci win an open congressional seat in a district that had not elected a Democrat in 22 years, despite starting out 36 points down and being outspent – and having his predecessor, Rep. Olympia Snowe, win 62% at the top of the ticket.
- In 1996, we helped ex-Cleveland Mayor Dennis Kucinich defeat Republican Congressman Martin Hoke – just two years after the Democratic nominee polled just 39% of the vote in the district.
- In 1998, we helped Kentucky businessman Ken Lucas win a district that had not elected a Democrat in 34 years, even while his predecessor, Rep. Jim Bunning, was winning 65% of the vote in his U.S. Senate race.
- In 2001, we helped Jane Campbell become the first woman elected Mayor of Cleveland – despite starting out in third place in the polls.
- In 2002, we helped Maine Congressman John Baldacci become the only Democrat to win the governorship in any of the six New England states, despite all six states holding elections and Maine being among the most conservative of the group.
- In 2004, we helped Florida Rep. Allen Boyd, one of the GOP’s top five targets nationally, win re-election with 62% of the vote in a district where President Bush ran 18 points ahead of John Kerry.
The reason why we win so often, especially when our competitors’ clients are losing open seat races with higher Democratic performance numbers, is simple: our strategies. We know that no two races are ever the same, so we do not apply a cookie-cutter mold to our candidates. Democrats today must run on a myriad of ideas and issues. With new ideas come new strategies to convey those ideas. We break the mold to maximize the ideas, vision, personality and record of each of our candidates, and provide each client with his or her own strategy and uniquely tailored creative media package. |
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John Yarmuth "Different Direction"
Campaign Plan Development 
